101. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Anne Bronte
1848
Around 500 pages

Holy shit.  I suppose for a literary blog I should be able to express myself better but I seriously cannot believe that I have reached this milestone.  I hit the 100 mark and then some on my other blogs (I am currently at 406 with movies and 345 on albums) but, of course, it is a lot easier to watch a ninety minute movie or listen to a forty five minute album than to read a five hundred page novel.  So I just wanted to take a second to thank all my followers and the people that regularly come here and leave comments.  I said at the beginning that I was going to finish this journey and blog and 100 books later, I still mean it.  So let's get to the next 901 novels shall we?

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is one of the most shocking novels I have come across in this book and the strong feminist message is so incredibly ballsy for the time period (or I guess in this case it would be ovariesy?) that it definitely skyrocketed Anne to the top of my personal hero list (I am rooting for you, babe, in the poll!).

Helen Graham marries Arthur Huntingdon, a gambling alcoholic loser who, unfortunately, is quite handsome and charming.  She, of course, thinks she can change him and that ends up going as well as it does any time a woman tries to change a man.

Marital problems have been hinted at in earlier novels but it seemed like if that was the case back then, everyone would just kind of ignore it and the couple would simply not speak. But I don't think I have ever read a book from this era that depicts an abusive husband, let alone one that was written by a woman.

So this is a great novel, not just for its historical value but because it is damn entertaining.  Great way to kick off the next 100!

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Charlotte Bronte wrote to the publisher, criticizing the novel and its subject.  Jealous, much?

Instant success and outsold Wuthering Heights by a huge margin.

After its initial success, the novel fell out of publication.  Charlotte prevented the republication after Anne's death.

UP NEXT: Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell.  We are really on an all female streak and I am loving it!

99. Agnes Grey

Agnes Grey
Anne Bronte
1847
Around 220 pages

Prepare for another rave people because I absolutely loved this book and my only critique is that it was not long enough (there is something you will rarely hear me say).

Agnes Grey is raised in a poor but loving family (she often calls them her friends rather than relatives).  She decides to become a governess, much to the chagrin of her somewhat overbearing mother and older sister, who believe that she couldn't manage herself alone.  She gets a job at Bloomingfield Manor, where the children seem to be serial killers in training.  She also gets a job at Murray Manor
governing two teenage girls.  She meets  and falls for Mr. Weston but must compete with the beautiful Rosalie Murray for his affections.  This is hard for Agnes since she is awkward and shy while Rosalie is beautiful and flirty.  I get you Ags, I get you.

This was one of the most relatable books that I have read from this era.  Now, I have never been a governess but I have certainly felt the frustration when babysitting of not being able to discipline brats since their mother is breathing down your neck but then being accused of not being able to control them.  And I think everyone has felt the embarrassment Agnes did when she was sitting with a married couple that would not stop fighting.  And Agnes awkwardness around Weston is a lot more relatable, at least for me, than say, Elizabeth Bennet's ease when she talks to Darcy.

Although Agnes was very righteous and religious, I never felt as though the novel was preaching, mostly because Agnes kept most of her opinions to herself and merely observed everyone else's behavior.   Additionally, the rector, Mr. Hatfield, is one of the cruelest, most foolish characters in the novel.  I only mention this because a frequent complaint about this novel is that it is annoyingly moral, but I did not see that at all.

Finally, I loved this book because it seemed to mirror Anne's life in a lot of ways which I, of course, find very interesting since I love the Bronte sisters.

Another somewhat rambling post but this is a fantastic novel and one that should be read by everyone.  All the time.  If that is not too unreasonable a request.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

The scene when Agnes kills the birds to save them from being tortured was taken from Anne's own life.

Popular during Anne's life but dropped in sales after her death.

No trailer for this one though I would love to see a movie adaptation!

UP NEXT: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte