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A review by princess_starr
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë by Syrie James
3.0
Picked this up in the advance copy pile at work, as the title looked interesting, and I felt like I needed to get into more historical literature.
The Secret Diaries... covers a good bit of Charlotte Bronte's life- specifically, her relationship with her husband, Arthur Nicholls and how they met and fell in love. This also includes the years she spent publishing with her sisters.
I'll be honest, the narrative doesn't pick up until Anne, Charlotte and Emily decide to start writing and publishing their work. The first ten or so chapters cover Charlotte's childhood and education, and her first impression of Mr. Nicholls, who has arrived as her father's curate. However, after the sisters Bronte (or siblings Bell, as it were), begin their writing career, it really picked up for me.
However, once Mr. Nicholls and Charlotte begin returning the other's affections, every other character in the book- who have been highly supportive of Mr. Nicholls- does a 180 and starts accusing him of wanting Charlotte for her fame and fortune. I was also saddened to see James appropriate Jane Eyre's famous declaration; it made the lead-up of events seem cheapened and just a nod to Bronte fans. On the other hand, the reading group copy does include several published poems by the Bronte family, which does add to the story, seeing as the poems are discussed in great detail.
Overall, if you enjoy anything by the Brontes- or historical fiction/interpretation- this is for you.
The Secret Diaries... covers a good bit of Charlotte Bronte's life- specifically, her relationship with her husband, Arthur Nicholls and how they met and fell in love. This also includes the years she spent publishing with her sisters.
I'll be honest, the narrative doesn't pick up until Anne, Charlotte and Emily decide to start writing and publishing their work. The first ten or so chapters cover Charlotte's childhood and education, and her first impression of Mr. Nicholls, who has arrived as her father's curate. However, after the sisters Bronte (or siblings Bell, as it were), begin their writing career, it really picked up for me.
However, once Mr. Nicholls and Charlotte begin returning the other's affections, every other character in the book- who have been highly supportive of Mr. Nicholls- does a 180 and starts accusing him of wanting Charlotte for her fame and fortune. I was also saddened to see James appropriate Jane Eyre's famous declaration; it made the lead-up of events seem cheapened and just a nod to Bronte fans. On the other hand, the reading group copy does include several published poems by the Bronte family, which does add to the story, seeing as the poems are discussed in great detail.
Overall, if you enjoy anything by the Brontes- or historical fiction/interpretation- this is for you.