Much praise

To my mind Shirley is Charlotte Brontë best novel. This narration is brilliant. Highly recommended

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1 person found this helpful

A DIFFERENT CLASSIC BROUGHT TO LIFE

THIS BRONTE STORY I DIDN'T KNOW OF SO I WAS SCEPTICALE BUT ENJOYED GREATLY THANKS TO ALL.

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Rich and full of life

What wonderful story teller is Charlotte Brontë! Characters are so vivid in their complexity, fancies, loves, fear, dreads, battles, moral and ethics… She chronicles the everyday life and pledge of women in nuance and allows the reader to become a fly on the wall… I loved this maybe even more than ‘Villette’ , which is another triumph

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A Beautifully Written Novel By Charlotte Bronte

I have a tear in my eye at the end of this book. I will miss it, so beautifully written by Charlotte Bronte, it's almost poetic, beautiful descriptions of the landscapes and the surroundings. So much depth and wisdom and compassion of the inner feelings of how the two main characters felt. The men that they loved. How the world treats them and what is expected of them. Charlotte was a feminist, a true romantic and a realist. Her work here is genius to me. And Anna Bentinck was perfect for reading this book, just beautiful! The right tones in the voices, I felt like Charlotte Bronte was reading this book out loud to me. For me this is a beautiful novel, and I will definitely listen to it again in the future. Thank you to Charlotte for writing so beautifully and thank you to Anna for reading it so beautifully. 🙏

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The forgotten Bronte novel

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Well forgotten by me anyway. I have recently been re-reading and listening to many of the better known 19th century novels and have really enjoyed them. Most recently I read and listened to Jane Eyre and then Villette which are both well known. However, Shirley meant little to me and I was pleased to find an audio edition available. Like both novels already mentioned Shirley deals with the plight of the poor 19th century woman through the character of Caroline Helstone (and her mother), but also the difficulties facing a rich one, Shirley, as well. It also comments on the behaviour of the clergy and the uprisings in the Yorkshire textile industry. The story held my attention and it was beautifully written. While none of the main protagonists really pleased me I did care about what came of them. When listening to the Tenant of Wildfell Hall I really wished I had downloaded the abridged edition but I didn't regret any of the time spent listening to this and importantly it was beautifully read.

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13 people found this helpful

nice company

very nice company to keep this book is. unfortunately I don't speak French, so some things I didn't understand, but I don't think it affects the enjoyment of this book.
very lovely experience and an excellent story nicely read. thank you.

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3 people found this helpful

A prolonged tale

a good story on the whole but a bit long winded, some unnecessary details

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A great Yorkshire tome

Pure escapism! Love these 19 century novels. Very interesting from a social and economic history perspective. Long! Great for listening to while doing the drudgery.

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Superb!

I thoroughly enjoyed the narration - it really brought the story and the characters to life!

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A lesson in persistance!

Would you try another book written by Charlotte Bronte or narrated by Anna Bentinck?

No

Would you recommend Shirley to your friends? Why or why not?

No

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The last 8 hours.

Do you think Shirley needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Any additional comments?

A lesson in persistence! The first three quarters of this text meanders, slowly, through its seemingly never-ending discourse; however, in the last quarter Bronte skilfully laces the differing narratives together, leaving the reader with a wonderful "feel good factor". This text provides excellent insight of the Victorian era, particularly the bureaucracy surrounding the period.

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