Welcome to Litsy!

#BookMail for #PemberLittens #chapteraday with @BarkingMadRead I can‘t wait for the hashtags!

repost for @BarkingMadRead:

#pemberlittens the votes are in! Starting on April 1 we will be reading Agnes Grey! I‘m so excited to read this with you all, chapter a day, with alllllllll the hashtags! #letsdothis #notnow #inApril drop a comment if you want to be included! I‘ll be tagging everyone who read Middlemarch with me, but everyone is welcome! #warning #myhashtagsareridicous #theyarealsospoilers

#pemberlittens the votes are in! Starting on April 1 we will be reading Agnes Grey! I‘m so excited to read this with you all, chapter a day, with alllllllll the hashtags! #letsdothis #notnow #inApril drop a comment if you want to be included! I‘ll be tagging everyone who read Middlemarch with me, but everyone is welcome! #warning #myhashtagsareridicous #theyarealsospoilers

As we near the end of Middlemarch (finally) it‘s time to choose our next Austen-era book! Here are the 4 suggestions made by some of you, which also all come up when you #consultthegoogle about what to read after Middlemarch! Drop a comment below with your choice, and I will announce the winner before we finish Middlemarch. We will start on April 1. #pemberlittens

To be honest, the beginning was SLOW to me. I almost despaired of there being any story at all except her disappointments in the life of being a governess. But then Mr. Weston appeared. ❤️ And yeah I fell a bit in love with him too. 😊 I really related with her inner structure as she fought her growing feelings for him.

Agnes's inner dialogue is what I enjoyed most about this book.

I think this book is vastly underrated. Don't be fooled by its small size, there is a lot of story here. I loved the style of writing. It felt more modern than many novels of that era. I also really enjoyed the story and the ending was very satisfying. As much as I liked her other book, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, this might be my new favorite. (Paired with a carmel rooiboo tea, a carmel tartlet and a coconut cookie bite. All were delicious. )

This weekend I was in Milan and saw an adorable bookshop which sold English books, so just had to buy some. They only cost 10 euros. #tbr

In this short novel Anne Brontë drew on her personal experiences as a governess. Her descriptions of the young people in her care (and their awful parents) are relatable 175 years later. The novel includes a cautionary tale and a love story. The plain but virtuous heroine, Agnes Grey, seems a bit of a precursor to her sister Charlotte‘s better known Jane Eyre. The narration here is straight forward, witty and a bit snarky, which I liked.

The tagged book didn't cost me any #money, as I used a gift voucher! Tote bag was also free as the publishing house were giving them out when you bought one of their editions! #200pnpcovers @CrowCAH @mabell

I enjoyed the last two chapters and overall an enjoyable read, a bit more simplistic in development in comparison to Jane Eyre. I enjoyed the lightness and pertness of the story overall, short like a Hemmingway and not overly descriptive as a Dickens, and more enjoyable than an Austin. I would place this at the top 50% of books read by yours truly. Jane still wins out at this point though in the Bronte competition of 2022. Happy reading everyone!

Saw this charming Faber edition of Agnes Grey while browsing today. Perfect to foist upon an unsuspecting young reader and gently convert them to Brontëism 💖

I really enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by her so I have high expectations of this one. #tbrpile

This is somewhere between a pick and a so-so for me. I liked it, but didn‘t love it. It was definitely interesting to see Anne draw on her personal experiences to write her first novel, and to watch her start to develop into the writer who would create The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I also appreciate her sense of humor and sharp wit, which we don‘t see as much from either of her sisters.

A Victorian woman teaching her daughter not to accept less than she‘s worth! I ❤️ it! I just wish things had improved more in the past century and a half.

The fact that this is so short for a Victorian novel did factor into my enjoyment. But only a little! Or like half, LOL. But I did really like this, Agnes is dry & kinda snarky, very relatable. Plot is straightforward & accessible, and we don‘t get a lot of walls of text. The kids she cares for are all awful (and speak in oddly formal ways, even for the time) so that was a bit tedious. But liked the look at class systems & the happy ending. 4/5 ⭐️

It is foolish to wish for beauty. Sensible people never either desire it for themselves or care about it in others. If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior.

So said the teachers of our childhood; and so say we to the children of the present day. All very judicious and proper no doubt; but are such assertions supported by actual experience?

Well played, Sir Douglas! 🤣🤣🤣

I can conceive few situations more harassing than that wherein, however you may long for success, however you may labour to fulfil your duty, your efforts are baffled and set at naught by those beneath you, and unjustly censured and misjudged by those above.

