Shirley readalong (spoiler-free/with schedule)

[Marisia]

I have just left Caroline updating her productivity goals in Ch. 10 and am starting Ch. 11 as per schedule, but still no Shirley!

[Rebecca]

Shirley! At last.

[Marisia]

There she is!

[Spinster]

I was rooting for him too, but then the next day he was so cold too her!

[Noelia]

Emma wrote: "Hi everyone, this is my first Brontë novel. I am liking the novel, I'm in the middle of chapter 5, the descriptions of the landscape are gorgeous - so stunning! - and I'm really enjoying the charac..."

I feel exactly the same as how you described it. Also, I've been waiting for Shirley to make an appearance and finally last night I read the part where we get introduced to her!

[Emma]

Noelia wrote: "Emma wrote: "Hi everyone, this is my first Brontë novel. I am liking the novel, I'm in the middle of chapter 5, the descriptions of the landscape are gorgeous - so stunning! - and I'm really enjoyi..."

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I am relatively new to reading classics so I think partly it may be a case of getting used to this style of writing - it is a brilliant book!

[Maria]

Hello everyone! I too am reading Shirley and really am loving it! Like you I kept waiting for Shirley to come alive and yep she finally showed up. This is really a beautiful book and I too am loving the descriptions of the scenery. Happy Reading to all 📖

[Janet]

Chapter 9 Briarmains was really interesting reading about all of Mr Yorke’s children, how they were fleshed out, how each of them had their own distinct personality. It’s an interesting topic to think of, how in Victorian literature the characters of children are or aren’t addressed or central to the story. I’ve never read Shirley so maybe the chapter was a one off but I thought it was an interesting chapter nonetheless, I really liked it.

[Linda]

I hesitated commenting because I wasn't sure if I liked Shirley. It started slow for me and I almost DNF'd it. I kept reading because I wanted to give it my best. I'm glad I did. Something clicked and I'm enjoying it so much now that I'm ahead of schedule. Happy reading everyone!

[Rebecca]

I was getting a bit fed up at the beginning of today's chapter with Shirley and Caroline both fawning over Robert all the time. It then got better again as new things started to happen.

Mr Hall's views on women are very frustrating, I'd like to see him learn a lesson.

[Lorri]

I am enjoying Shirley. However, I hope Charlotte does not describe Robert Moore as phlegmatic anymore. I know phlegmatic is one of Hippocrates's four personality types and is a precise character description. But, I do not see Charlotte adhering to this philosophy and using the other three types. So, because now the descriptor is obsolete and mostly used as a synonym for mucous, I wince every time I read the word.

[Jodi]

Lorri wrote: "I am enjoying Shirley. However, I hope Charlotte does not describe Robert Moore as phlegmatic anymore. I know phlegmatic is one of Hippocrates's four personality types and is a precise character de..."

I thought the same thing....... phlegm..... LOL

[Rebecca]

Good boy Tartar!

Donne is now phlegmatic as well, maybe it's catching! Describing him as "coldly phlegmatic " adds even more to the imagery.

[Janet]

In Chapter 14, at the end of the chapter, does anyone know who Charlotte is alluding to, “The world called the owner of these blue eyes ‘bonne petite femme’ (she was not an English-woman): I learned her name afterwards...she was the finest, deepest, subtlest schemer in Europe.” Is Charlotte Bronte talking about Napoleon’s Josephine? Or foreshadowing a new character in the novel? Call me curious.

[[deleted user]]

Beth wrote: "Did anyone else get some Lemony Snicket vibes from the second paragraph?"

Yes! The sass levels in the introduction are so high

[[deleted user]]

In the early stages the narrator mentions that these people have nothing in common, and they don't agree on anything so it makes no sense that they hang out so much. So the whole banter after that I was reading with my head leaning back, as if everything and everyone is somewhat suspicious.

[Huda]

Janet wrote: "In Chapter 14, at the end of the chapter, does anyone know who Charlotte is alluding to, “The world called the owner of these blue eyes ‘bonne petite femme’ (she was not an English-woman): I learne..."

Here is a note from the copy* I own about it :

"bonne petite femme a good little woman. This seems to be an ironic reference to Mme Heger, M. Heger's wife and supervisor of the school in Brussels where charlotte taught, on which she based Villette. As a number of occasions in Shirley, Brönte here seems to address us from her own experience, rather than as omniscient narrator within the novel".

*The edition I have is the wordsworth classics and the notes are by sally minogue.

[Chelsea]

Finally caught up with the schedule after the Thanksgiving long weekend. I am very pleased to finally meet Shirley and was quite shocked she is so young. Somehow in my head I thought she was going to be older (perhaps because Shirley is an "older" name nowadays?) and more of a mentor figure to Caroline rather than a friend. Very curious to see if this is going to develop into more of a love triangle or if Shirley's interest in Robert is really strictly business? Right now I am wanting Robert and Caroline to end up together but I'm afraid he's going to end up being sinister haha!

