What do you think?
Rate this book
La saga de Verdópolis #2
The Green Dwarf: A Tale of the Perfect Tense
Witty and engrossing, this early work displays the precocious intelligence, lively imagination, and flair for storytelling that Charlotte Brontë brought to perfection in her later fiction. Lady Emily Charlesworth is in love with Leslie, a struggling artist. Lord Percy, a fierce, arrogant aristocrat, will do anything to lay his hands on Leslie’s chosen bride. As war breaks out between Verdopolis—Brontë’s imaginary political state—and Senegal, the lovers do battle for control of Emily’s heart. With its exotic melange of political intrigue, amorous subterfuge, and Gothic scenery, The Green Dwarf reveals the dynamic and experimental nature of Brontë’s “long apprenticeship in writing.” Charlotte Brontë is best remembered for her perennially popular novel Jane Eyre.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1830
13 people are currently reading
634 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Brontë
1,798 books18.1k followersCharlotte Brontë was an English novelist, the eldest out of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. See also Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë.
Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, a remote town on the Yorkshire moors, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. This is where the Brontë children would spend most of their lives. Maria Branwell Brontë died from what was thought to be cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her spinster sister Elizabeth Branwell, who moved to Yorkshire to help the family.
In August 1824 Charlotte, along with her sisters Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, was sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, a new school for the daughters of poor clergyman (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre). The school was a horrific experience for the girls and conditions were appalling. They were regularly deprived of food, beaten by teachers and humiliated for the slightest error. The school was unheated and the pupils slept two to a bed for warmth. Seven pupils died in a typhus epidemic that swept the school and all four of the Brontë girls became very ill - Maria and Elizabeth dying of tuberculosis in 1825. Her experiences at the school deeply affected Brontë - her health never recovered and she immortalised the cruel and brutal treatment in her novel, Jane Eyre. Following the tragedy, their father withdrew his daughters from the school.
At home in Haworth Parsonage, Charlotte and the other surviving children — Branwell, Emily, and Anne — continued their ad-hoc education. In 1826 her father returned home with a box of toy soldiers for Branwell. They would prove the catalyst for the sisters' extraordinary creative development as they immediately set to creating lives and characters for the soldiers, inventing a world for them which the siblings called 'Angria'. The siblings became addicted to writing, creating stories, poetry and plays. Brontë later said that the reason for this burst of creativity was that:
'We were wholly dependent on ourselves and each other, on books and study, for the enjoyments and occupations of life. The highest stimulus, as well as the liveliest pleasure we had known from childhood upwards, lay in attempts at literary composition.'
After her father began to suffer from a lung disorder, Charlotte was again sent to school to complete her education at Roe Head school in Mirfield from 1831 to 1832, where she met her lifelong friends and correspondents, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. During this period (1833), she wrote her novella The Green Dwarf under the name of Wellesley. The school was extremely small with only ten pupils meaning the top floor was completely unused and believed to be supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young lady dressed in silk. This story fascinated Brontë and inspired the figure of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Brontë left the school after a few years, however she swiftly returned in 1835 to take up a position as a teacher, and used her wages to pay for Emily and Anne to be taught at the school. Teaching did not appeal to Brontë and in 1838 she left Roe Head to become a governess to the Sidgewick family -- partly from a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world, and partly from financial necessity.
Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding, but her health declined rapidly and, according to biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, she was attacked by "sensations of perpetual nausea and ever-recurring faintness." She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855.
Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, a remote town on the Yorkshire moors, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. This is where the Brontë children would spend most of their lives. Maria Branwell Brontë died from what was thought to be cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her spinster sister Elizabeth Branwell, who moved to Yorkshire to help the family.
In August 1824 Charlotte, along with her sisters Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, was sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, a new school for the daughters of poor clergyman (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre). The school was a horrific experience for the girls and conditions were appalling. They were regularly deprived of food, beaten by teachers and humiliated for the slightest error. The school was unheated and the pupils slept two to a bed for warmth. Seven pupils died in a typhus epidemic that swept the school and all four of the Brontë girls became very ill - Maria and Elizabeth dying of tuberculosis in 1825. Her experiences at the school deeply affected Brontë - her health never recovered and she immortalised the cruel and brutal treatment in her novel, Jane Eyre. Following the tragedy, their father withdrew his daughters from the school.
At home in Haworth Parsonage, Charlotte and the other surviving children — Branwell, Emily, and Anne — continued their ad-hoc education. In 1826 her father returned home with a box of toy soldiers for Branwell. They would prove the catalyst for the sisters' extraordinary creative development as they immediately set to creating lives and characters for the soldiers, inventing a world for them which the siblings called 'Angria'. The siblings became addicted to writing, creating stories, poetry and plays. Brontë later said that the reason for this burst of creativity was that:
'We were wholly dependent on ourselves and each other, on books and study, for the enjoyments and occupations of life. The highest stimulus, as well as the liveliest pleasure we had known from childhood upwards, lay in attempts at literary composition.'
After her father began to suffer from a lung disorder, Charlotte was again sent to school to complete her education at Roe Head school in Mirfield from 1831 to 1832, where she met her lifelong friends and correspondents, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. During this period (1833), she wrote her novella The Green Dwarf under the name of Wellesley. The school was extremely small with only ten pupils meaning the top floor was completely unused and believed to be supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young lady dressed in silk. This story fascinated Brontë and inspired the figure of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Brontë left the school after a few years, however she swiftly returned in 1835 to take up a position as a teacher, and used her wages to pay for Emily and Anne to be taught at the school. Teaching did not appeal to Brontë and in 1838 she left Roe Head to become a governess to the Sidgewick family -- partly from a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world, and partly from financial necessity.
Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding, but her health declined rapidly and, according to biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, she was attacked by "sensations of perpetual nausea and ever-recurring faintness." She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 9, 2017
I was under the impression that I had read all of the wonderful Charlotte Bronte's work before spotting a copy of The Green Dwarf in the library. Bronte began the novella when she was just seventeen years old, thirteen years before the publication of Jane Eyre; despite this, it is measured and wise throughout, with a well structured plot, and wonderful descriptions. I began it immediately, and was presented with rather a fantastical, but fascinating, story. Whilst not as accomplished as Tales of Angria I felt, The Green Dwarf, still has a lot of merit, and any readers of juvenilia or Bronte's adult fiction will surely find it an interesting and memorable melodramatic tale.
February 23, 2018
An enjoyable curiosity, but the bonkers plot and occasional structure errors were sufficient to make me want it over as soon as possible. Impressive for a seventeen year-old, and interesting to read an early Bronte, but not, I don't think, a classic.
October 28, 2017
Dreadful. Thought I was reading a parody for a while, like Northanger Abbey, but no... Overblown characters who all suffer from 1D portrayal, and a rambling, boring prose. Bronte wrote this when she was 17, and I have to wonder if she intended it to be published. If not, I feel sorry for her poor body, restlessly tumbling about in her grave. What is interesting is that amongst the cross you can discern shafts of gold. The beginning of her astounding talent is in here, but it's buried deep. That was the only interesting bit for me. I struggled through this book, and was thankful it was short.
August 25, 2012
A very interesting piece of juvenalia. Charlotte was seventeen when she wrote this.
Some of the themes she used in her latter writing started to emerge in this piece of writing.
Some of the themes she used in her latter writing started to emerge in this piece of writing.
July 24, 2017
~ The End.
I have now finished reading every work by Charlotte Brontë that I can get my hands on. Her novels have been my old companions for years, her poetry took me no time to delve into at all, and now I have come to the end of my study of her juvenilia, the short stories and novellas she wrote in her teenage years. I’ve recently written detailed reviews of The Secret, The Spell and The Foundling, and today I’ll be documenting my thoughts on The Green Dwarf, written down as I was in the process of reading.
I have to say, I had higher hopes for The Green Dwarf, probably because it’s green. I really hoped that it would be my favourite of the four juvenile works I own, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. I found that there were too many loose threads, too many moments of seemingly random narration that I couldn’t make sense of. The plot jumps around a lot, and although everything is pretty clearly connected at the end, the process of reading isn’t all that smooth because of the various stories that don’t seem totally related initially.
But, let’s not forget that this is a novella by Charlotte Brontë, and so I loved it even if it wasn’t my absolute favourite. The style is so totally Charlotte that I enjoyed the cadence of the sentences, and I appreciate that Charlotte puts such intricate detail into each of her characters. The novella tries to accomplish a lot, and it delivers a few surprises in the end, so overall, I did enjoy it. I just preferred her other novellas and stories to this one.
Here are my notes, written while reading The Green Dwarf:
- Charles Wellesley is this story’s narrator too (along with The Spell) = he has been sick and this explains why he has not written in awhile = mirrors CB’s life because she was away at Roe Head School.
- a random and slow start = what does Charles’ day have to do with the story the synopsis describes?
- reference to feud between Charles and Captain Tree (narrator of The Foundling) = CB writes as two enemies, depending on her mood I suppose.
- Marquis of Douro (Arthur, Charles’ brother = also Zamorna) is featured! = antipathy between the two brothers.
