November Group Read: Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

Shirley was the second of Charlotte Brontë's novels to be published and it followed the popular Jane Eyre. Shirley is set in Yorkshire during the early regency period. Three of Charlotte's siblings (Bramwell, Emily, and Anne) died while Charlotte was writing Shirley.

It will help if we all start our comments with a chapter number.

I'll probably start reading towards the end of the week. Who else will be reading with me this month?

I'm in, and will start reading soon.

Thanks, Carrie. I'll start it sometime next week, if all goes according to plan.

I'm planning on it - I already have the book, but it's not very close to the top of the TBR pile. :-(

I just came across a really nice British Library digital resource on Romantic and Victorian authors. Charlotte Brontë's entry is here.

It's on my iPad.

Started the book today on my way home. I was wondering when the titular character was going to make an entrance! Enjoying it so far.

I started yesterday in a very short break when I had nothing else along to read. The first few pages are fun, but I realized how long this is. I've got to start getting serious about this.

I finally finished Shirley this afternoon. The first half of the book was slow going, but I got to a point this weekend when I found it hard to put down. I think it works better as a social novel than as a romance. There are some awkward constructions and devices (e.g., the use of Louis Moore's journal entries to reveal his thoughts).

I was intrigued by former governess Mrs. Pryor's gradually revealed identity as Agnes Grey.