Brontë Week: Shirley, by Charlotte Brontë

In which I talk about Charlotte Brontë's Shirley...

Shirley, by Charlotte Brontë, was published in 1849. It is my fifth favourite Brontë novel out of the seven.

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[donalgallagher]

It is such a great book. just absolutely love Charlotte bronte and this is one of my favourite books ever. Cheers for review

[cherylreeves]

I love Shirley. My daughter and I read it out loud to each other. I have it as an audio book and have listened to it three times now. Lovely story.

[LutherStarling]

I loved 'Villette' and 'Jane Eyre' and am now starting 'Shirley'. I love Charlotte Bronte's language.

[Dawnsbookreviews]

I am currently reading Shirley and really enjoying it!
I had been wanting to read it for a long time!!❤

[RebeccaYoder]

I agree with the slow intros. I really enjoy getting to know a place or a character before all the action explodes. I think knowing the surroundings better can even intensify the action when it comes because you understand better the significance of it.

[carollomax]

I love this book! Only read it recently….

[karolina]

I'm justing sitting here nodding and smiling😊

[victoriahoyle-publichistor]

I am loving this series so much. Really looking forward to going back and watching your Dickens one after this. I've only read half a dozen Dickens novels so I will be in the dark for most of it. 😀 I have enormous affection for Shirley and Caroline - I love how the key relationship in the book is their friendship. Also how the historical setting is so atmospheric and lived in; I think it's got the best sense of place of any of Charlotte's novels.

[TheNovelNomad]

Romance and social criticism is the perfect combination, I have just requested a copy of Shirley to add it to my TBR. I love all of your Bronte videos, I am looking forward to the next one tomorrow!

[ludd]

Just finished Shirley and really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read Villette now 👍🤗

[Hakausu]

Reading Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Bronte helps a lot of things make sense. CB began this novel as "Currer Bell", when all 3 were posing as anonymous men to try to level the field in literature at the time. She was in a family with a father, brother and 2 sisters who discussed political and social issues. She did not complete it until she had lost her brother and 2 sisters. CB herself has said that Shirley was Emily if she had had good health and opportunities. That may be why it seems like 2 different books. It is also fascinating to see this tribute after Emily's death (Emily was not a favorite with many people, had some real character flaws but was much loved by CB of course) and to see the love with which CB gives the character a more ideal life without being disloyal to who and what Emily really was.

[radiantchristina]

i finally got to this at the end of last year. It is the only Bronte novel that i DNF'd. I think it was just the wrong time to pick it up..it was at the end of last year and i had so much going on i think i was trying to rush it....and i CANNOT rush any Bronte novels. I do plan to pick it up again and give it another go.

[nat]

Just started this one. 😊

This is my third novel by Charlotte Bronte. It is different for me to read a book by her written in third person so I’m interested to see how it will play out. I am loving it so far. The way she presents the conflict reminded me a little of the conflict in North and South with the manufacturers and employees.

I find it interesting that you mentioned how it takes a while to get to the main story. That was my experience with ‘Villette’ but I realized how everything in the beginning is really important to the main plot and the characters later on. She really does take her time which I have learned to appreciate.

I’m just at chapter 2, so I’ll just have to see where this story will go!

[booksandallthatjazz]

A great series. You have so much energy. I will have to read more Bronte. I have only read W.H., J.E, and T.T.O.W. W.H. being my favourite, then T.T.O.W. I'm reading Villette next then. ...?

[Fortheloveofclassics]

I’m currently reading Shirley. Obviously i had to search up your video review. I’m about a one third way in and Shirley just made an entrance.

Waiting for the story to spice up now.

[radiantchristina]

I am currently giving this one another try. Not so bad this time around...i think I'm in the right mood for it.

[mame-musing]

Hi Katie, i recently read The Tenant of Wildfell HalI. So following along on your Bronte Week suggestions, I just read and listened to Shirley. Your enthusiastic discussion of the book sparked my interest. Of the two books, I enjoyed TT WH much more. Lol! It’s too bad that Charlotte Bronte didn’t have you as an editor for Shirley to align the plot points and delete that quite tedious recitation by Louis about 2/3 through the book. Also, CB presents the importance of women thinking and acting independently etc and yet she has her protagonist specifically saying she wants a master (not an equal?) somewhat in the mold of Mr Rochester (pre-fire). It seems a bit contradictory.
Also, the colorful curates introduced In the first third of the book had faded away and they are mentioned at the very end to tie up loose ends. Since she lost her 3 remaining siblings within 8 months while she was writing this book it’s understandable if she became a bit distracted while writing this novel.

[jessica-fcm]

Just finished reading and oh my God I loved this book sooo so so much
There were some annoying moments and I think some tedious and unnecessarily long passages that I could certainly do without but... oh such beautiful moments, and such sad moments that moved me to tears.

But... did anyone miss a little more interaction between Caroline and Shirley by the end of the book? When everything started falling into place in their own personal lives, the book seemed to completely forget about their friendship which to me was the central point of the novel... I wish there was at least one scene by the end where they exchanged between them everything that was happening in their personal lives. Anyone felt that too?

*Spoilers ahead* :
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I cried so so much when Caroline got sick and started getting delusional and craved the sight of Robert so much. Dear God, Charlotte Bronte really does unrequited love like none other. There were some truly heartbreaking moments in this book, I felt so bad for poor Caroline...

[CarolynsReadingRamblings]

When you threw in that Gaskell pitch in the middle I was like XD "happy heart!" and also when you mentioned that Caroline's last name is Helstone (Helston?) I wondered if Gaskell borrowed that from Charlotte or vice versa (was Shirley published first I assume?)? Or if it was a common enough name to be a coincidence, since that is also what Elizabeth Gaskell named the parsonage in North and South. Excellent video! You just keep convincing me to read Brontes I've been on the fence about. :)

[KevTheImpaler]

I thought it would be Shirley today when you said you'd talk about Tenant of Wildfell Hall later in the week, yesterday. Shirley is on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I thought it was the last in my industrial novel project, but Howerds End has recently joined it. I have read that Shirley used to be a boy's name before this book came out. There was a wrestler in the 70's, called Big Daddy, whose real first name was Shirley, but he's the only man I've heard of called Shirley.