- “Of course, Bud, according to the universal fashion of storytellers, refused at first…” = Wellesley is planning to tell story told to him by Bud, not “in the original form of words…but strictly preserving the sense and facts.” = some artistic license to the narrator.
- conversation between Bud and Gifford is so random! I have no idea what it has to do with the story in the synopsis!
- Lady Emily Charlesworth has enormous potential and mental faculties BUT, as a woman, she is doomed to be married and focus on pretty, feminine accomplishments. “…that’s the way of all women. They think of nothing but being married, while learning is as dust in the balance.”
- anecdote about Napoleon is VERY random and out of place! So far, the structure and trajectory of this story confuses me immensely!
- Lady Emily = “Her form was exquisitely elegant, though not above the middle size…” = another small but beautiful woman.
- episode of boy selling his soul to the devil is very random (if that’s even what’s happening) and seems unnecessary = lots of moments in the story do not “fit” together!
- Lady Emily’s lineage is confusing and inconsistent = is Lord Charlesworth her only relative or is Bravey her uncle, as CB indicates in the passage about the African Olympic Games?!
- S’death visiting Colonel Percy = another random, loose thread to the story.
- “Rogue – Percy, I mean…” = another narrator reveals a character’s true identity = is Colonel Percy none other than Alexander Rogue (Marquis of Douro/Zamorna’s enemy from The Foundling)?
- detailing of history of Ashantee tribes and prince Quashie is evidence of Charlotte’s admirable commitment to creating vast backgrounds for each of her characters – and keeping them all straight! However, this divergence from the main plot seems very random and it is hard to tell where in chronology it belongs!
- “It may now be as well to connect the broken thread of my rambling narrative before I proceed further.”
- details of Duke of Wellington’s war with Ashantees seem so out of place in this “love story” = they could form a different work altogether!
- the threads tie up rather conveniently and too quickly…BUT then CB has some surprises in store! [SPOILERS!] = Colonel Percy is in fact Zamorna’s enemy Alexander Rogue! = and Andrew (main character’s servant, the green dwarf) is Captain Tree (Charles Wellesley’s enemy and the narrator of The Foundling).
To sum up my thoughts on the story, I have to say that the surprises at the end were worth the journey. It’s a small text, amounting to just over 100 pages, and so it is definitely a fun and light ride that reveals much of Charlotte’s experimentation and growth as a writer.
My final comment on Charlotte Brontë’s juvenilia will be to rank the stories in order of my preference…
4) The Green Dwarf
3) The Foundling
2) The Secret
1) The Spell
I would definitely recommend any and all of these texts to true fans of Miss Brontë! It is fascinating to get into the mind of the young Charlotte, and it develops an intimacy between the reader and this formidable Victorian author that is valuable beyond words. ~
More reviews can be found on my literary blog!
https://worldofmygreenheart.wordpress...
I have now finished reading every work by Charlotte Brontë that I can get my hands on. Her novels have been my old companions for years, her poetry took me no time to delve into at all, and now I have come to the end of my study of her juvenilia, the short stories and novellas she wrote in her teenage years. I’ve recently written detailed reviews of The Secret, The Spell and The Foundling, and today I’ll be documenting my thoughts on The Green Dwarf, written down as I was in the process of reading.
I have to say, I had higher hopes for The Green Dwarf, probably because it’s green. I really hoped that it would be my favourite of the four juvenile works I own, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. I found that there were too many loose threads, too many moments of seemingly random narration that I couldn’t make sense of. The plot jumps around a lot, and although everything is pretty clearly connected at the end, the process of reading isn’t all that smooth because of the various stories that don’t seem totally related initially.
But, let’s not forget that this is a novella by Charlotte Brontë, and so I loved it even if it wasn’t my absolute favourite. The style is so totally Charlotte that I enjoyed the cadence of the sentences, and I appreciate that Charlotte puts such intricate detail into each of her characters. The novella tries to accomplish a lot, and it delivers a few surprises in the end, so overall, I did enjoy it. I just preferred her other novellas and stories to this one.
Here are my notes, written while reading The Green Dwarf:
- Charles Wellesley is this story’s narrator too (along with The Spell) = he has been sick and this explains why he has not written in awhile = mirrors CB’s life because she was away at Roe Head School.
- a random and slow start = what does Charles’ day have to do with the story the synopsis describes?
- reference to feud between Charles and Captain Tree (narrator of The Foundling) = CB writes as two enemies, depending on her mood I suppose.
- Marquis of Douro (Arthur, Charles’ brother = also Zamorna) is featured! = antipathy between the two brothers.
