Catherine Lowell

This book struck me as a creative tool to address some interesting theories about the Bronte sisters and their writing. The give and take between differing literary views was weaved effectively into the story. At times it felt like listening to a debate in a college literary class. Around this the narrative was interesting and had just enough little mysteries sprinkled throughout to keep me moving forward with reading. The only thing I am not sure of is whether I would like this book more or less if I was more of a student of the Bronte sisters works.… (mehr)

The premise is often done, a series of clues in books leading to an inheritance. Here it is really secondary to the relationship story and the examinations, here and there, of various bronte works. As a bronte fan, I was glad to see Anne getting some attention. There is a theory about Charlotte which I resented, but at least some plausible background was provided. I think the author tried hard to provide a situation that could mirror Jane Eyre, the position of authority held by the male protagonist, the naïveté of the female character, home schooled and growing up without a mother in the house. A good effort, but the romance didn't really work for me… (mehr)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

This is a very difficult book to review, for me. It was by no means a bad book, but I can't deny it left me feeling very disappointed. While there wasn't anything terribly wrong with it, I just couldn't help but feel the pages dragging on. It's probably only a typical case of "it's not you, it's me" and it's likely I wasn't in the right mood for this, but the end result is just: meh.

The book focuses on Samantha Whipple, the last descendant of the Brontës and her quest to put together the pieces in the puzzle her father left as her inheritance after his death. I had a great deal of trouble in connecting with Samantha as a character. True, she had a very particular childhood, being homeschooled by her eccentric father, which definitely accounted for her underdeveloped social skills. But, whilst some of her awkwardness was charming, most of the time she just resulted terribly annoying. I also wasn't terribly sold on the romance, which is actually a fairly central part of the story. Orville was quite an appealing character, and I did like some of the banter between him and Samantha, but ultimately their relationship felt kind of forced and definitely very asymmetrical, as she constantly feels inferior to him, intellectually and not.

What I did really enjoy in this book was getting lots of insights into the life and work of the Brontës. Charlotte, Emily and Anne hover in the background throughout the whole book, and their works feature heavily. I particularly enjoyed the fact that a lot of emphasis was put on Anne and her work. I have to admit I wasn't very familiar with her character, and I have never read her books, so it was very pleasant to get to know her in more depth. I may actually go and read some of her work now.

Overall, this was a fairly average read, pleasant enough not to abandon halfway through but ultimately forgettable in the short term.… (mehr)