What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heir Of Redclyffe
First published in 1853, The Heir of Redclyffe was among the most successful novels of the century, equalling even the work of Dickens and Thackeray in popularity. The story of a clash of personality between well-born cousins, Guy Morville and Philip Edmonstone, the plot focuses on Guy's spiritual struggle to overcome the darker side of his nature. Philip's sinister insinuations about Guy's character almost thwart Guy's marriage to the gentle Amy, yet despite their bitter feuding the novel reaches an unexpected and dramatic conclusion that vindicates romantic virtue, self-sacrifice, and piety, epitomizing the period's nostalgia for an idealized chivalric past.
Adopted by William Morris and Burne-Jones as 'a pattern for actual life', Guy was a popular role model of noble virtue, while Amy is the ideal Victorian wife - redeemer and inspirer, support and guide. The Heir of Redclyffe is a virtual paradigm of the trends of thought which characterized the middle decades of the nineteenth century. It is deeply marked by the influence of the Oxford Movement, an aspect explored by Barbara Dennis in her Introduction to this unique critical edition.
Adopted by William Morris and Burne-Jones as 'a pattern for actual life', Guy was a popular role model of noble virtue, while Amy is the ideal Victorian wife - redeemer and inspirer, support and guide. The Heir of Redclyffe is a virtual paradigm of the trends of thought which characterized the middle decades of the nineteenth century. It is deeply marked by the influence of the Oxford Movement, an aspect explored by Barbara Dennis in her Introduction to this unique critical edition.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1853
85 people are currently reading
1674 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Mary Yonge
707 books73 followersCharlotte Mary Yonge was an English novelist, known for her huge output, now mostly out of print.
She began writing in 1848, and published during her long life about 160 works, chiefly novels. Her first commercial success, The Heir of Redclyffe (1853), provided the funding to enable the schooner Southern Cross to be put into service on behalf of George Selwyn. Similar charitable works were done with the profits from later novels. Yonge was also a founder and editor for forty years of The Monthly Packet, a magazine (founded in 1851) with a varied readership, but targeted at British Anglican girls (in later years it was addressed to a somewhat wider readership).
Among the best known of her works are The Heir of Redclyffe, Heartsease, and The Daisy Chain. A Book of Golden Deeds is a collection of true stories of courage and self-sacrifice. She also wrote Cameos from English History, Life of John Coleridge Patteson: Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands and Hannah More. Her History of Christian Names was described as "the first serious attempt at tackling the subject" and as the standard work on names in the preface to the first edition of Withycombe's The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 1944.
Her personal example and influence on her god-daughter, Alice Mary Coleridge, played a formative role in Coleridge's zeal for women's education and thus, indirectly, led to the foundation of Abbots Bromley School for Girls.
After her death, her friend, assistant and collaborator, Christabel Coleridge, published the biographical Charlotte Mary Yonge: her Life and Letters (1903).
-Wikipedia
The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship, a website with lots of information.
See Charlotte's character page for books about her.
She began writing in 1848, and published during her long life about 160 works, chiefly novels. Her first commercial success, The Heir of Redclyffe (1853), provided the funding to enable the schooner Southern Cross to be put into service on behalf of George Selwyn. Similar charitable works were done with the profits from later novels. Yonge was also a founder and editor for forty years of The Monthly Packet, a magazine (founded in 1851) with a varied readership, but targeted at British Anglican girls (in later years it was addressed to a somewhat wider readership).
Among the best known of her works are The Heir of Redclyffe, Heartsease, and The Daisy Chain. A Book of Golden Deeds is a collection of true stories of courage and self-sacrifice. She also wrote Cameos from English History, Life of John Coleridge Patteson: Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands and Hannah More. Her History of Christian Names was described as "the first serious attempt at tackling the subject" and as the standard work on names in the preface to the first edition of Withycombe's The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 1944.
Her personal example and influence on her god-daughter, Alice Mary Coleridge, played a formative role in Coleridge's zeal for women's education and thus, indirectly, led to the foundation of Abbots Bromley School for Girls.
After her death, her friend, assistant and collaborator, Christabel Coleridge, published the biographical Charlotte Mary Yonge: her Life and Letters (1903).
-Wikipedia
The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship, a website with lots of information.
See Charlotte's character page for books about her.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 14, 2021
I really enjoyed this one - it took me a little while to get into, but the second half of the novel was standout, with fantastic characterisation, some incredibly powerful moments and a great exploration of family.
December 28, 2024
This is my first Charlotte Mary Yonge novel, and I found it a compelling read. The beginning was a challenge because the reader is dropped straight into the Edmonstone family's home at Hollywell and right into the dynamics of the family. There is not a lot of scene setting at the beginning or anything to get a toehold into as far as what the coming plot of the story will be. I found it worth sticking it out and soon enough felt oriented to the story.
The heart of the story is the Edmonstone family: Mr. and Mrs. Edmonstone and their four children, Charles (suffering from some kind of malady that is never quite clear though he is not able to walk on his own for much of the novel), Laura, Amabel (usually called Amy), and Charlotte (still in the school room). The Edmonstones felt very much like the March family. There's a tremendous warmth and connection between them all that made me want to belong to their family. (Side note: Alcott specifically mentions that Jo is reading The Heir of Redclyffe in Little Women, so how much did this best-selling novel influence Alcott?)
The Edmonstone children have two cousins. Philip Morville is older than the Edmonstones by a few years and is the penniless son of an archdeacon. He has had to give up Oxford and go into the army because he doesn't have his own money. Philip has been known to the family for years and is a familiar figure at Hollywell. The unknown and soon-to-arrive cousin is named Guy Morville, and he is under Mr. Edmonstone's guardianship after the recent death of his grandfather. Guy's grandfather was a baronet and owned the family seat at Redclyffe, so Guy is now Sir Guy Morville at the tender age of 17 (the same age as Laura). Philip knows Guy and is acquainting his cousins with what he knows of Guy's disposition and character at the beginning of the novel. The Edmonstones have never met Guy because his grandfather kept him secluded at Redclyffe.
Guy bursts onto the scene and then the action really gets going (though still at a Victorian novel pace!). Philip and Guy are opposite in every way. Philip is tall, noble looking, fair-haired, patronizing, serene of countenance, well educated, measured in speech and attitude. Guy is dark haired, bright eyed, impulsive, charming, eager to belong to a family, under educated because of his seclusion, and prone to temper. The Hollywell family embraces him whole-heartedly and he becomes one of them (like Laurie!). Guy is an orphan, so he especially feels drawn to Mrs. Edmonstone's warmth and nurturing spirit.
The following story is about the clash between Philip and Guy and the unfolding romances for both of them. Sir Guy is most certainly the protagonist and Philip the antagonist, but Yonge makes it more complex than this and that is what makes the novel so compelling for me. Yonge was a devout High Church Anglican so the novel takes sin seriously. It struck me about halfway through the novel that Yonge was seriously exploring the vice of envy and its destructive power. There are so many Scriptural allusions that are not named outright, but come to mind readily for someone familiar with Scripture. The struggle between brothers is well known in Scripture: Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, the prodigal son and the elder brother. Philip and Guy are near to brothers and so the biblical precendents for their relationship are haunting.
I read this for Kate Howe's Patreon group as our January/February group read. I am very much looking forward to our discussion at the end of February.
The heart of the story is the Edmonstone family: Mr. and Mrs. Edmonstone and their four children, Charles (suffering from some kind of malady that is never quite clear though he is not able to walk on his own for much of the novel), Laura, Amabel (usually called Amy), and Charlotte (still in the school room). The Edmonstones felt very much like the March family. There's a tremendous warmth and connection between them all that made me want to belong to their family. (Side note: Alcott specifically mentions that Jo is reading The Heir of Redclyffe in Little Women, so how much did this best-selling novel influence Alcott?)
The Edmonstone children have two cousins. Philip Morville is older than the Edmonstones by a few years and is the penniless son of an archdeacon. He has had to give up Oxford and go into the army because he doesn't have his own money. Philip has been known to the family for years and is a familiar figure at Hollywell. The unknown and soon-to-arrive cousin is named Guy Morville, and he is under Mr. Edmonstone's guardianship after the recent death of his grandfather. Guy's grandfather was a baronet and owned the family seat at Redclyffe, so Guy is now Sir Guy Morville at the tender age of 17 (the same age as Laura). Philip knows Guy and is acquainting his cousins with what he knows of Guy's disposition and character at the beginning of the novel. The Edmonstones have never met Guy because his grandfather kept him secluded at Redclyffe.
Guy bursts onto the scene and then the action really gets going (though still at a Victorian novel pace!). Philip and Guy are opposite in every way. Philip is tall, noble looking, fair-haired, patronizing, serene of countenance, well educated, measured in speech and attitude. Guy is dark haired, bright eyed, impulsive, charming, eager to belong to a family, under educated because of his seclusion, and prone to temper. The Hollywell family embraces him whole-heartedly and he becomes one of them (like Laurie!). Guy is an orphan, so he especially feels drawn to Mrs. Edmonstone's warmth and nurturing spirit.
The following story is about the clash between Philip and Guy and the unfolding romances for both of them. Sir Guy is most certainly the protagonist and Philip the antagonist, but Yonge makes it more complex than this and that is what makes the novel so compelling for me. Yonge was a devout High Church Anglican so the novel takes sin seriously. It struck me about halfway through the novel that Yonge was seriously exploring the vice of envy and its destructive power. There are so many Scriptural allusions that are not named outright, but come to mind readily for someone familiar with Scripture. The struggle between brothers is well known in Scripture: Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, the prodigal son and the elder brother. Philip and Guy are near to brothers and so the biblical precendents for their relationship are haunting.
I read this for Kate Howe's Patreon group as our January/February group read. I am very much looking forward to our discussion at the end of February.
July 8, 2024
"When death, is coming near,
And thy heart shrinks in fear,
And thy limbs fail,
Then raise thy hands and pray
To Him who smooths the way
Through the dark vale.
Seest thou the eastern dawn!
Hear’st thou, in the red morn,
The angel’s song?
Oh! lift thy drooping head,
Thou, who in gloom and dread
Hast lain so long.
Death comes to set thee free,
Oh! meet him cheerily,
As thy true friend
And all thy fears shall cease,
And In eternal peace
Thy penance end."
And thy heart shrinks in fear,
And thy limbs fail,
Then raise thy hands and pray
To Him who smooths the way
Through the dark vale.
Seest thou the eastern dawn!
Hear’st thou, in the red morn,
The angel’s song?
Oh! lift thy drooping head,
Thou, who in gloom and dread
Hast lain so long.
Death comes to set thee free,
Oh! meet him cheerily,
As thy true friend
And all thy fears shall cease,
And In eternal peace
Thy penance end."
September 22, 2024
They don’t write books like this anymore. Each chapter started with a few lines of poetry appropriate to the subject of that chapter. Here is the one from Chapter 44:
Another difference in Heir, there is very little ‘action’ compared to modern novels, and yet there is also not a lot of description which is found in other texts of this era. The author, Charlotte M. Yonge, treats us—or me anyway—to my favorite form of storytelling—interaction and conversation of the characters, some alive, others deceased (they speak in letters) allowing the reader to discern history, motives, development and ultimately truth.
Finishing Heir of Redclyffe made me want to check out Yonge’s other works as well as those literary works her characters loved, such as, Sintram and His Companions and Aslauga's Knight.
This may not qualify as great literature and the writing was rough in some places, but I can’t remember when I have enjoyed a novel so much without feeling the least concern or worry that I was wasting my time, when I could be doing something more improving. 5 stars all the way!
Oh, and did I say this is available as free a Kindle download?!