- “Of course, Bud, according to the universal fashion of storytellers, refused at first…” = Wellesley is planning to tell story told to him by Bud, not “in the original form of words…but strictly preserving the sense and facts.” = some artistic license to the narrator.
- conversation between Bud and Gifford is so random! I have no idea what it has to do with the story in the synopsis!
- Lady Emily Charlesworth has enormous potential and mental faculties BUT, as a woman, she is doomed to be married and focus on pretty, feminine accomplishments. “…that’s the way of all women. They think of nothing but being married, while learning is as dust in the balance.”
- anecdote about Napoleon is VERY random and out of place! So far, the structure and trajectory of this story confuses me immensely!
- Lady Emily = “Her form was exquisitely elegant, though not above the middle size…” = another small but beautiful woman.
- episode of boy selling his soul to the devil is very random (if that’s even what’s happening) and seems unnecessary = lots of moments in the story do not “fit” together!
- Lady Emily’s lineage is confusing and inconsistent = is Lord Charlesworth her only relative or is Bravey her uncle, as CB indicates in the passage about the African Olympic Games?!
- S’death visiting Colonel Percy = another random, loose thread to the story.
- “Rogue – Percy, I mean…” = another narrator reveals a character’s true identity = is Colonel Percy none other than Alexander Rogue (Marquis of Douro/Zamorna’s enemy from The Foundling)?
- detailing of history of Ashantee tribes and prince Quashie is evidence of Charlotte’s admirable commitment to creating vast backgrounds for each of her characters – and keeping them all straight! However, this divergence from the main plot seems very random and it is hard to tell where in chronology it belongs!
- “It may now be as well to connect the broken thread of my rambling narrative before I proceed further.”
- details of Duke of Wellington’s war with Ashantees seem so out of place in this “love story” = they could form a different work altogether!
- the threads tie up rather conveniently and too quickly…BUT then CB has some surprises in store! [SPOILERS!] = Colonel Percy is in fact Zamorna’s enemy Alexander Rogue! = and Andrew (main character’s servant, the green dwarf) is Captain Tree (Charles Wellesley’s enemy and the narrator of The Foundling).
To sum up my thoughts on the story, I have to say that the surprises at the end were worth the journey. It’s a small text, amounting to just over 100 pages, and so it is definitely a fun and light ride that reveals much of Charlotte’s experimentation and growth as a writer.
My final comment on Charlotte Brontë’s juvenilia will be to rank the stories in order of my preference…
4) The Green Dwarf
3) The Foundling
2) The Secret
1) The Spell
I would definitely recommend any and all of these texts to true fans of Miss Brontë! It is fascinating to get into the mind of the young Charlotte, and it develops an intimacy between the reader and this formidable Victorian author that is valuable beyond words. ~
More reviews can be found on my literary blog!
https://worldofmygreenheart.wordpress...
March 29, 2024
I really wanted to read Charlotte Bronte's "The Green Dwarf" after reading a lot of her juvenilia and this being a romance was a bonus. Charlotte's juvenile stories of Verdopolis, have warring sections and the characters of nobility, though not all the usual characters. It had a particular Ann Radcliffe feel, with the mysterious castles and ghost like being but also had a Richardson's "Clarissa Harlowe" feel in a way. It is extremely cute how Charlotte's author publication entry of LORD CHARLES ALBERT FLORIAN WELLESLEY. This was written in 1833.
Story in short- Mr. Leslie returns to Verdopolis after a year absence and finds Lady Emily with a fiance.
The highlights and synopsis are from a Delphi collection of the Bronte's works below
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38855
The Green Dwarf is a romantic love-story, written before Charlotte Brontë had turned eighteen. The narrative features star-crossed lovers, concealed identities and magical revelations, all heavily influenced by the works of Sir Walter Scott. The work is much more sustained and sophisticated than anything she had produced in her early juvenilia works. The use of flashbacks to unfold the story is a rudimentary, though not unsuccessful, attempt to maintain the tension and deepen the mystery. At the age of seventeen, Charlotte was already an experienced writer and The Green Dwarf proves her early ability as a novelist.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38874
THE GREEN DWARF A TALE OF THE PERFECT TENSE BY LORD CHARLES ALBERT FLORIAN WELLESLEY PUBLISHED BY SERGEANT TREE BIBLIO STREET VERDOPLIS AND SOLD BY ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS IN TOWN & COUNTRY. CHARLOTTE BRONTË SEPTEMBER 2ND 1833
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38950
TWENTY YEARS SINCE or thereabouts there stood in what is now the middle of Verdopolis but which was then the extremity a huge irregular building called the Genii’s Inn it contained more than five hundred appartments all comfortably & some splendidly fitted up for the accommodation of travellers who were entertained in this vast hostelry free of expense, it became in consequence of this generous regulation the almost exclusive resort of way-farers of every nation
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38960
On the evening of the fourth of June 1814 it offered rather a different appearance, there had been during that day a greater influx of guests than usual -which circumstance was owing to a Grand fête to be held on
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38961
the morrow, the great hall looked like a motley masquerade.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38980
“this young soldier” said Bud with a kindling eye “was myself, you may laugh Charley;” for I could not forbear a smile on contrasting the dignified corporation of my now somewhat elderly fat friend with the description he had just given of his former appearance “you may laugh but I was once as gallant a youth as ever wore a soldiers sword alack a day time troubles Good Liquour & good-living change a man sorely.”
