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A review by flappermyrtle
The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett
4.0
I absolutely loved this novel. I can't explain very well why, but I'll try.
First of all there's the period that is brought to life, with its stately mansions slowly falling to ruin, and in some cases being built up again beautifully. The English countryside really breathes from the pages, very well-written and described.
Then, there's the characters of Betty and Mount Dunstan. They're great. Betty is strong-willed, intelligent, and does not take shit from anyone. She's a positive depiction of the new woman, and what she might achieve if she is educated well and has the money to do good, without society dictating her gender role. Though Betty is often set apart from other women, the character does hold a promise. Mount Dunstan is simply everything you can wish for in an impoverished English gentleman: rugged, honourable, and just a tad proud and grumpy, without falling into a stereotype. Minor characters like G. Selden and Mr Penzance make the texture of the story much more real, showing characters of different classes and walks of life outside of American millionaires and British nobility.
Eventually, there's the lovely mix of genre that Hodgson Burnett juggles in this novel; there is some romance, some thriller, some comedy, all brought together in a harmonious way that makes the novel much more enjoyable than if it had been just one of these.
I'd highly recommend The Shuttle to lovers of Downton Abbey - there's drama, deceit, love and English estates. What more can you wish for?
First of all there's the period that is brought to life, with its stately mansions slowly falling to ruin, and in some cases being built up again beautifully. The English countryside really breathes from the pages, very well-written and described.
Then, there's the characters of Betty and Mount Dunstan. They're great. Betty is strong-willed, intelligent, and does not take shit from anyone. She's a positive depiction of the new woman, and what she might achieve if she is educated well and has the money to do good, without society dictating her gender role. Though Betty is often set apart from other women, the character does hold a promise. Mount Dunstan is simply everything you can wish for in an impoverished English gentleman: rugged, honourable, and just a tad proud and grumpy, without falling into a stereotype. Minor characters like G. Selden and Mr Penzance make the texture of the story much more real, showing characters of different classes and walks of life outside of American millionaires and British nobility.
Eventually, there's the lovely mix of genre that Hodgson Burnett juggles in this novel; there is some romance, some thriller, some comedy, all brought together in a harmonious way that makes the novel much more enjoyable than if it had been just one of these.
I'd highly recommend The Shuttle to lovers of Downton Abbey - there's drama, deceit, love and English estates. What more can you wish for?