Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte Review

Fiction

153 pages

At age 19 Anne Brontë left home and worked as a governess for a few years before becoming a writer. Agnes Grey was an 1847 novel based on her experience as a governess. Bronte depicts the precarious position of a governess and how that can affect a young woman. Agnes was the daughter of a minister whose family was in financial difficulty. She has only a few choices for employment. Agnes experiences the difficulty of reining in spoiled children and how wealth can corrupt morals. She later opens a school and finds happiness.

Grade: B-  Must Read/Library Rental

Being a governess is the worst babysitting job ever. Agnes Grey shows the life of a governess: lonely, frustrating, unfair. However, unlike Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw, Agnes Grey is a quiet, mild book. The events are small, and even the book is small. In many ways, Agnes Grey has more of a nonfiction structure than fiction because it feels more like a series of events than the traditionally crafted plot. The romance is light and unassuming; the historical content interesting and sympathetic. There were points when I wanted to pull my hair out because I really truly felt the frustration of being in some of the helpless situations Agnes was in. Despite her troubles, like the synopsis suggests, it does end happily. I believe that even though this novel is normally overshadowed it can find an audience with those who enjoy this time period, history in general, and/or Bronte fans. Unlike Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw, it lacks the popular appeal of a large mystery or grand love story (making it more of a niche read), but it’s not a half bad novel if you give it the chance.

Completion: A

Like most classics I have found, once you get used to the language it is not too hard to follow the story and complete it. This is a rather small book, after all.

Writing/Style: B-

The style feels pretty stand of the time period, and for some that might require a bit of a learning curve. There were times when I thought the writing itself was interesting, but as a whole, it was more functional than elegant.

Characters: B-

Agnes and her family are sympathetic characters; however, they are so quiet and mild as to not give off much of an impression at all. I found Mr. Weston interesting and his relationship with Agnes the most engaging part of the novel because, while I was engrossed by her interactions with the families she worked for, these interactions tended to be negative, unpleasant, or at the very least frustrating.

Plot/Pacing: C+

For a fictional novel the pacing and plotting felt off. It came across as more like a bumpy road with slight troubles and inconveniences rather than a rising action leading to a mountain of change and turmoil. I did wonder quite a lot where exactly this novel was going. As I mentioned in the overall review, this novel feels more like nonfiction, and I believe if you know that going in it might be more enjoyable.

World-Building/Atmosphere: B+

Agnes’ isolation and frustration really shone through in several scenes. The world-building was there, but not especially impressive. However, points go for making me really feel what it was like to be a governess.

Sub-genres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): C-

The romance did not appear until the end which felt really late for me. As I read this book, I often wondered if there would be any sub-genres at all. The romance takes up a very small section of the novel toward the end, but it is dabbled in very lightly which can be refreshing from the hit-over-the-head Insta-Love that can be found in many a YA novel. There was little humor or mystery, focusing a lot on the straight telling of the circumstances Agnes has to deal with.

Question Time!

1. Have you read Agnes Grey? If so, did you like it?

2. What classics have you read and/or which are on your to-read list?