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38983
But the reader will ask who was the other gentleman mentioned above, he was John Gifford then the bosom friend of Ensign Bud as he is now of Captain Bud.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 39039
“Bravo Giff” said Bud laughing “I wish she had boxed your ears whenever you bothered her on such subjects! by the by have you heard that your fair quondam pupil is about to be married to Colonel Percy?” “I have not but I do not doubt the rumour: that’s the way of all women they think of nothing but being married while Learning is as dust in the balance
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌ spoiler alert
I really enjoyed this story and found it the best of her juvenilia stories. I was glad that Earl of St Clair and Lady Emily are able to come together and marry. I had wondered if there was going to be supernatural explanations to all the strange happenings but it seems all things can be explained except the ghost like indestructible being that hangs around Colonel Percy. St. Clair comes back after having to deal with one of his kingdom problems and comes back to her Lady Emily is to marry Percy but that is only wanted by her uncle and Percy himself. Percy is good looking but is dissipated and ugly inside. When he finds out that Mr. Leslie is his rival is indeed Earl of St Clair, he at first threatens and then bribes Andrew, the servant the boy who has been treated kindly by his master. He had no trouble taking money, he is the green dwarf and in the end both him and Percy are arrested for being a false witness, being spies and giving information to the enemy. The both of them accused Earl of St Clair which landed him in the dungeon. The Duke figured out that Percy wanted to get rid of his rival for Lady Emily. Percy had acted the part of Lovelace in luring Lady Emily into a carriage by deceit. Lady Emily was not as a victim as much as Clarissa in the sense, Lady Emily went to elope with Earl of St Clair without telling her uncle. The Earl suggesting this scheme is so wrong, interesting that a clergyman's daughter suggests such a thing. Lady Emily regrets only after she is help captive in a tower and would have died because when Percy is asked about her whereabouts, he refused to tell, but she is recused by a stranger, for the old lady jail keeper is dead. The jail scene of Earl of St Clair and his innocence comes through at his trial. I was surprised that Andrew was such a turncoat and was not expecting so many explanations for mysterious happening. Very enjoyable read with a lot of very, very long sentences.
Story in short- Mr. Leslie returns to Verdopolis after a year absence and finds Lady Emily with a fiance.
The highlights and synopsis are from a Delphi collection of the Bronte's works below
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38855
The Green Dwarf is a romantic love-story, written before Charlotte Brontë had turned eighteen. The narrative features star-crossed lovers, concealed identities and magical revelations, all heavily influenced by the works of Sir Walter Scott. The work is much more sustained and sophisticated than anything she had produced in her early juvenilia works. The use of flashbacks to unfold the story is a rudimentary, though not unsuccessful, attempt to maintain the tension and deepen the mystery. At the age of seventeen, Charlotte was already an experienced writer and The Green Dwarf proves her early ability as a novelist.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38874
THE GREEN DWARF A TALE OF THE PERFECT TENSE BY LORD CHARLES ALBERT FLORIAN WELLESLEY PUBLISHED BY SERGEANT TREE BIBLIO STREET VERDOPLIS AND SOLD BY ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS IN TOWN & COUNTRY. CHARLOTTE BRONTË SEPTEMBER 2ND 1833
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38950
TWENTY YEARS SINCE or thereabouts there stood in what is now the middle of Verdopolis but which was then the extremity a huge irregular building called the Genii’s Inn it contained more than five hundred appartments all comfortably & some splendidly fitted up for the accommodation of travellers who were entertained in this vast hostelry free of expense, it became in consequence of this generous regulation the almost exclusive resort of way-farers of every nation
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38960
On the evening of the fourth of June 1814 it offered rather a different appearance, there had been during that day a greater influx of guests than usual -which circumstance was owing to a Grand fête to be held on
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38961
the morrow, the great hall looked like a motley masquerade.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38980
“this young soldier” said Bud with a kindling eye “was myself, you may laugh Charley;” for I could not forbear a smile on contrasting the dignified corporation of my now somewhat elderly fat friend with the description he had just given of his former appearance “you may laugh but I was once as gallant a youth as ever wore a soldiers sword alack a day time troubles Good Liquour & good-living change a man sorely.”
