A review by hwestenhofer
Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

2.0

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.