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A review by thenovelbook
Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
3.0
Victober 2022 re-read: After revisiting works from each Bronte sister this year, I can categorically confirm that I am Team Charlotte. Even so, this is not her best novel. I'd say it's a battle between Jane Eyre and Villette for that title. Still, Shirley has tons of great passages. It's just very long and keeps switching focus.
Original review follows:
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After placing this on my did-not-finish shelf earlier in the year, I was motivated to give it another try after listening to the BBC Radio 4 dramatization. Having a basic idea of where the plot is going was very helpful and made it easier to stick with the book through all the divagations.
It's a long book. The beginning is a bit of a slog, and it wasn't until about a quarter of the way in that I got into enjoyable territory. It begins with a lot of description about the idiosyncrasies of minor characters, and the plight of Robert Moore, who wants to mechanize his textile mill but faces backlash from his workers who fear they will lose their jobs. Interesting in spots, but a bit snoozy, if you ask me. If this book were a modern publication, I'm sure it wouldn't leave the editor's desk without being severely tightened up and condensed. There is A LOT of description.
But once the narrative focused on the two women at the center of the book, my attention was caught. Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar are both fascinating women in their own way, but very different. Caroline, the niece of the rector, is quiet and retiring on the outside but with the strength of steel underneath, and quite a few of her own strongly held beliefs. Shirley, the newly arrived inheritor of the manor, is whimsical and bright, a leader amongst followers.
The friendship of these two girls makes for a satisfying read. Their romantic experiences are of secondary importance. Indeed, it is hard to muster too much enthusiasm for the man that Caroline loves. Shirley's suitor is much more intriguing, even if he doesn't show up until the book is more than half over.
This is an interesting contrast to Charlotte Bronte's first published book, Jane Eyre. Where Jane Eyre is beautifully Gothic and emotional, Shirley deals more straightforwardly with the real world and ordinary people. Oh, there is a secret or two to be revealed, but nothing in the nature of Jane Eyre.
After reading Charlotte Bronte's letters recently, and then this book, I thought Caroline Helstone could be a reflection of how Charlotte Bronte saw herself, more so than any of her other characters. Although Caroline struggles with anxiety, she is not so separate from society as Jane Eyre or Lucy Snowe. She has something more of humility and patience mixed in with her strength. She does not thrive on being on her own against the world...ultimately, her world ends up giving her a place to belong.
Original review follows:
----------------------
After placing this on my did-not-finish shelf earlier in the year, I was motivated to give it another try after listening to the BBC Radio 4 dramatization. Having a basic idea of where the plot is going was very helpful and made it easier to stick with the book through all the divagations.
It's a long book. The beginning is a bit of a slog, and it wasn't until about a quarter of the way in that I got into enjoyable territory. It begins with a lot of description about the idiosyncrasies of minor characters, and the plight of Robert Moore, who wants to mechanize his textile mill but faces backlash from his workers who fear they will lose their jobs. Interesting in spots, but a bit snoozy, if you ask me. If this book were a modern publication, I'm sure it wouldn't leave the editor's desk without being severely tightened up and condensed. There is A LOT of description.
But once the narrative focused on the two women at the center of the book, my attention was caught. Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar are both fascinating women in their own way, but very different. Caroline, the niece of the rector, is quiet and retiring on the outside but with the strength of steel underneath, and quite a few of her own strongly held beliefs. Shirley, the newly arrived inheritor of the manor, is whimsical and bright, a leader amongst followers.
The friendship of these two girls makes for a satisfying read. Their romantic experiences are of secondary importance. Indeed, it is hard to muster too much enthusiasm for the man that Caroline loves. Shirley's suitor is much more intriguing, even if he doesn't show up until the book is more than half over.
This is an interesting contrast to Charlotte Bronte's first published book, Jane Eyre. Where Jane Eyre is beautifully Gothic and emotional, Shirley deals more straightforwardly with the real world and ordinary people. Oh, there is a secret or two to be revealed, but nothing in the nature of Jane Eyre.
After reading Charlotte Bronte's letters recently, and then this book, I thought Caroline Helstone could be a reflection of how Charlotte Bronte saw herself, more so than any of her other characters. Although Caroline struggles with anxiety, she is not so separate from society as Jane Eyre or Lucy Snowe. She has something more of humility and patience mixed in with her strength. She does not thrive on being on her own against the world...ultimately, her world ends up giving her a place to belong.