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 38983
But the reader will ask who was the other gentleman mentioned above, he was John Gifford then the bosom friend of Ensign Bud as he is now of Captain Bud.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 39039
“Bravo Giff” said Bud laughing “I wish she had boxed your ears whenever you bothered her on such subjects! by the by have you heard that your fair quondam pupil is about to be married to Colonel Percy?” “I have not but I do not doubt the rumour: that’s the way of all women they think of nothing but being married while Learning is as dust in the balance
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌ spoiler alert
I really enjoyed this story and found it the best of her juvenilia stories. I was glad that Earl of St Clair and Lady Emily are able to come together and marry. I had wondered if there was going to be supernatural explanations to all the strange happenings but it seems all things can be explained except the ghost like indestructible being that hangs around Colonel Percy. St. Clair comes back after having to deal with one of his kingdom problems and comes back to her Lady Emily is to marry Percy but that is only wanted by her uncle and Percy himself. Percy is good looking but is dissipated and ugly inside. When he finds out that Mr. Leslie is his rival is indeed Earl of St Clair, he at first threatens and then bribes Andrew, the servant the boy who has been treated kindly by his master. He had no trouble taking money, he is the green dwarf and in the end both him and Percy are arrested for being a false witness, being spies and giving information to the enemy. The both of them accused Earl of St Clair which landed him in the dungeon. The Duke figured out that Percy wanted to get rid of his rival for Lady Emily. Percy had acted the part of Lovelace in luring Lady Emily into a carriage by deceit. Lady Emily was not as a victim as much as Clarissa in the sense, Lady Emily went to elope with Earl of St Clair without telling her uncle. The Earl suggesting this scheme is so wrong, interesting that a clergyman's daughter suggests such a thing. Lady Emily regrets only after she is help captive in a tower and would have died because when Percy is asked about her whereabouts, he refused to tell, but she is recused by a stranger, for the old lady jail keeper is dead. The jail scene of Earl of St Clair and his innocence comes through at his trial. I was surprised that Andrew was such a turncoat and was not expecting so many explanations for mysterious happening. Very enjoyable read with a lot of very, very long sentences.
August 10, 2016
One of Bronte's early writings, and a beautiful insight into her mind. Reading it I felt like I was one of her friends to whom she was telling the most recent creation of her brilliant imagination, and I loved it. I recommend to fans of her more popular writing.
May 26, 2020
Secretly a highlander romance? Okay.
The first interesting thing that happened was on page 110 of 112 when a character named Dick Crackskull is introduced.
The first interesting thing that happened was on page 110 of 112 when a character named Dick Crackskull is introduced.
September 3, 2023
This was a decent enough edition of this tale from Charlotte Bronte's early writings. The introduction had a number of inaccuracies and I would have liked to see a more useful, detailed or researched set of endnotes but there was some useful information there. There were several parts of the narrative where I'd have appreciated further detail from an annotated version.
The text itself is primarily interesting as a piece of Charlotte Bronte's early work. It highlights the influence of the Gothic on her early writing and, of course, gives an insight into her historical, political and cultural influences and alignments. Her depiction of Africa, and particularly her depiction of the 'Ashantee rebellion' (where the Black Africans are accused of 'ingratitude') provide an interesting context for her later works and their depiction of (or brushes against) questions of empire, mission, and colonialism. Perhaps one of the most interesting things for fans of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre particularly are the overlaps of the relationship between Emily Charlesworth and the Earl of St Clair and that between Rochester and Jane. The scene of teasing/jealousy/soothing is a very familiar dynamic and it is interesting to see it explored so early.
It's worth a read if you're interested in Bronte juvenalia, the wider world of Verdopolis or Charlotte Bronte specifically.
The text itself is primarily interesting as a piece of Charlotte Bronte's early work. It highlights the influence of the Gothic on her early writing and, of course, gives an insight into her historical, political and cultural influences and alignments. Her depiction of Africa, and particularly her depiction of the 'Ashantee rebellion' (where the Black Africans are accused of 'ingratitude') provide an interesting context for her later works and their depiction of (or brushes against) questions of empire, mission, and colonialism. Perhaps one of the most interesting things for fans of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre particularly are the overlaps of the relationship between Emily Charlesworth and the Earl of St Clair and that between Rochester and Jane. The scene of teasing/jealousy/soothing is a very familiar dynamic and it is interesting to see it explored so early.
