Shirley Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1907

I nearly stopped reading this book as it took several chapters to get into it. Once it moved on and I got into it I enjoyed it.

I bought this edition because it has an excellent introductory essay by Andrew Hook, free of the irrelevant overlay of present day political views so often found in more recently published editions. "Shirley" is another fascinating work in Charlotte Bronte's oeuvre. It is a historical novel set in Yorkshire in Napoleonic times. As with other fictional accounts from all periods - when they are well done - "Shirley" provides a real sense of the times. Here, it is the combined effects of the Napoleonic wars and the industrial revolution on individuals and small communities and the actions they took to defend their positions. Charlotte Bronte is at pains through her characterisation to be evenhanded and to show each group's point of view, whether it is the workers whose livelihoods were being destroyed by new machinery, or the mill owners with stock piling up that they could not move because the war's effect on trade etc etc. Against this historical background CB weaves a love story where, in keeping with her other novels, "Jane Eyre" & "Villette", the path of love does not run smooth. As a writer she manages well the technical problem identified by Flaubert when he was writing "Education Sentimentale", namely that his background (the 1848 revolutions) would swallow up his foreground since real life heros were usually more interesting than fictional characters. Recommend "Shirley" for anyone interested in history and / or the remarkable Brontes.

Bronte lets a dense egalitarian ideology dominate these laboured chapters and hauls the reader through page after page of costive prose. Her characters run the gamut of the Napoleonic era, with manic Dissenters, hysterical matrons and giantesses, angry schoolboys, a saintlike spinster, strong-willed heiresses and handsome millowners. Caroline Helstone is an exquisite creation, though her forlornness is overdrawn to the point of morbidity, whilst Louis Moore, Shirley's betrothed, must be one of the most verbally constipated windbags (once he finally hitches his tutor's britches and gets going on the lurv business) ever to clog the sweet streams of Victorian novels. Bash away at it; there are some fearsomely dramatic encounters to enjoy even if you have to galosh through molasses to get to them. BEWARE MRS YORKE!!

A challenging read of the book that Bronte described as :"as dull as a Monday morning" in response to critics of "Jane Eyre". Limited plot but highly satisfying.

Fascinating ramble through attitudes to e.g. class and womanly behaviour. Glad I didn't live in the 19th century! Did she have an outline before she started writing - a good editor definitely need! Also how do people manage to speak coherently in full paragraphs? in spite of all this, I am curiously hooked, but that is probably because I didn't know the end of the story.

Not a summer holiday book, but very rewarding if you stick at it. Reading the thoughts of an early victorian woman is fascinating. CHarlotte Bronte saw injustices and wrote about them, particulary the role of poor middle class women with no marriage prospects. THere are some great lines poking fun at what she thinks men say about women. The Brontes must have been an amazing group of women - real free thinkers.

Ended up buying the Penguin paperback today as I was completely fed up of all the typos in this kindle edition. If you've never read the book though, it's fantastic.

I would highly recommend this book, it is exceptionally good and very touching. It is centred around the time of the industrial revolution where machines were coming into factories and replacing the "hands" which i found a very interesting background (i'm a geek i know) and is basically a romance between 2 couples..that's to say the 2 main female characters and 2 main male characters (not together obviously..yikes!)Has lots of little twists and turns and lovely emotive stuff which is very Bronte. I truly recommend it...esp to women , i'm not sure men would like it so much as it is v much romantic stuff..but as i say the historical background is fascinatingexcellent