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A review by ifyouhappentoremember
Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
3.0
3.5
Jane Eyre looms large in Charlotte Brontë's bibliography and I found it difficult not to compare and contrast Jane Eyre and Shirley.
I think Jane Eyre has the better overall plot but Shirley has the better-crafted characters. Those characters are worth slogging through a very inconsistent plot.
Brontë sets up an intriguing story about the conflict industrialization brings to Yorkshire circa 1812-1812. The rapid mechanization of the mills causes tension and hostility between mill owner Robert Moore and the local populace who depended upon the jobs the recently mechanized mill provided. But this is all background to the romantic entanglements of our two heroines. The first is Caroline Helstone, a shy young woman who is trapped in the oppressive atmosphere of her uncle's Yorkshire rectory. The other is Shirley Keeldar, a lively young heiress whose wealth allows her to remain headstrong and independent.
Unfortunately, as the novel went on, the plot meandered to the finish with no purpose. The industrialization conflict fizzles out in favor of focusing on Charlotte Helstone's unrequited love for Robert Moore, which then fades into the background to focus on Shirley Keeldar and her heiress problems.
In summary, there are good moments and characters but the biggest weakness of Shirley is the meandering plot.
Jane Eyre looms large in Charlotte Brontë's bibliography and I found it difficult not to compare and contrast Jane Eyre and Shirley.
I think Jane Eyre has the better overall plot but Shirley has the better-crafted characters. Those characters are worth slogging through a very inconsistent plot.
Brontë sets up an intriguing story about the conflict industrialization brings to Yorkshire circa 1812-1812. The rapid mechanization of the mills causes tension and hostility between mill owner Robert Moore and the local populace who depended upon the jobs the recently mechanized mill provided. But this is all background to the romantic entanglements of our two heroines. The first is Caroline Helstone, a shy young woman who is trapped in the oppressive atmosphere of her uncle's Yorkshire rectory. The other is Shirley Keeldar, a lively young heiress whose wealth allows her to remain headstrong and independent.
Unfortunately, as the novel went on, the plot meandered to the finish with no purpose. The industrialization conflict fizzles out in favor of focusing on Charlotte Helstone's unrequited love for Robert Moore, which then fades into the background to focus on Shirley Keeldar and her heiress problems.
In summary, there are good moments and characters but the biggest weakness of Shirley is the meandering plot.