Shirley by Charlotte Brontë (1848)

Name: Shirley
Author: Charlotte Brontë

Shirley is a novel by Charlotte Brontë, published in 1849. It is set in Yorkshire in the period of the Napoleonic Wars, 1811–1812. The novel tells the story of two wealthy and independent women, Shirley Keeldar and Caroline Helstone, and their contrasting lives. Shirley is the wealthy heiress of Fieldhead, a large estate in Yorkshire, while Caroline is the orphaned niece of the local vicar. Shirley is strong-willed and independent, while Caroline is meek and dependent. The novel follows the two women as they experience love, loss, and friendship. Shirley falls in love with Robert Moore, a wealthy mill-owner, but their relationship is complicated by the arrival of his cousin, Louis Moore. Caroline is in love with Robert, but is too shy to express her feelings. The novel also follows the lives of the other characters in the village, including the workers at Robert's mill, and the local gentry. It explores themes of class, gender, and religion, and examines the effects of the Napoleonic Wars on the people of Yorkshire.

By Charlotte Brontë · First published 1848 · Genre: Romance, Realism, Social Criticism · 37 chapters · 213,985 words

First lines

Of late years an abundant shower of curates has fallen upon the north of England: they lie very thick on the hills; every parish has one or more of them; they are young enough to be very active, and ought to be doing a great deal of good. But not of late years are we about to speak; we are going back to the beginning of this century: late years--present years are dusty, sunburnt, hot, arid; we will evade the noon, forget it in siesta, pass the midday in slumber, and dream of dawn.

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Shirley is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charlotte Brontë, dated 1848 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Charlotte Brontë
Date: 1848 CE
Language: English
Genres: Romance, Realism, Social Criticism, Gothic
Length: 213,985 words
Structure: 37 chapters, 8,116 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Romance — The novel follows the story of a young woman, Shirley, and her romantic relationships with two men, Robert and Louis.
Realism — The novel is set in the real-life Yorkshire town of Briarfield and is based on Charlotte Brontë's own experiences of living in the area.
Social Criticism — The novel is critical of the social and economic conditions of the time, particularly the plight of the working class.
Gothic — The novel contains elements of the Gothic genre, such as a mysterious stranger, a haunted house, and a sense of impending doom.