Agnes Grey - Anne Brontë

Novel by Anne Bronte, published in 1847. The strongly autobiographical narrative concerns the travails of Agnes Grey, a rector's daughter, in her service as governess, first to the unruly Bloomfield children and then with the callous Murrays. Agnes's sole consolations in this dreary life are the natural environment and her blossoming relationship with Weston, the local curate, whom she eventually marries.

Another book that I had not expected to enjoy as much as I did and that, together with Gaskell's Mary Barton is making me rethink the decision not to join the 18th and 19th Century Women Writers challenge in 2010.


Agnes Grey is a small and simple book. It's a story about a young woman's dreams and feelings. The beginning about when she is a young girl and then, after she grows up and her parent's suffer a financial set back, about the time she spends working as governess with two different families. The book is filled with messages of moral behaviour and honesty of character. Agnes faces some difficult and sometimes humiliating situations at the hands of the children she teaches and her parents but she tries to face her days with serenity and she still finds the time to help those less fortunate.

Although her life's conditions are miserable as she is isolated and makes very few friends, she eventually knows Mr. Weston, a curate, who she finds a worthy man and starts thinking of even if her pupils do their best to keep them apart. I suppose that I did like the book so much because I really liked Agnes Grey as a character. And this was an easy, not always happy but charming read.

Grade: 4.5/5