Customer Reviews

The Juvenilia of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte (Penguin Classics)

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The two parts of this book differ greatly in reader appeal. While packaging the juvenilia of two loved women authors together seems like a good idea, I think the actual works are not particularly compatible. Jane Austen fans will love the sprightly, unrestrained wit of her juvenilia; 'Love and Freindship' in particular is a delightful romp, wickedly satirising the 'novels of sensibility' popular at the time. In contrast, the Bronte stories, which all form part of a series set in a fantasy world created by Charlotte together with her brother Branwell, are obscure and turgid. No doubt this peek at her early writing would be invaluable to a Bronte scholar, but the average reader is likely to lose interest. Particularly in contrast to Austen's lightness and ease of touch, the Bronte works seem clumsy and confusing. Still, the volume is worth buying only for the section on Austen, which is as far as I can tell fairly complete and an absolute must-read for any Austen fan.

This was purchased as a gift. I am a lover of the classics, so it was wonderful to be able to enjoy getting a book that dove a little more into the background of the classic authors in their youths.

Jane Austen is pretty surely damaged by this comparison : much as English novels are by comparison with French.
It would appear that Charlotte Brontė exceeds Jane Austen both in ability and sensibilities even from an early age.
The comparison of style in not in Austen's favor.Charlotte's poetry is as superior as her imagination
and characterizations.
She makes Austen's results appear more comical than realistic: cut out characterizations.
The emotional and lyrical expression of Brontė themes show a great depth of feeling
and understanding of human nature lacking in Austen.