Agnes Grey

"The ties that bind us to life are tougher than you imagine, or than any one can who has not felt how roughly they may be pulled without breaking."

Agnes Grey, published in 1847, offers a starkly realistic portrayal of the life of a governess in Victorian England. It's a quieter, more domestic novel but it holds its own in its honest depiction of the daily struggles and emotional toll of that profession. We follow Agnes's journey as she leaves her comfortable, albeit financially strained, home to work for two very different, and often difficult, families.

The novel explores themes of social class, the harsh realities of employment for women, and the importance of moral integrity. Brontë's message is clear: the governess's position was often precarious and undervalued, and the families she served could be cruel and inconsiderate. The book also touches on the importance of kindness and genuine faith—with a strong undercurrent of Christian values. The emphasis on Christian virtue is a defining characteristic of Anne Brontë's writing, and it contributes to the novel's overall sense of calm and moral clarity.

Agnes Grey is a solid, well-written novel, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of its more famous contemporaries. For me, it's a bit... restrained. While the realism is commendable, there's a lack of the passionate intensity that I was expecting (a fault of mine for committing to such expectations). Though, it's a very competent novel. The characters are well-drawn, the social commentary is insightful, and the prose is clear. However, it doesn't leave you with a lingering sense of emotional impact. Essentially, it's a good book, and a valuable historical document, but it lacks that certain spark.

P.S. This experience would, of course, not deter me from trying Anne Brontë's other and much radical work, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I am looking forward to read real soon.

love, LoOved, LOVED the writing it kept me wanting for more. The first 100 pages was unbearable though. Whiny, full of complains and judgements. As someone who is rather a whiny pain in the ass herself, this was too much I could not even stand it myself. I mean… you’re taking care of rich children who have never experienced the perils of life, were you honestly expecting any less? The theological references didn’t help holier-than-thou Agnes whose judgements rang hypocritical.

Ironically, what I liked about the book was also the very reason why I disliked it. Her sharp portrayal of a class-ridden society where the rich gets complacent in the value of education that these children grow up spoilt with no hair of kindness or happiness in their richly poor lives was a poignant exposition fuelled by Agnes’ complaints.

The novel starts out with Agnes’ newfound autonomy over her life to make something out of it only to be quickly knocked down by the cruel & unfair world. She was put through trials of witnessing her greatest want in her life, Mr Weston, be flirted & toyed with by the very children she took care of. It makes one question, ‘if it’s possible to get what you want in life without hurting people in the process?’

Having read Wuthering Heights by Anne’s sister, Emily Brontë, it is fresh to see Anne introduce Mr Weston as a kind and forward individual compared to her sister’s male protagonist, Heathcliff, who is dark and malevolent. I suppose a nice man is revolutionary material in the 1800s? But damm was the romance boring and uninteresting. No wonder good boys always finish last, they’re too stable to make a nice story of 🤷🏻‍♀️

I love the Brontë sisters.

i believe i'll like the tenant of wildfell hall more.

Mr Weston: breathes

*screams

“i was sorry for her; i was amazed, disgusted at her heartless vanity; i wondered why so much beauty should be given to those who made so bad a use of it, and denied to some who would make it a benefit to both themselves and others.” in awe at how agnes grey is everything i would like to be. wise, strong-minded, kind, religious. anne brontë did great work in portraying how hard it was to be a governess during those times. one thing i loved was that it somehow had themes that reminded me of jane eyre considering how it is my favourite book.

Full review to come

LO AMO, LO AMO AAAAA AGNES Y YO, AMIGUITAS MIENTRAS TOMAMOS EL TÉ estaba muy nerviosa de leer este libro, pensé que ya ningún inglés me iba a gustar pero lo amé, no quería terminarlo, lo íntimo que se sentía y con ese toque delicado DIOS MIO, Y LAS ÚLTIMAS PÁGINAS ESTUVE PATALEANDO EL AIRE MIENTRAS GRITABA DE MADRUGADA Y ESCUCHABA A TAYLOR SWIFT DE FONDO. Es un libro que se va a quedar tanto en mi, que siento que pude verme reflejada en algunas partes con la personalidad de Agnes, Diosss NECESITO ESTE LIBRO EN FÍSICO 🩷🩷🩷

this is a pretty fun reading experience for me because i was craving for some victorian writing and was pleasantly surprised with the yearning and desperation that comes with loving another in a setting that is very much NOT forbidden for the lovers to love (i’ve been reading a lot of bleak things lately… this bare minimum level of spice was getting me going with the book…) anyways i didn’t really expect for Agnes to have a romantic interest cus… i thought the book would focus more on her journey as a governess but this is a victorian novel so who was i kidding. it does say something about the setting and time that is reflected of the real live society that brontë lived in when the whole journey of Agnes as a governess was pretty bleak and very unsatisfying for her personal growth (understandable… i was a teacher too…) until jeng jeng jeng she met a romantical interest who shares her passion for goodness and knowledge. to reflect this to my own personal experience of living in this world… i don’t quite like the idea of being stuck in a career that i actually choose myself (especially because i like what i learned when i took it for me degree!!) only for me to find joy and sustenance in keeping the job in a form of another who would give me romantical companionship. entahlah babe.

i like agnes,, the book meanders a bit too much for my liking, especially with the first governess stint.