[Carly]

I’m way behind with the schedule but have just got up to chapter 10 and really starting to enjoy it now. I found the first few chapters a bit slow going but now I’m trying to catch up with the schedule! I didn’t know much about the frame breakers and mill owners in Yorkshire at that time so it’s quite interesting to have that perspective from both the mill owners and the workers. I really love Mr Yorke’s two daughters and thought it was an interesting narrative tactic to skip forward and reveal their futures in that chapter. Looking forward to finally meeting Shirley soon!

[Maria Cristina]

Shirley became a girl’s name after this novel. Until then it was a boy’s name.

[Emma]

Innes wrote: "Finally caught up with the schedule after the Thanksgiving long weekend. I am very pleased to finally meet Shirley and was quite shocked she is so young. Somehow in my head I thought she was going ..."

In the chapter that I have just read, Mr Moore was talking about how he saw himself as having two sides to his personality, "one for work and business and one for home and leisure" and, to me, it seems like he feels that way about Shirley and Caroline - his head and his heart. He knows that Shirley, in whatever capacity, will help to further his business and help him reach the goal of restoring 'Gerard Moore' but Caroline is his heart. It does seem from what I've read so far, he has more of a control over his heart, he keeps himself in check... unfortunately for Caroline!

[Maria]

Becky, I felt the same way you did with Donne now phlegmatic! I must admit I totally crack up laughing 😂 as I remembered your last comment. This word really is something not to either write about or even think about. But I am enjoying reading Shirley and I a, so hoping the “phlegmatic “ will not come up again. Happy Reading!

[Maria Cristina]

Because my mother tongue is Portuguese, phleugmatic makes perfect sense. We still use this word (fleumático in Port.) meaning that psychological trait.

[Maria Cristina]

I meant phlegmatic.

[Rebecca]

Goodness! There was some action today. I'm now looking forward to finding out what's going to happen.

[Annie]

The incident at the mill in chapter 19 made me think of the riots and destruction happening recently here in the U.S.

[Valje]

I am up-to-date with the reading. I have read Shirley before, but don't remember anything about it other than the opening chapter. Am wondering whether I DNF'd it! At the moment, I'm still wondering why the novel isn't called Caroline rather than Shirley, as I feel it's more about Caroline than Shirley. Maybe that will change. I'm not sure if I like Shirley - I much prefer Caroline!

[Maria Cristina]

I, on the contrary, prefer Shirley the character by far. Today I couldn’t stop reading and am already finishing the book, only 50 pages to go. So glad I decided to read it.

[Hayley]

This is my first Brontë read and I'm starting to really enjoy it. The interactions between Caroline and Shirley are tender and warm. The incident in today's chapter was somewhat shocking, I really didn't see it coming.

[Maria Cristina]

Finished and already missing it. Lovely book. I all for sure reread it.

[Gelli]

Shirley is such a girl power and I love her character so much! I love Caroline as well but I love Shirley even more. :)

[April]

I'm a little behind; I just finished chapter 19. I have to say that the sections that are just Caroline and Shirley alone together are the parts I like least. On the other hand, the parts with the curates are some of my favorite parts. They seem to me to be the comic relief of the story.

[Rebecca]

In today's chapter found it difficult reading Shirley's views on obeying but really liked seeing her run rings around her uncle.

[Lorri]

For me, reading Shirley is an experiment in one-chapter-a-day reading. Sometimes, I resented dividing my time and attention. But, the experiment showed me that, when my schedule gets busy, I don't have to give up reading for pleasure but just slow it down. Since I am not busy this week, it has been difficult not forging ahead and finishing the book early.

[Jodi]

Once I got to chapter 30 there was no stopping!
Loved Shirley.

[Penelope]

Lorri wrote: "For me, reading Shirley is an experiment in one-chapter-a-day reading. Sometimes, I resented dividing my time and attention. But, the experiment showed me that, when my schedule gets busy, I don't ..."
I really like your comment about one chapter a day as a way of reading. I have found this is a great way to keep on track especially when time is limited but also when I haven't been able to read through personal or other pressing circumstances. One chapter or one short story or even one poem only gets you back on track pretty quickly. This read-a-long has been marvellous.

[Chelsea]

I finished today! That last 35% was so enjoyable for me and wrapped up the story so well that I just couldn't stop racing through the chapters. I'm so glad I didn't give up on this one at the beginning, it is very satisfying to cross this off my list! I really wish there was an adaptation of this to watch as I think it would lend itself to the screen really well!

[Helena]

I also whizzed ahead to finish. I must say I mostly enjoyed the discipline of a chapter a day and struggled mid book to keep to this commitment. The last two chapters were good. It was so strange to read how Shirley changed so much. I already miss her and Caroline..

[Emma]

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed joining in this group read and it was my first online read along! If you're interested, I posted this video to my YouTube channel the other day on my thoughts about Shirley.

Hope you are all okay x

Emma With Books and Brushes: https://youtu.be/YU39XYapNS4