Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

Blurb

Drawing heavily from personal experience, Anne Brontë wrote Agnes Grey in an effort to represent the many 19th Century women who worked as governesses and suffered daily abuse as a result of their position.

Having lost the family savings on risky investments, Richard Grey removes himself from family life and suffers a bout of depression. Feeling helpless and frustrated, his youngest daughter, Agnes, applies for a job as a governess to the children of a wealthy, upper-class, English family.

Ecstatic at the thought that she has finally gained control and freedom over her own life, Agnes arrives at the Bloomfield mansion armed with confidence and purpose. The cruelty with which the family treat her however, slowly but surely strips the heroine of all dignity and belief in humanity.

A tale of female bravery in the face of isolation and subjugation, Agnes Grey is a masterpiece claimed by Irish writer, George Moore, to be possessed of all the qualities and style of a Jane Austen title. Its simple prosaic style propels the narrative forward in a gentle yet rhythmic manner which continuously leaves the listener wanting to know more.

Review

This year I am determined to read more of my favourite books and I started this off by reading, for the third time, Agnes Grey which is by my favourite Brontë sister. I love all the Brontë sisters but Anne’s books are my all time favourites. 

Agnes Grey is based on Anne’s own experiences as a governess and Agnes’ loving home I imagine is also based on Anne’s home life. Agnes is the youngest child of Richard Grey and because she is the youngest she has always been treated as the baby of the family and like a child. When her family’s fortunes change Agnes wants to be able to work to help the finances but she has to persuade her family that she is an adult and capable of being a governess. 

The book focuses on Agnes’ adventures as a governess and she does face many challenges in her job. Her fist job is positively harrowing to watch and you can’t help but feel frustrated and sorry for Agnes. She has no support from the parents of her charges and no way of disciplining the children as the parents will not allow any form of reprimanding. The scene with the bird’s nest I always find the worst when reading this book and apparently it is exactly what happened when Anne Brontë was a governess. 

Agnes’ time as a governess for a new family is slightly better but her charges, although older, still cause Agnes problems and heart ache. However, her times with this family aren’t all bad and she does form some friendships. 

This book shows us what life could be like for the governess in the 1800’s. The rich families could treat their governesses how they liked. Agnes hoped for a kind family but instead she faced cruelty and humiliation which beat her down and stripped away her innocence. Governesses were always in a limbo; they weren’t servants so they rarely made friends with the servants and they weren’t family so their lives could be very lonely. This book is beautifully written and always makes me think. I will definitely read this book again and give it 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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About the author

Anne Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. Anne’s two novels, written in a sharp and ironic style, are completely different from the romanticism followed by her sisters, Emily Brontë and Charlotte Brontë. She wrote in a realistic, rather than a romantic style. Mainly because the re-publication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was prevented by Charlotte Brontë after Anne’s death, she is less known than her sisters. However, her novels, like those of her sisters, have become classics of English literature.

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