Victorians! discussion

And so we come to the end of the Half Sisters, with the plot mostly back on track for this final segment although we had one development (Clara) to bring home Jewsbury’s point once again but this time correcting previous wrongs or introducing a new approach to girls’ education, so to speak. But I was glad the story did end on a positive note, contrary to what I had begun to fear in the last instalment

Summary
After the misunderstanding between Melton and Bianca in the previous instalment, there is an estrangement of sorts, with Melton having stopped writing to Bianca and seemingly having taken to a dissipated life in Italy. Conrad after having sought much comfort from Bianca and improved in health (but still as self-absorbed as ever, not bothered about the rumours he has given rise to and trouble he has caused for her), decides to withdraw from worldly life, turning to the church instead. Whether he is entering a monastery or simply moving away from society is not made clear. But eventually he falls ill and dies.

Meanwhile, Melton meets Bianca’s lookalike in Italy and is both put off and finds himself sympathizing with her. Unknowingly he helps her son, and plays a role in reuniting mother and son. Also on his travels, he meets Bryant, now suffering much after Alice’s death, and it is when helping him after an accident in which he is hurt that he learns the truth of Alice and Conrad and puts two and two together.

Back in England, Merton’s sister, Lady Vernon sends the aspiring singer from her school, Clara Broughton to Bianca for training and Bianca goes about ensuring that she is adequately trained. Here we have Jewsbury demonstrating what a proper course of education (even if this might mean an occupation that isn’t generally approved of) might do for a young lady. Clara’s music teacher also falls in love with her and she gets her happily ever after.

Then Melton too, returns to England, receives confirmation of Bianca’s love and the two are happily married. Bianca goes on to take over Lady Vernon’s school thus furthering her (and Jewsbury’s) mission. But before all that, Merton and Bianca run into her first employer Mr Simpson, flourishing as always with his circus troupe!

The ending
So what did we think of the ending; I was glad things wrapped up well for Bianca after I feared last week that we might just end up with Melton breaking things off and Bianca devoted to career alone; but of course, Alice’s death meant the path we expected the story to take initially didn’t quite come to pass.

Jewsbury’s message
Jewsbury did definitely indulge in a lot of sermonizing in the book to get her message across; Lady Vernon and her school were devices in the plot introduced for this purpose alone, and Jewsbury was not too successful delivering her message through the story, instead turning those sections into sermons. In this last segment, perhaps, the plot as a device for doing this worked a bit better. What did you think?

Age and Marriage
It was interesting that while Jewsbury has been focusing on marriages, the need for communication and understanding etc. the question of age isn’t given as much consideration; in Clara’s case for instance, her music teacher proposes to her and is approved of by all, but we were given to understand that he was 30 at least while Clara is no more than a schoolgirl, perhaps in her late teens. What did you think?

Conrad
While Conrad is heartbroken at what happened with Alice and shown to have given up worldly pleasures, did we think he’s really changed? Even at this stage he seems oblivious to (and likely not bothered by) the rumours he has given rise to with Bianca or the trouble he has caused for her. And though he suffers, he does seemingly get away with it all. For Conrad (and Bryant separately) was illness (and death) a satisfying outcome?

Overall thoughts
What did everyone think of the book overall; did it redeem itself at the end after the digressions and sermonizing or did it completely lose its plot? If you’ve reviewed the book, do share your links.

I was rather disappointed, as the blurb and start of the book was so promising, then came sentimentality, and the end was really conventional.

I was glad Bianca got a happy ending but then again, it came with falling back within conventional roles. From Jewsbury's perspective though, Bianca has found a relationship in which she is valued as a person and in which her career and choices haven't let to disapproval or two facedness as in Conrad's case.

'Geraldine Jewsbury would certainly not have expected anybody at this time of day to bother themselves about her novels. If she had caught one pulling them down from the shelf in some library she would have expostulated. “They’re such nonsense, my dear”, she would have said.' (Virginia Woolf)*

I don’t pretend I can say it better (and nicer) than Virgina Woolf.


* Virginia Woolf. Common Reader 2. https://www.virginiawoolfproject.com/...

sabagrey wrote: "'Geraldine Jewsbury would certainly not have expected anybody at this time of day to bother themselves about her novels. If she had caught one pulling them down from the shelf in some library she w..."
Ha ha ha. Well quoted, Sabagrey. Sadly a friend of mine has the same opinion of Zoe, Jewsbury's best known work.

Lady Clementina wrote: "Age and Marriage
It was interesting that while Jewsbury has been focusing on marriages, the need for communication and understanding etc. the question of age isn’t given as much consideration; in C..."

It was fairly standard at the time for very young women to be married to much older men. Personally I find it a bit creepy but, Celine Dion.

So after all those years of striving to perfect her art, Bianca gives up work to be Melton's wifie and pop out babies. What a disappointment! Whereas in real life Ellen Terry married three times, had affairs, and kept going back to the stage for as long as she could manage it. That's my idea of a true thespian!

Jane wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "Age and Marriage
It was interesting that while Jewsbury has been focusing on marriages, the need for communication and understanding etc. the question of age isn’t given as ..."

Yes, true; it happens even now; but I meant it more from the perspective of it claiming to be feminist.

Jane wrote: "So after all those years of striving to perfect her art, Bianca gives up work to be Melton's wifie and pop out babies. What a disappointment! Whereas in real life Ellen Terry married three times, h..."

Her adoption of a conventional path at the end does take away from the feminist idea of the book but I assume this was what would appeal to audiences.

Lady Clementina wrote: " If you’ve reviewed the book, do share your links..."

Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Brian E wrote: "Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Good review Brian! I probably would give three stars for the better parts of the book but it was definitely a parson's egg.

Jane wrote: "it was definitely a parson's egg.."

I had to look that up ... found it under Curate's Egg.
thank you for my English mini-lesson of today ;-)

Whoops got the saying wrong! Yes, curate’s egg…good in parts.