Carol’s Comments March
2018
Hello Everyone! Welcome to another issue of Carol’s
Comments. I love gothic fiction as many of my longtime readers know.
When I reviewed The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell for my Charlotte
Bronte 200th birthday tribute blog in September 2016, I suddenly
became very fascinated by Charlotte’s youngest sister Anne Bronte. I also
realized I had never read either of her two novels. After a short excerpt
of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall didn’t
thrill me, I decided to read her first book Agnes Grey instead.
Published in 1847, Bronte’s slim
semi-autobiographical novel focuses on young Agnes’ efforts to become a
governess when her family faces financial ruin after her clergyman father makes
a disastrous investment. At her first position, Agnes serves as governess with
the Bloomfield family. The children, Thomas, Mary Ann and Fanny are extremely
incorrigible – especially Thomas who, already at age 7, has a horrible tendency
to mistreat and brutally harm animals. Agnes stoically endures countless
indignities without complaining to her employers or her family. Mercifully, she
is dismissed from the Bloomfield household after almost one year of employment.
Thankfully, at her next governess job she accepts with
Mr. and Mrs. Murray at Horton Lodge, located 70 miles from her father’s parsonage,
she fares better. Although the four Murray children are quite unruly, she forms
a strong bond with the two sisters in her charge; the oldest, 15 year old
Rosalie and 14 year old Matilda when their brothers John and Charles go away to
boarding school. During her two years at Horton Lodge, Agnes meets and becomes
good friends with an amiable young cleric Mr. Edward Weston. Unsure if she
loves him, she fails to declare her romantic feelings for him before he
suddenly departs from the region. Heartbroken, Agnes fears she is doomed to
spinsterhood.
Although not as dramatic as Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey ends
happily when the title heroine does eventually reunite with Mr. Weston in a
rather uniquely understated way. Of all the Bronte sisters’ novels, Agnes
Grey mirrors their real lives more accurately than Jane Eyre or Wuthering
Heights does. Ironically, Bronte heroines have more luck romantically
than their respective authors do.
Next I selected The Other Alcott by first-time
novelist Elise Hooper after reading a positive review in The New York Times. Set between
1868 and 1880, Hooper’s engaging book centers on May Alcott, Louisa May
Alcott’s younger little known artist sister. After Little Women’s
publication, May vehemently resents that Louisa modeled the spoiled, selfish
youngest sister Amy March after her, reviewers maligned her illustrations
featured in the book and that her family doesn’t take her own artistic pursuits
seriously.
May possesses a very rebellious independent-minded
spirit that conflicts with nineteenth century conventions and frequently
results in clashes and long estrangements with Louisa.
Rejecting a marriage proposal from Joshua Bishop,
May decides to go to Paris in 1870 to study art. When she arrives in Paris, her
initial plans derail and she studies in Rome with Frederic Crownover instead.
Over the next few years, family crises always bring
May back home to Concord, Massachusetts, Finally with her mother’s encouragement and ignoring her awkward estrangement with
Louisa, May returns to Paris again in 1876 determined to continue her art
career independent of her sister’s financial assistance. In 1877, she befriends
American Impressionist Mary Cassatt and is the only American woman to have her
small still life exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon.
Still believing that unlike her sister Louisa, she
can have a fulfilling career and find love too, after a whirlwind courtship,
she marries tobacco merchant Ernest
Nieriker, 16 years her junior, in London on March 22, 1878. Then in 1879, May paints her most
famous work La Negresse which was also shown that year at the Paris Salon.
Shortly afterward, May surprisingly learns she is
pregnant. Unfortunately, tragedy ensues which ironically reunites Louisa with
her younger sister. Reminiscent of Priya Parmar’s Vanessa and Her Sister with
much less risqué themes, The Other Alcott vividly explores
May’s personal and professional life especially her rivalry with her more
famous sister.
Every February, I eagerly look forward to Turner
Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar which showcases hundreds of Oscar nominated
and winning films. This year on Valentine’s Day, I accidently discovered that
the network was airing 1985’s A Room with a View, one of my
favorite Merchant-Ivory movie adaptations. I couldn’t resist watching it
despite the 10:30pm start time. I enjoyed it so much that I re-watched it on
TCM on Demand two more times and then immediately re-read my personal copy of
E.M. Forster’s enchanting novel.
Since Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s Academy Award winning
adapted screenplay is very faithful to Forster’s original story, I decided
reviewing the novel and the film together rather than separately as I usually
do.
First set in early 20th century Florence, Italy,
Forster’s novel and James Ivory’s film revolve around young Lucy Honeychurch
and her chaperone cousin Charlotte
Bartlett (marvelously played by Helena Bonham-Carter and Maggie Smith
respectively) who are on holiday there. Problems occur at the Pension Bertolini
when the concierge gives them unsuitable rooms with no view. Mr. Emerson and
his son George (portrayed by Julian Sands) offer to trade accommodations so
their stay will be more pleasant.
The reader and viewer watch how Lucy’s various
encounters with young George Emerson –particularly when he rescues her after
she witnesses brutalities on Florence’s streets and later when he
spontaneously kisses her in a poppy field -completely transform her by
shattering her stodgy Edwardian sensibilities and igniting her passions.
Although she desperately tries to deny her newly awakened feelings for George,
she can’t seem to erase their romantic interlude from her mind.
When Lucy returns back home to Sussex, England, her
confused feelings about George affect her engagement to the straight-laced and
foppish Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis in a superbly versatile performance). Then
when George and his father rent a nearby cottage and Lucy’s brother Freddy
befriends George, all these events and entanglements make Lucy realize that her
engagement to Cecil is a sham. Happily, true love triumphs when the story comes
full circle.
Forster cleverly weaves social commentary about
Edwardian middle and upper class society into a delightful early 20th
century romance. Forster’s captivating novel and James Ivory’s sumptuous film
are the perfect literary and cinematic treats to indulge in on a gloomy winter
day.
The books and movie reviewed in my blog can be found
at most local public libraries. My readers in St. Joseph County, Indiana can
visit the St, Joseph County Public Library’s web site at sjcpl.lib.in.us for
additional information. Thanks for reading! See you all next time.
