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About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

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Schooldays: Agnes Grey & The Governesses

26/3/2019

8 Comments

 
Pity the poor governess: an educated woman obliged to earn her living finding few other options in nineteenth century Britain. But this lesser known of the Brontës’ novels led me to pity her charges too. The three governesses in the second novel are worlds away from Agnes Grey, not only because they’re in France. Although employed by the couple who own the sprawling estate, they’ve brought their charges with them, so aren’t subjected to the condescension of the mini monarchs of the house.
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Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

The younger daughter of a clergyman, Agnes Grey has been educated by her mother at home. Although money is short, life’s been happy, albeit restricted and even at eighteen she feels her family give her no more responsibility than a child. So when her father’s investments fail and belts are tightened (the pony and phaeton sold, the coach house let and two of the three servants dismissed, so money can’t have been that short previously), she seizes her opportunity to persuade her family to let her try her luck as governess.
 
I was prepared for Agnes to be lonely. I was prepared for her to be shocked at the upper classes’ moral vacancy. What I wasn’t prepared for was Agnes’ lack of compassion for her young charges, horrible as they are.
 
Of course, the governess’ position is impossible, respected by neither her pupils, who have been brought up to consider themselves superior to anyone required to earn her living, nor their parents, who expect her to perform miracles, without giving her the authority she needs. But Agnes blames her charges’ unruliness on her being denied permission to thrash them rather than her own lack of teaching experience or skill. She assigns the children ‘lessons’ – never completely defined but probably some form of rote learning from a book – and doesn’t give much thought to why they’d rather play.
 
Much as I longed to introduce her to Readilearn, Agnes’ (and I suspect her creator’s) lack of humility in this regard didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the novel. But it isn’t a patch on The Tennant of Wildfell Hall which I consider the best of all the Brontë books. My copy, published last year, came courtesy of Alma Books. Interestingly, when I went to Goodreads to record my reading, it told me I’d read it before (albeit not since I began reviewing). I have no memory of this!


The Governesses by Anne Serre translated
by Mark Hutchinson


As for their activities, they can be summed up as follows: keeping an eye on the little boys, racing around the garden like madwomen, devouring jellied pheasant and a few strangers along the way, and clapping their hands. And, as often as not, sinking into a silence and inertia that bode no good.
 
Reading this book is like trying to capture someone else’s dream. The elements are familiar but the parameters keep changing: how to make them cohere into something that translates into the real world?
 
The speed bumps outside the gates suggest a contemporary setting, but the little boys play around with hoops. We’re told the governesses had adult lives before they came here, but they gambol about like adolescents, dancing naked, acting on impulse and waiting at the gates to seduce strangers for sex. We start with preparations for a party, but never see the event take place. Laura has a baby but she soon returns to her flighty self and the infant merges with the band of little boys.
 
I can see the novel raises questions, but those I found aren’t particularly deep. Is the house a cage or a sanctuary? Are the governesses performing or doing as they please? Is this pure whimsy or, as the blurb suggests, a midsummer night’s dream, albeit one that lasts for years? Is it a game of snakes and ladders as the beautiful cover suggests?
 
First published in French in 1992, and highly praised by critics, my copy of this English translation came courtesy of LesFugitives, a British publisher dedicated to bringing francophone authors, mostly female, to the UK. Perhaps I’m too literal in my tastes.
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Design copyright Norah Colvin

Although I’m critical of my own schooling, it was a thousand times better than what passes for education in either of these books. If you’re interested, or want to compare notes, you can read about it on Norah Colvin’s blog.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
8 Comments
Charli Mills
29/3/2019 10:34:01 pm

Anne, I'm not sure I'd be interested in either book, but I do want to read Agnes Gray one day. Wuthering Heights was my favorite of her two sisters, though I was young and might have liked it for the moody brooding similar to adolescent angst. Also one day, I'd love to hike the trails in Bronte country. I enjoyed your interview over at Norah's place!

Reply
Anne Goodwin
30/3/2019 06:56:02 am

We did Wuthering Heights at school, so I probably preferred Jane Eyre which I read at my leisure.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
1/4/2019 10:52:20 am

Like Charli, I'm not sure if I'd enjoy either book but probably should tackle at least on Bronte before I die. Strange that I haven't yet. Perhaps Agnes Grey might be the one to start with. How familiar some of the scenes and governess (teacher) reactions are to me. :(
Thank you for linking to both readilearn and your delightful and thought-provoking interview on my blog. What a wonderful conversation you stirred up there. Thank you. Your suggestions for improving education are very popular.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
1/4/2019 01:31:47 pm

Thanks, Norah, but I think it’s your questions and your background that have made the post so successful. The whole series is an inspired choice.
Never read any Brontës? Maybe you should try Agnes Grey although you might find the character frustrating. Anne Brontë’s other book, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, feels much more contemporary.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
7/4/2019 12:29:08 pm

Anne, I have downloaded and begun listening to Agnes Grey and am totally enjoying it so far (only up to chapter 3). Thank you for the recommendation. :)

Reply
Anne Goodwin
8/4/2019 11:55:24 am

I hope your enjoyment continues!

Reply
Norah Colvin link
10/5/2019 01:13:52 pm

Hi Anne,
I finished reading Agnes Grey earlier this week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the recommendation. :)

Anne Goodwin
10/5/2019 04:12:28 pm

My pleasure, Norah.




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