Oh y'all.
I. Loved. This. Book.
Five stars and two gigantic thumbs up for Agnes Grey.
Agnes Grey was first published at the end of 1847 and was the first of two novels written by the youngest of the Brontë sisters, Anne. The Brontë sisters originally published their work under the masculine pen names of Currer (for Charlotte), Ellis (for Emily), and Acton (for Anne) Bell. I've read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, but this was my first foray into Anne Brontë's work, and I was not at all disappointed. While Agnes Grey proved much simpler than the plots of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights and although Anne Brontë herself never received the same level of fame or recognition as her older sisters, her novel was in no way inferior to theirs, and, in fact, I definitely liked it better than Wuthering Heights and certainly read it faster than I've ever read Jane Eyre (though to be fair, Jane Eyre is nearly triple the length of Agnes Grey).
Agnes Grey is the story of a poor clergyman's youngest daughter who decides to go to work as a governess to help relieve the financial strain her family is under. Because governesses in Victorian England were considered "beneath" their employers but "above" the household servants, Agnes Grey leads a very lonely, isolated life despite being from such a loving, close-knit family.
Agnes Grey as a novel is, without a doubt, much more relatable and realistic than either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, due in large measure to its autobiographical nature. Anne Brontë was herself a governess in Victorian England and much of the material found in Agnes Grey was taken from her own life experiences.
That's about all I've got to say for this one. I don't want to give anything away for those of you who may want to read it for yourselves. You boys may not find this particularly entertaining, but ladies, go grab a copy and settle in for a lovely experience.
Have you read any of the Brontës' work? Who is your favorite Brontë sister? I have The Professor and Villette both by Charlotte Brontë sitting on my shelf and now I absolutely want to acquire The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. Which Brontë novel should go on next year's book list?
I think I was planning on reading one of Anne's books next year, since Wuthering Heights is on my list for this year, and I haven't started it yet. I watched the biopic on the Bronte sisters on PBS a few months ago, so I've been intrigued to read the works of the other sisters. So far, I've only read Jane Eyre. I'd say try Villette next year, since I'm thinking about buying a copy soon, and it's supposed to be pretty autobiographical for Charlotte. I've heard good things about Wildfell Hall, I think, too.
ReplyDeleteIt will probably come down to Villette or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Although The Professor is the first novel Charlotte ever wrote (though not the first she published) so part of me wants to read that next. We'll see when list-making time comes around. :)
DeleteDid you like Jane Eyre when you read it?
I'm so glad that you liked it! After I read both of Ann Bronte's novels, I found it a little odd that Emily and Charlotte were considered the literary successes when Ann is (in my opinion) the better writer. But I did read that Charlotte disapproved of Ann's writing and didn't authorize further printings after Ann died so that could be why Ann doesn't have such a literary reputation.
ReplyDeleteThe Tenant of Wildfell Hall is really my favorite novel by any Bronte. It's longer than Agnes Grey, but contains a lot of the elements of Ann Bronte's writing that I like. I find Ann's characters easier to identify with. Her two novels have left me with a genuine perspective of a person whose circumstances are different than mine. I don't want to give anything away, but in a way that no other novel ever has Wildfell Hall made real to me as a modern woman what it would have been like in that time for a woman. That's all I can say without giving away plot lines, but if you ever read it, we'll talk.
Well this definitely makes me want to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall next. I know the basic plot of it, and I've read that it is considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels. I have also read the same thing about Charlotte preventing further printings of Wildfell Hall after Anne's death which I'm sure contributed to her comparative obscurity. I definitely want to discuss it with you after I read it.
DeleteI'm so excited to take your recommendation on this :)
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOSH.
DeleteIT WORKED FROM MY PHONE.
🙏🏽praise🙏🏽
A COMMENT!! So weird that it worked from your phone (which people generally tell me they have more trouble trying to comment from their phones). Technology. Oy.
DeleteCan't wait to hear what you think of it!
I want to read this. Can I borrow it? :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
Delete