I know this isn‘t one of the more beloved classics, but it sounds interesting and it‘s surprisingly short for a classic novel! #nowreading

My first Anne Brontë novel and it was delightful! I enjoyed it far more than either of her sisters‘ books and I‘m really looking forward to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall! Book 8/12 for #bfc28 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#QuotsyMar20 Relic
#myCanva

Based on her own experiences, Brontë depicts the isolation inherent in a governess's life, trapped between the classes.
People literally fail to see Agnes: doors are shut upon her and she takes pains not to walk beside anyone on the way to church to avoid unpleasant silences. Yet she is an educated woman and great observer who gives the reader insight in the issues of Victorian times.

#1001books #classicschallenge2020

(Pic: Muscat, Oman)

For the #classicschallenge2020 I started another @SerialReader . Anne is the only Brontë sister I haven‘t read yet so it‘s about time.

Samantha Ellis on Anne Bronte in the TLS from January 17.

It is said the story of Agnes Grey comes direct from Anne Bronte‘s experiences as a governess. It shows us the unappreciative treatment of women in the role, and the isolated lives they lived. The narrative is plain and direct, at times sounds bitter (to me), revealing the differences in social classes and the status of women during the era. I was entertained by its witty prose. The protagonist, Agnes👇
#JennyIs30 #Victorian
#classicschallenge2020

Rather light and simple book with a nice love story as typical for Brontë sisters. Cants say it will ever be the book to read again but definitely no regrets here. To me personally it was like a warm welcome back to the world of reading.

"The best way to enjoy yourself is to do what is right and hate nobody"

Not as good as Anne Brontë‘s other novel, but still solid and enjoyable to read. Agnes can sometimes be frustrating in her passivity, but I also realized that I have more in common with her than I do Jane Eyre (Catherine Earnshaw is in another class entirely) and so maybe this is just a little too real.

#bedsidetablebooks

Agnes Grey was better than I expected 💖. From her difficulties of being a governess to horrid kids to observing class differences to discussing reading and books ☝️ with the guy she falls in love with — very good. All covered in about 200 pages, but still satisfying 😊

Read for #1001Books

This is a great opening sentence to Agnes Grey. #1001Books

I love Anne Brontë and wish she had the opportunity to write more. 'Agnes Grey' is completely different from Wildfell Hall. Rather than being gothic and melodramatic; this one reads more like a Jane Austen novel. As always, I enjoy Anne's capture of reality in her novels. They speak so many truths that are relevant today. Great novel, easy to read. Not as good as Wildfell, but still wonderful. 4 out of 5.

Some wonderful #grey titles. #ColorMePretty
@Sweetkokoro

“I long to do some good in the world before I leave it.” ❤️

Shout-out to my mother-in-law for both the wonderfully cozy #socks and this drop-dead gorgeous book. Finally getting a jump on my Anne Bronte reading and could not be more psyched. #currentlyreading

Agnes Grey is a novel that had a lot of unrealised potential for me. parts of this are great. I loved the exploration of class: what it is to be rich, to be poor, and to be neither. The early section did nothing for me, but illustrate that Agnes is rubbish at being a governess. We just accept it, and her employers inexplicably seem to as well. Agnes was just a bit too clueless for me, although determined and strong in her dedication to her family.

Next up on @SerialReader

I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING AND NOW I WANT TO SCREAM WITH JOY! #takemymoney #brontes

📷: @arcturusbooks on Instagram

Scrittura spettacolare, ogni parola affascina e spinge il lettore a riflettere sul significato dell'amore: quello sciocco, quello ambizioso, quello fallace e quello che vede protagonisti Agnes e il signor Weston, quello che non ha bisogno di soldi , di informazioni , di ruolo sociale o di vicinanza/lontanza perché quando giunge ti trova ovunque anche su un spiaggia e proprio quando avevi smesso di pensarci.

Grazie Anne Bronte per queste emozioni.

# 13 of 100 Classics Challenge
Agnes Grey
By Anne Bronte

I'm looking forward to reading this....my first Anne Bronte.....I'm on page 47 and really like Agnes....

Love this! Anne Bronte is wonderful. I wish there were many more works by Anne to consume. It is unfortunate that she didn't live long enough to write more.

The tender, quiet #lovestory in my "A" read for #litsyclassics is something that still warms my heart when I think about it ?

I found this cover online and I love it, but I don't think it's an English edition.

#maylovesclassics @Sarah83 @Bambolina_81

Thank you so much for this sweet surprise @Sarah83 ❤️❤️ you are slowly on the way to making me addicted to those book shaped liqourice pieces! I have read the book, which is great, but I don‘t own a copy of it, but now I do, thanks to you ☺️

#RandomActofBookishKindness #BookMail

While we were all away offline from Litsy I finished yet another book. I really think I‘m on Serial Reader overload. This was just okay. I‘m always the reader that doesn‘t love the ones most people do.

A wonderful classic from the 1800s that still holds up today . So glad I read it !

March wrapup number 3

Decided on the Bronte novel for my next reading !