Thank fuck for the Brontë sisters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the innumerable Bible references lol (Agnes Grey is a pastor's daughter, but it became mildly stifling at points trying to find the story amongst meaningless quotes).

miss agnes grey and mr edward weston the most lovely, principled couple ever!!

While this was way less depressing than her sisters' works, I really didn't connect to anything or could tell you much about the story. It was well-written, but I couldn't muster up a lot of feelings.

Agnes Grey provides much more enlightenment regarding the lives of governesses than any other work I’ve read. It also speaks volumes about parents who coddle their children and ignore any negative traits they have instead of correcting them while there’s still a change to do so. These kids end up not living up to this potential as adults, and are often completely insufferable from childhood until their end of their days. As a former teacher, I could relate to Agnes’s experiences with both these indulgent parents and their obnoxious spawn. I love Agnes as a protagonist. She’s honest to a fault, never puts on airs, and accepts herself for who she is. She’s also endearingly awkward around her love interest, which felt oddly refreshing to me. I appreciated Anne’s prose here, and her character development. Both felt far more modern that that of her sisters. Though I can’t say I love this book as much as I love Jane Eyre, it’s more accessible. And I like it far more than Wuthering Heights. Agnes Grey is a fun, easy-to-read classic that I think would be great for those who are just dipping their toes into classics. A Novel Notions Classics Club buddy read with TS and Haïfa, with Emma hanging out in the wings!

I really loved the story. It was written so wonderfully. But it must be said that Anne is not the most unknown sister for no reason. You have already noticed that her father was a clergyman and she herself was very religious, but all in all a beautiful book. I absolutely adored Rosalie and Agnes mother! Just wanted to add that :)

Mr Weston is really underrated, he’s such a cutie

man, Anne Brontë sure knows how to write

** spoiler alert ** It’s a classical book, but you can feel all the self righteousness on the book. It’s a good book, it’s well written, but the book is so slow. The narrative is so slow, that it was hard to read at some points. The idea of a teacher, the daughter of a preacher, and you can tell that it was wrote by one. The whole book also works on how to teach humility to spoil brats, not really what I expected. I had so high hopes for the book, and even tho it’s not a personal favourite, I still give it 4/5 starts.

d—ls

Perfect novel that depicts the governess position beautifully (and maybe even realistically in a sense?). And even a very nice feminist novel

Si fuera sobre 10, le pondría un 5, un aprobado justito. Ni me ha gustado mucho ni me ha disgutado. Es una lectura corta, que no se me ha hecho pesada en general. Aunque en algún momento me sobraban descripciones o fragmentos muy religiosos. La trama es lineal, es simplemente la experiencia de una institutriz, no pasa nada interesante. Además, es una protagonista un poco sosa y si no fuera por algún personaje odioso que le ha dado vidilla al argumento, me hubiese aburrido bastante.

Well, what a glorious read to finish this year on! This short novel was such a powerful read? Especially as I've read it in one day. I was not expecting for the narrator to be so feminist, to have a voice so strong and determined. I must say I'm really impressed. I'm tempted to keep The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall as the last reading of the Brontës' work for I can now imagine how much more impactful it must be, having the chance to be a developed story of a few hundred pages. Why does no one mention this book, even at uni? I'm so glad I'm reading Jane Eyre on the side, too. The romanticised experience of being a governess in that novel contrasts with this autobiographical account of Anne's, although I know Charlotte also personally faced challenges when she was one herself. Ah!! it makes me so much more eager to pick up The Brontes by Juliet Barker!! Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone!!

Agnes Grey is Anne Bronte's first novel and it does show. Although it was noticeable, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. It kept me interested, with Agnes' tale of being a governess at a time where social standing had a lot of say in how your life was like. This book came off semi-autobiographical, which made it even more interesting to me. I know some people thought it made it boring, but I have always had a lot of interest in this family and this book did bring to light a little bit about this particular sister. Not only that, she had a message and she spoke it clearly and without any nonsense. The fact that governess' were looked down by both the employer and the servants made them isolated and Anne Bronte was showing the faults of that society. There are issues with this book, mainly, the preaching. There were times, were she would go on and on about religion and such and it did drag a little because of that. To note, I know some think she was too perfect. In reality she was not and she says it herself. There are those who never do anything outwardly bad, but not good either. I think with Agnes, she tried to do good but failed(and not of her doing either), but where she really struggled was internally and spiritually. That was Bronte's focal point throughout this book, the spirituality and moral compass that guides people and how when you don't have either things can go wrong. I don't believe in God or anything, but in the context of the book, this is the message that I felt this author was trying to send(other than the society's outlook on social standings and rankings).

When I'm reading some of the Bronte novels I like to imagine what it would mean if they were unreliable narrators. What if Agnes is lying in her journal and trying to present herself in the best light possible? It's a very appealing perspective as Agnes seems to be just a little bit to perfect and a little bit too much of a victim.