Book Review: Emma Brown

Emma Brown by Clare Boylan

Emma Brown: A Novel from the Unfinished Manuscript by Charlotte Bronte
by Clare BoylanCharlotte Brontë
2 out of 5 stars

A child is mysteriously left at a girls boarding school. She has no memory of her past and is enrolled under a false name. Mr. Ellin takes it upon himself to find out about the girl’s history, hoping to restore her to her family.

Charlotte Bronte wrote the first twenty pages, and then tragically passed away before she could finish this intriguing story. And a modern author, Clare Boylan, has tried to finish the book in Charlotte Bronte’s style. I was not impressed.

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Video Book Review: Wuthering Heights

Victoria’s Discord Discussion Thread: https://discord.gg/WqQzMskvta

Goodreads Group: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/436791?group_id=1140842

Zoom discussion on October 30th at 3 PM EST/12 PM PST/ 8pm BST If you want to join in, please email Kate Howe to get the Zoom link at: kate.v.howe@gmail.com

Wuthering Heights: https://amzn.to/3BGueym

Wuthering Heights FREE ebook: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768

1939 Wuthering Heights Film: https://amzn.to/3l21ycj

Book Review: Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë

Catherine and Heathcliff grow up together and learn to love each other, but Heathcliff is an orphan with no family name and no future. Catherine is the only daughter of a gentleman, and knows that she cannot marry so far below her station. The two are embroiled in a tempestuous romance that breaks more than one heart and spans over generations with far-reaching revenge and hatred.

Short Review– This isn’t a romance; it’s a revenge story. Everyone is miserable. I can recognize the genius of the writing, but the subject material is too violent and evil for me to enjoy reading it.

Extensive Review-
Plot:

I love this plot structure. It really keeps you guessing, and there is always something happening and some circumstance that is changing for the characters. The relationships between the characters drive the story, and every little detail in the dialogue points to some deep emotion under the surface.
There is also a lot of violence, some of which made me nauseated to read about. There is a lot of verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and physical abuse. There is murder and revenge and illness and lies and betrayal and hatred and spite and conceit and every kind of evil! It’s exhausting.

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Classic Book Review: Shirley

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

Shirley
by Charlotte BrontëLucasta Miller (Introduction), Jessica Cox (Editor)
5 out of 5 stars

Caroline and Shirley are dear friends, but their friendship is tested when they both appear to have fallen in love with the same man. They never speak of it, but they each suffer alone with their hearts in anguish until the truth can be known.
Robert Moore, a mill owner, is threatened by his ex-employees when he brings in new machinery to replace their jobs. A riot ensues and the mill is attacked. Robert must act swiftly and decidedly to save his business in the face of violence, but he leaves no room in his heart to show compassion to the poor. He struggles to find a balance between charity and justice.

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Classic NonFiction Review: The Life of Charlotte Bronte

The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Life of Charlotte Bronte
by Elizabeth GaskellAlan Shelston
5 out of 5 stars

Charlotte Bronte was truly an extraordinary individual. This biography written by her friend Elizabeth Gaskell is a powerful history of the tragic life the Bronte sisters led. Their strong personalities and steady faith drew them closer together, and provided the genius for their incredible writing.

I loved reading about the eccentric Bronte family, and the close relationships between the siblings. Their isolated home among the moors of Yorkshire inspired similar vigorous settings for many of their books. It was interesting to see how their personal experiences led to fictional creations like the terrible Lowood School in ‘Jane Eyre’ or the awful governess situation in ‘Agnes Grey’. There are many parallels from their real lives to their writing.

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