March's WRW
Join this Well-Read Weekend March 15th & 16th
The Weekenders voted and this month we will be reading…
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë.
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A Classic Novel
Youngest of the three Brontë sister authors, Anne Brontë published her first novel, Agnes Grey, in 1847 under the pen name Acton Bell. The story follows the young titular character as she takes a job as a governess in order to support her family. The mistreatment Agnes receives and the challenges she must overcome elevate this novel to one of social commentary. However, the story is not without its share of friendship, romance, and eventual happiness.
Get Your Copy
You can find this book for purchase in print or ebook online, or for free here.
You can also find it in audio form here for free.
Discussing the Book
Be sure to return to this post once you’re done reading and comment below to get the discussion started. Share your favorite quotes, the parts that spoke to you, or the elements that stood out. Did the book remind you of other classics or philosophies, history, works of art, or other curiosities? Did the story change you? Tell us below!
Your Well-Read Weekend starts March 15th.
This book felt like a slow walk through the countryside with a friend. I admit, it is the first writing of the Brontë sisters I have read and it's left quite a high standard for the others. Anne has a talent much like other writers of her time (Virginia Woolf and George Eliot come to mind) to take that which is commonplace and make it beautiful without being flowery or over romanticize. Agnes's humility and meek spirit made her almost a side character in her own story, especially during her time in the Murray household. I found her so charming and was shocked by the way she was treated as a governess. I always thought they would have been highly esteemed given the nature of the position, but that seems to not be the case.