Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë is the story of a governess named ... hold your breath! ... Agnes Grey. The novel comes off as the cautionary tale of how to be a governess to indulgent and neglectful families in England.

It's a simple tale of a clergyman's younger daughter who has to look for employment after her father loses all the family's money on speculation. Agnes is first employed by the family of a friend of her aunt whose boys and girls are board line heathens. When Agnes attempts to scold them and teach them their lessons their parents always find fault and stand in her way. Eventually, Agnes is dismissed because the children have not learned enough under her tutelage.

Time elapses and Agnes has a new family and new challenges, a debutante with a superiority complex and a younger sister who acts just like the grooms in the stable. Poor Agnes. Will she ever find happiness?

I think so. *wink*

Not as good as a similar governess finds herself/love story by her sister, Villette by Charlotte Brontë. The flame or spark of life in Villette is not as evident in Agnes Grey.

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Book: The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I completely forgot why I liked this series of tales. It's what happens when you are a sophomore and not really pay attention in class (or as my bff Courts would say ... "wait, you went to that class?) ...

Bawdy, lewd and ridiculous for it's time. The Canterbury Tales weave morals, lessons and a lot of good 15th century humor into each tale.

My person favorite is the Wife of Bath's tale.


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Book: The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I completely forgot why I liked this series of tales. It's what happens when you are a sophomore and not really pay attention in class (or as my bff Courts would say ... "wait, you went to that class?) ...

Bawdy, lewd and ridiculous for it's time. The Canterbury Tales weave morals, lessons and a lot of good 15th century humor into each tale.

My person favorite is the Wife of Bath's tale.


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Book: War and Peace

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great book. Then again, I'm a huge Tolstoy fan so I'm not what you would call "impartial."

My favorite passage was the section describing the French troops coming into a deserted Moscow in 1812. The city was empty of all the gentry and nobles but some of the peasants were still there. Tolstoy equated the city to a bee hive without its queen. The left over bees do activities that are somewhat similar to what they had been doing but not exactly and buzz around in drunken, lost circles looking for purpose. The bee keeper comes in then and burns what is left over of the hive (which is what the French did to Moscow by looting and burning it). The passage is powerful and beautiful in its elegency.

The only thing I could have done without was the lengthy second Epilogue. It didn't tell me anything that Tolstoy hadn't already said in less words during the novel. Unneeded in my view.

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