Agnes gets a happy ending- much more than Anne did. There is some thought that this novel is partially autobiographical, and I can see why. I felt Agnes was probably not a good governess, but her situations were pretty hopeless. I was hoping she would grow a bit of a backbone, but was disappointed. I think Anne must have put a great deal of herself into Agnes, so perhaps that explains Agnes' sometimes snarky inner monologue while remaining rather meek. Even Charlotte likened Anne to a nun, which I think was a bit unfair. Give the poor girl a break, Charlotte!

This book is deep into the moralising. If you thought Jane Eyre was heavy on the morals, Agnes Grey will shock you. I don't enjoy this kind of thing but realise that this was an important part of Victorian literature. I just skipped those passages. Unfortunately, the moralising infiltrates the love story aspect of this novel and, for me, ruined the ending. I wish I hadn't read the last paragraph.

The love story was also a bit of a disappointment. I would have liked to spend more time with Mr Weston. Agnes fixates on him a great deal but there isn't much to show that he loves her until right at the end. Even then, it's rather truncated and REALLY lacks passion.

This book isn't terrible and deserves to be recognised as a great work of English literature, but it isn't my favourite Bronte offering.