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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I had planned to take quarantine as a time to read more slowly and therefore give myself the opportunity to THINK.
Still, I enjoyed this novel-in-verse too much to make a labour of it, even when the labour is to my benefit. A grand defence of poetry and aestheticism against its fiercest rival...Socialism? Barrett Browning writes wholly of the 19th century, of her time. Of course, the past is neither dead nor past, and her themes have left me ponder, her style inticing me to read more and again. When I am less lazy I will be back.
Still, I enjoyed this novel-in-verse too much to make a labour of it, even when the labour is to my benefit. A grand defence of poetry and aestheticism against its fiercest rival...Socialism? Barrett Browning writes wholly of the 19th century, of her time. Of course, the past is neither dead nor past, and her themes have left me ponder, her style inticing me to read more and again. When I am less lazy I will be back.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book because I really love the idea of a Victorian woman experimenting with the classical, patriarchal form of the epic poem; however, I felt that it was almost too contrived, and Browning spent too much time telling readers what she was doing instead of actually doing it. I felt that she went on too many tangents about Biblical and classical illusions and that it detracted from the story and made it hard to follow. I also wondered whether the "novel-in-verse" form was the best choice for this story. I personally would not recommend this book, and I think that there are many other Victorian texts that grapple with similar thematic ideas much better.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, reading this on Serial Reader was probably a mistake, because I think I would have greatly benefited both from potential footnotes and from being able to flip back to be like "wait, who was that again?" Browning's writing reminds me of a part from Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own", where she gets on Charlotte Bronte's case for going on too much about misogyny and derailing the plot. I think there's a similar issue here- there's a plot, and then there's Aurora's deep emotions about the trials of being a female writer. Both are really well-written, but they're not interwoven as cohesively as I would have liked. The writing is just stunning, though. But I had trouble following the plot. I still can't tell you when Aurora published her books. I also was half-convinced that she and Marian were going to end up together. I know this was published in the nineteenth century but I'm telling you, I really thought that Aurora and Marian were going to be the romantic endgame for a minute there. Anyway, I think I'm gonna read some of Elizabeth Browning's shorter poems so I can experience her fantastic writing without trying to follow a plot.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really investing stuff about making it as a woman poet, writing vs social work and reform, the quality of one’s work, and nature vs science. Cool stuff. Only read books 1, 2, and 5, will come back to this one day. The consumability of the poetess?
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated