Agnes Grey [A Book Review]

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

You know how you feel when you take a stroll enveloped in a gentle breeze accompanied by your thoughts and gentle whispering birds and the clouds dancing above? Well this is Anne Bronte’ s ‘Agnes Grey’. An unaffected prose of the sometimes too busy plot development where the authors tries unsuccessfully to cover a thousand storylines. ‘Agnes Grey’ does not suffer such fate and the reader clearly sees that Agnes is in charge of the story and Miss Murray’s chuckling presentation is there merely to assist in ‘climaxing’ Agnes Grey.

I like Agnes because of her emotional appeal. I am most times attracted to characters who are deeply brooding in thought. Agnes love for her man developed before she suspects and when she realizes her internal struggle is worthy of a sympathetic read. Love is not her only agonizing thought for her position as a governess left her uncertain how to exert her authority or lack thereof over her pupils. At first I did not care for the Bloomfield family because of their unscrupulous treatment of my Agnes but then if she did not learn from her term with this family she would have surely drowned at the Murray where her welcome was only slightly better. Thank goodness she loves to read: “Reading is my favourite occupation when I have the leisure for it and books to read.” Pg. 242 Or else what would she read to her friends like Nancy or to keep herself sane.

 

I am happy that finally I read a book from each of the Bronte sisters.

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