It's worth a read if you're interested in Bronte juvenalia, the wider world of Verdopolis or Charlotte Bronte specifically.
October 5, 2018
Set in Verdopolis, the story concerns the beautiful Lady Emily and the battle for her heart and hand. Raised by her uncle, the Marquis of Charlesworth, he desires to find his niece the perfect suitor, and selects Colonel the Honourable Alexander Augustus Percy, however, Lady Emily is in love with a poor artist named Leslie. Nothing is ever simple in the Brontë juvenilia, and this tale is no exception. Percy will do anything to get his bride, however when war breaks out both Percy and Leslie are called upon to help to defend Verdopolis from the native Ashantees, however, the disappearance of Lady Emily further complicates matters. Throw in the African Olympic Games, a story within a story about Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the appearance of a character named Bertha, and there is plenty to be enjoyed for fans of Brontë’s adult works in addition to newcomers to the wonderful Brontë juvenilia.
The Green Dwarf is gothic, witty, funny, and engrossing. Give it a try.
A new edition is due to be published by Alma Books in November 2018 if you can't get your hands on the 2003 Hesperus Press edition.
For more details on this book, head over to my blog:
https://brontebabeblog.wordpress.com/...
The Green Dwarf is gothic, witty, funny, and engrossing. Give it a try.
A new edition is due to be published by Alma Books in November 2018 if you can't get your hands on the 2003 Hesperus Press edition.
For more details on this book, head over to my blog:
https://brontebabeblog.wordpress.com/...
July 23, 2022
Por se tratar de um breve conto escrito na juventude de Charlotte, eu diria que é até interessante. Mas não dá pra dizer que essa obra começa bem. O texto, a princípio é bem arrastado, sem personagens cativantes. Da metade em diante, o fluxo da história começa a se encaixar e a autora mostra que seu jeito de contar é descascando camadas da história para enfim chegar na trama que importa.
As reviravoltas são legais mas o tempo que transcorre até que as coisas se assentem na vida de um dos personagens, não faz sentido depois que se descobre quem é a figura do capuz com muitas dobras. Por conta disso e do começo enfadonho a nota não pode ser maior que 3 estrelas.
No entanto, é necessário reforçar que esse é um conto relativamente curto e escrito por uma adolescente, mostrando que seria uma excelente escritora no futuro.
Vale a leitura.
As reviravoltas são legais mas o tempo que transcorre até que as coisas se assentem na vida de um dos personagens, não faz sentido depois que se descobre quem é a figura do capuz com muitas dobras. Por conta disso e do começo enfadonho a nota não pode ser maior que 3 estrelas.
No entanto, é necessário reforçar que esse é um conto relativamente curto e escrito por uma adolescente, mostrando que seria uma excelente escritora no futuro.
Vale a leitura.
October 24, 2022
I was a little unsure whether I should list this as fantasy or literary as it is set in Bronte’s fictitious world of Verdópolis but it doesn’t contain anything you might consider fantastical, so I opted for the “literary” descriptor. This is a romance set in an age of chivalry: Lady Emily Charlesworth is in love with Leslie, a struggling artist, although her guardian uncle wishes her to marry Lord Percy who everyone sees as a petty, arrogant aristocrat. But Leslie is not who he seems, and as war breaks out between Verdópolis and the neighbouring state of Senegal, the two men find themselves fighting together under the command of the Duke of Wellington. Leading up to the final battle in the war, Percy sees a way to get rid of Leslie and win Emily in the process. Charlotte Bronte wrote this short novel when she was seventeen and you can see a lot of structural issues early on in this story. Yet none of these literary wanderings are uninteresting even if the work might have been better for them to have been tightened up or excised. Look on this as a piece of juvenalia that gives an indicator of what was to come from this writer. R: 3.0/5.0
December 31, 2024
The early talent is so easily spotted when you realise she wrote this at 17. That being said, it was a struggle to get through at times and felt a little all over the place in some parts of the book. Glad I read and enjoyed it to an extent!
December 5, 2018
An interesting, at times enjoyable insight into a developing novelist's juvenilia.
Read
July 3, 2019Amazingly good for a teenager. That is how old she was at the time she wrote it.
Read
March 6, 2022It seems unfair to rate the teenage Charlotte Bronte's adventure melodrama by my usual criteria. A curiosity.
September 3, 2022
Juvenile, but charming.
