Continuing To Blog Shirley

[poliphilo]

200 pages in and Shirley finally showed up. She's a rich heiress who likes to think of herself as a "he"- shades of Vita Sackville West- which makes her sound more interesting than she actually is. She and the insipid heroine have just spent a couple of long chapters failing to pass the Bechtel test. They've both obsessed with the very dull hero- the good-hearted mill-owner who treats his workers like dirt but is kind to cats.

Bronte is in the grip of second novel syndrome. She set out to write something gritty and political but it's not really her style and she's lapsed back into romance.  And now she's treading water, killing time, noodling; there are three volumes to fill and she's got nothing much to say.

Someone burn a mill down,  please!

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

In the words of Mervyn King, "Jane Austen is waiting quietly in the wings."

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. She wants so badly not to be Austen, but it's the default position. When she runs out of inspiration we're back to two young ladies in a drawing-room discussing eligible men.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

There's trooble at 'mill!

Cap'n Swing, anyone? :o)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

If only...

Shirley starts with a promise of plenty of trooble at 'mill, then declines into a woeful tale of unrequited love. I'm hoping it'll liven up again before the end.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

I think it also refects her state of mind at the time. It's her most disjointed novel and the characters not as well drawn as her others, but she did lose all of her siblings during its composition.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's understandable why she lost interest in it.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

It has its moments but it lacks the joy of Jane Eyre or the maturity of Villette (her masterwork)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm persevering because every so often one of those moments will come along.

I believe I agree about Villette. I don't know why it's not as well known as Jane Eyre.