Emily French Reversed

Une tentative sans suite, faute de réponse, pour échanger au sujet d'Anne Brontë en anglais.

Books Club, 30 août 2013

First of all, I’m sorry for my poor english but I hope it will be at least as understandable and funny as Emily Brontë’s french (her devoirs de Bruxelles) ! I read Agnes Grey only after Charlotte and Emily’s novels like a lot of people I suppose. This novel touched my heart deeply. From the first page I enjoyed its style which is clear and modest but also poetic with the loving family of Agnes Grey and her desire, however, to leave it to see the world and make something in her life. In my sense, Agnes Grey is more than a naturalistic novel about Victorian society and the harsh condition of governesses. In this respect, Agnes Grey’s view is terrible. Personally, I found remarkable how her view is open to the whole world and includes animals. I also liked Agnes Grey’s self-righteousness. On one hand she’s « sweet and gentle », on the other hand she’s brave and stands firm. She keeps her heart intact in spite of the difficulties and all the sad things of the society and human nature she comes to observe and suffer from – especially women’s fate. Rosalie Murray seems to epitomize this fate with all its tensions that she doesn’t overcome while Agnes Grey gains independence – like her strong mother who is a very interesting character. I had the feeling that the discovery of the world by Agnes Grey was developed with an increasing complexity like the flow of a river from its spring, growing and growing on it path to the sea where Agnes Grey finds not only independence but also love ! Maybe the love-story in Agnes Grey is not « exciting » but it’s deep and true. Well, I’m sincerely sorry for my clumsy expression, but I wanted to share my admiration for Agnes Grey which still seems a little undervaluated and regrettably shadowed by Charlotte and Emily’s works.