April 4, 2024
Obra menor de la autora que no me ha convencido del todo
June 4, 2024
classic woman locked in gothic castle (loved) but more war stuff which was kinda boring — narrative voice was diff from her usual which was interesting
February 4, 2025
book club, I’m sorry but I feel I’m too stupid for classics
January 16, 2023
Charlotte Brontë escreve majestosamente, o livro envolve mas nada como os clássicos como Jane Erye
February 10, 2018
Terrible!
April 12, 2016
I tend to find that in Charlotte Brontë’s juvenilia everything and everyone is over described. The narrative pace is very slow as a result. I did find certain sections of "The Green Dwarf" engaging, and wouldn’t state that I disliked the tale, but for the most part I found it too rambling.
But it's hardly fair to criticize a work of this nature, considering the author was not writing for the public, nor had she been taught how to improve her writing style at this stage of her life.
At the height of her success Charlotte Brontë would doubtless never have dreamed of "The Green Dwarf" being published. Here, aged 17, the genius she would become was very much waiting in the wings.
If you're a Brontë fan wanting to read everything the famous sisters ever wrote, check this out with no high expectations.
But it's hardly fair to criticize a work of this nature, considering the author was not writing for the public, nor had she been taught how to improve her writing style at this stage of her life.
At the height of her success Charlotte Brontë would doubtless never have dreamed of "The Green Dwarf" being published. Here, aged 17, the genius she would become was very much waiting in the wings.
If you're a Brontë fan wanting to read everything the famous sisters ever wrote, check this out with no high expectations.
June 4, 2014
Written when she was seventeen years of age, Charlotte Bronte’s The Green Dwarf combines the imaginative skills of childhood with the influences of available literature in an amusing and studious way. The rhythm and shape holds well, while some aspects could do with more polish. But given the circumstances and intent as mainly being for family consumption and challenge, it is still a considerable achievement of style. The enthusiasm of the writer (and probably also her audience) shows the development of confidence in this young writer who went on to become one of the most celebrated authors of her generation.
January 22, 2016
Escrita por la mayor de las Brontë a la temprana edad de 17 años, El enano verde, supuso su segunda novella tras El huérfano, ambas ambientadas en la ficticia ciudad de Verdópolis.
La autora consigue desarrollar con acierto una corta historia sin dejar cabos sueltos. Nos encontraremos de nuevo con algunos de los personajes ya presentados en el libro anterior, aunque en vez de avanzar hacia delante, echamos la mirada al pasado de los mismos.
Su narrativa denota un talento que no dejó de cultivar a lo largo de su vida y de cuya calidad innata, los escritos pertenecientes a su juvenila son testigos.
La autora consigue desarrollar con acierto una corta historia sin dejar cabos sueltos. Nos encontraremos de nuevo con algunos de los personajes ya presentados en el libro anterior, aunque en vez de avanzar hacia delante, echamos la mirada al pasado de los mismos.
Su narrativa denota un talento que no dejó de cultivar a lo largo de su vida y de cuya calidad innata, los escritos pertenecientes a su juvenila son testigos.
February 19, 2011
I enjoyed The Green Dwarf, it had an air of mystery about it and slight overtones of a De Maurier novel. It took me a while to get into, mainly because I have not read any Charlotte Bronte for a while and had forgotten how descriptive the chapters were, it was also slightly confusing at the start, because it was a story within another story, but once the main tale started, it made alot more sense.
June 27, 2012
Getting into this book proved alittle difficult. I forgot how much attention Charlotte’s writing requires. I enjoyed how she told the story from her perspective, as a storyteller. She used first person in her writing, which I liked, it was a little breath of fresh air. The plot of this story made me happy and it was fun to see how things worked out for the lovers. I would definitely recommend this book to friends for a short summer read.
August 14, 2009
Wow, is this an over the top romance. It is VERY much like the pulp fiction of the 18th century. It reminded me the most strongly of Love in a Maze. There are cold-hearted villains and lovely, pure maidens and all the things you expect from a stock romance. It's just great juvenelia from C. Bronte. Well worth the time.
January 26, 2014
I really liked this story. It has a fantasy medieval vibe at the start, but that changes to a Napoleonic feel. Charlotte Bronte creates a fantastic, vivid, quirky world, showing the beginnings of some interesting characters. The writing style is relatively pretentious, but it isnt out of place for the type of story Bronte has written. It is very readable. I thought it was a good little read.
March 4, 2012
The thing about Bronte works I find is that they tend to be winding and occasionally convoluted. The same can be said here as well, but one thing remains a trend for me: Charlotte Bronte writes some of the most captivating stories. The Green Dwarf is no exception.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews