Shirley Paperback – November 11, 2016

Bronte's Shirley was written two years after Jane Eyre took Victorian England by storm. Some reviews were harsh and those who cared for the beloved author took care to hide reviews which might bring tears to her eyes.Shirley is entirely different from Jane Eyre. Set during the Napoleonic wars, it focuses on a group of individuals, instead of one heroine like she did in Jane Eyre.If you are a devoted Bronte fan like myself, I urge you to not let the first few chapters keep you from the gold that is not far behind. The first half of the book is rather trying. One begins to wonder why the novel was entitled Shirley since no such character appears until a few hundred pages. Instead, the novel focuses on a pair of rude and gossipy curates and the troubles of mill owner Robert Moore. It takes a while, but slowly all players in the novel are gradually introduced.The character of Shirley Keedlar was in fact inspired by Charlotte Bronte's sister, Emily, author of Wuthering Heights. Shirley is a beautiful but fiery heiress who bewitches and impacts many lives throughout the novel. Bronte claimed that Shirley Keedlar lives the life that Emily might have lived had she been happy and healthy.As I read the book, I attempted to piece together which characters were inspired by Bronte's real aquaintances. It is well known that the characters in Shirley were inspired from a small pool of people Charlotte Bronte socialized with. When her novel was released, many people recognized themselves in the novel, she was highly embarassed, but most of the people who inspired the characters found it all very amusing.I was not wrong when I assumed that Caroline Helston, an orphan living with her uncle in a desolate parsonage has a little bit of Charlotte in her. Caroline secretly loved her cousin, Robert Moore, who unaware of her feelings, hurts her deeply by his aloofness.The first part of the book was a little dull, but at one point in the novel it becomes impossible to put down. Bronte fans will see so much of our beloved novelist in Caroline that you won't be able to resist losing your heart to her.When Charlotte Bronte began writing this novel, she found it incredibly difficult to write. However, the death of her brother and sisters left a void that only writing could fill. This becomes apparent in the heartfelt manner the last half of the book was written. Jane Eyre is most Bronte fans favorite novel, but Charlotte found Shirley superior to Jane Eyre. The latter is still my favorite, but anyone who is a fan of Jane Eyre must read this wonderful novel, which was written during such an emotional time in Charlotte Bronte's life.

Although it's no Jane Eyre, I still enjoyed reading Shirley. Charlotte Brontë prefaced the book, explaining to the reader that they should not expect anything similar to Jane Eyre. And she delivered precisely that. "Something real, cool and solid lies before you; something unromantic as Monday morning, when all who have work wake with the consciousness that they must rise and betake themselves thereto." Shirley is told from a third-person omniscient POV and explores the lives of multiple characters during the Napoleonic Wars, mainly the headstrong and independent Shirley Keeldar and the more reserved and a tad insecure Caroline Helstone. I want to mention how much I admire Shirley and Caroline's friendship. They have very different personalities, which allows them to learn and grow from one another, and their friendship is filled with personal growth, support, and open/honest discussions about their challenges and aspirations. The book explores various themes of gender roles, religion, class, labor unrest, love, female friendship, and family."Half a century of existence may lie before me. How am I to occupy it?"This was an interesting read with great dialogue and social commentary. However, the large number of characters made it hard to keep up with at times. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell is slightly compared to Shirley in the Introduction. With it being a couple hundred pages less, I would also like to read that at some point and possibly compare the two.Fun fact: The surname "Shirley" was traditionally given to male children, but the book's popularity made it a popular first name for women. I don't know whether this is a 4 or 4.5-star read. The rating may change at some point.

I really enjoyed this novel. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Austen, Gaskell, or any other female authors of the same caliber. The first part of the book sets the stage for the curates and the town as a whole. (This part I would actually recommend reading quickly as I felt it had nothing to do with the story of “Shirley”. The latter half is a great story with some interesting plot twists between relationships. The writing and diction were impeccable. Just so varied and unique. I wish I had wrote down all the archaic words we no longer use but that are so on pointe for the sentiment of the moment. This book is underrated and a surprising enjoyment. I now wish they would make this into a movie. It would make a great screen play. The banter between characters and also the strong character of Shirley as a woman during her epoch. Highly recommend!