Shirley - Charlotte Bronte

"Shirley" by Charlotte Bronte. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-043095-4 This is a gem of a book, written just after Jane Eyre and set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars, it is one of Charlotte Bronte's best. It follows the fortunes of two women Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar and their involvement with the Moore brothers. These relationships are set against the politics of England and the Continent at the time of the Luddite uprisings and Napoleonic wars respectively. In that respect Shirley has a farther reach as a novel than some of Charlotte Bronte's other more personal novels such as ... more

It's a credit to a book and it's author when you can read it, re-read it, write a long essay for A level coursework on it and still love it. While people tend to see Jane Eyre as Charlotte Bronte's masterpiece, I think that this is a better novel, a better story and shows what a talented write Charlotte is. It's a shame I could only give it 5 stars - it's worth more. What struck me most is the feminism in this novel, especially when the independent Shirley is contrasted with Caroline, who worries about becoming an old maid. It's vital to remember that Charlotte was writing in one of the most ... more

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. The characters of Caroline and Shirley, are minutely drawn and by the end of the novel you feel like you know them. The text is by no means dated and it's a very easy to read book, the plot flows and it never drags. Charlotte Bronte gives an excellent mix of tragedy, suspense, romance and comedy- of quite a light satirical kind. I was left guessing at the plot until right at the end and was close to tears in sympathy with Caroline at some points. I would highly reccomend this book, even for people who tend not to like the classics ... more