Thus souls by nature pitched too high,But it’s not that which makes this story so strikingly different from so much of what is written today. It is the various characters wrestling with their own consciences over the course of the novel. Although there is only indirect mention of religious topics throughout the 768 pages of text, everything revolves around the moral insights and development of the five main characters, Laura, Charles, Amy (siblings), Guy (cousin) and Philip, another cousin. Who among them will ultimately become the titular Heir of Redclyffe, and/or his spouse is the ultimate question to be determined over the course of this long novel. And yet, it never seemed long to me. Once I got past the initial confusion of who was related to whom, how—and I was a bit confused at first—I never wanted to leave the charming Edmonstone drawing-room of Hollywell House. I’m sorely tempted to return already, if only to reread the first few chapters. Except, I would probably have trouble leaving… I loved being around the characters!
By sufferings plunged too low,
Meet in the church’s middle sky,
Halfway ‘twixt joy and woe;
To practice there the soothing lay,
That sorrow best relieves,
Thankful for all God takes away,
Humbled by all He gives.
—CHRISTIAN YEAR
Another difference in Heir, there is very little ‘action’ compared to modern novels, and yet there is also not a lot of description which is found in other texts of this era. The author, Charlotte M. Yonge, treats us—or me anyway—to my favorite form of storytelling—interaction and conversation of the characters, some alive, others deceased (they speak in letters) allowing the reader to discern history, motives, development and ultimately truth.
Finishing Heir of Redclyffe made me want to check out Yonge’s other works as well as those literary works her characters loved, such as, Sintram and His Companions and Aslauga's Knight.
This may not qualify as great literature and the writing was rough in some places, but I can’t remember when I have enjoyed a novel so much without feeling the least concern or worry that I was wasting my time, when I could be doing something more improving. 5 stars all the way!
Oh, and did I say this is available as free a Kindle download?!
June 27, 2019
Warning: contains spoilers
Apparently this novel was a megahit in its day, outperforming Dickens and Thackeray. It inspired the Pre-Raphaelites in its depiction of virtue and knightly qualities and was beloved by many prominent Victorians.
For today's reader, though, this book is going to be a bit of a tough one. Its view of morality is so intensely exaggerated and its piety so laid on with a large trowel that you have to be well-versed in the way middle-class Victorians thought of themselves to be able to bear it. It's also very long, because Yonge is so eager that her readers don't miss the points she's trying to make that she belabors them endlessly. I would say that this is a book you should avoid until you've taken a solid course of Dickens and Hardy, with a side of Trollope and perhaps a dash of Thackeray, to ensure you realize that there were novelists who questioned and subverted the kind of thinking that Yonge exemplifies.
If you strip away the moralizing, you have a compelling and interesting story. The very young Sir Guy Morville, who has recently inherited his title from his grandfather, comes to live with his guardian's family. The Edmonstone children--the disabled Charlie and the three girls, Laura, Amy, and Charlotte--are a loving family group, their characters formed by the piety and strict moral virtues of their parents. They are joined by Guy's cousin, Philip, who lacks Guy's title and wealth but is a heroic young man who appears to embody all of the Victorian virtues of hard work, self-improvement, and self-sacrifice. Guy, at first, seems far inferior to Philip: his education has been lacking and he is prey to the impetuousness, impatience and hot temper that ruined the lives of the two previous baronets.
As the years roll by and the young people grow up, Guy, under the Edmonstones' influence and spurred on by Philip's lectures about how to be a better Victorian, works hard on himself and becomes pretty much perfect. He is identified with the Galahad of the Arthurian legends, the most gallant and pure of all the knights. Philip, on the other hand, is gradually revealed as an arrogant prig, envious of Guy's title and wealth (to which he is next in line) and soured by his own lack of money and prospects.
The main point on which the dual romance plot turns gives you a pretty good example of the exaggerated moral code of the Edmonstones: Philip and Laura elect not to tell Mr. and Mrs. E of their attachment, while Guy and Amy immediately rush to Mamma to confess their love with the dutiful submissiveness expected of young Victorians. Amy is so meek and submissive that you pretty much need a bucket nearby when you read her later scenes--she is CONSTANTLY looking down at the floor and blushing--but of course is revealed to be made of strong moral fiber.
Philip's hubris brings about his own downfall in the form of "fever", and the death of Guy who naturally rushes to look after him. Philip is left with broken health and a mountain of contrition, so that even though he gets Guy's wealth he doesn't get to enjoy it. Amy, in her early twenties, happily faces up to a life of eternal widowhood and further self-sacrifice in that she gets to look after her disabled brother FOREVER, and bring up her daughter in her parents' house, and basically remain a child for good which is pretty much the Victorian ideal of womanhood. Guy is in a Better Place so from a strictly religious viewpoint he wins, particularly since his saintlike example will forever be fresh in the minds of the companions he's left behind. Modern readers will be aghast at the idea of killing off the hero, but in the logic of middle-class Victorians this novel culminates in something that's even better than a happy ending: a morally correct one.
I enjoyed the wonderfully vague accounts of nursing Philip and Guy's fevers, which seemed mostly to involve sprinkling vinegar and camphor and opening the window. The Victorian approach to illness didn't tend to involve hospitals or any attempt to inquire about what the illness was, but just to try to relieve the symptoms and wait to see in which direction nature took its course.
Apparently this novel was a megahit in its day, outperforming Dickens and Thackeray. It inspired the Pre-Raphaelites in its depiction of virtue and knightly qualities and was beloved by many prominent Victorians.
For today's reader, though, this book is going to be a bit of a tough one. Its view of morality is so intensely exaggerated and its piety so laid on with a large trowel that you have to be well-versed in the way middle-class Victorians thought of themselves to be able to bear it. It's also very long, because Yonge is so eager that her readers don't miss the points she's trying to make that she belabors them endlessly. I would say that this is a book you should avoid until you've taken a solid course of Dickens and Hardy, with a side of Trollope and perhaps a dash of Thackeray, to ensure you realize that there were novelists who questioned and subverted the kind of thinking that Yonge exemplifies.
If you strip away the moralizing, you have a compelling and interesting story. The very young Sir Guy Morville, who has recently inherited his title from his grandfather, comes to live with his guardian's family. The Edmonstone children--the disabled Charlie and the three girls, Laura, Amy, and Charlotte--are a loving family group, their characters formed by the piety and strict moral virtues of their parents. They are joined by Guy's cousin, Philip, who lacks Guy's title and wealth but is a heroic young man who appears to embody all of the Victorian virtues of hard work, self-improvement, and self-sacrifice. Guy, at first, seems far inferior to Philip: his education has been lacking and he is prey to the impetuousness, impatience and hot temper that ruined the lives of the two previous baronets.
As the years roll by and the young people grow up, Guy, under the Edmonstones' influence and spurred on by Philip's lectures about how to be a better Victorian, works hard on himself and becomes pretty much perfect. He is identified with the Galahad of the Arthurian legends, the most gallant and pure of all the knights. Philip, on the other hand, is gradually revealed as an arrogant prig, envious of Guy's title and wealth (to which he is next in line) and soured by his own lack of money and prospects.
The main point on which the dual romance plot turns gives you a pretty good example of the exaggerated moral code of the Edmonstones: Philip and Laura elect not to tell Mr. and Mrs. E of their attachment, while Guy and Amy immediately rush to Mamma to confess their love with the dutiful submissiveness expected of young Victorians. Amy is so meek and submissive that you pretty much need a bucket nearby when you read her later scenes--she is CONSTANTLY looking down at the floor and blushing--but of course is revealed to be made of strong moral fiber.
Philip's hubris brings about his own downfall in the form of "fever", and the death of Guy who naturally rushes to look after him. Philip is left with broken health and a mountain of contrition, so that even though he gets Guy's wealth he doesn't get to enjoy it. Amy, in her early twenties, happily faces up to a life of eternal widowhood and further self-sacrifice in that she gets to look after her disabled brother FOREVER, and bring up her daughter in her parents' house, and basically remain a child for good which is pretty much the Victorian ideal of womanhood. Guy is in a Better Place so from a strictly religious viewpoint he wins, particularly since his saintlike example will forever be fresh in the minds of the companions he's left behind. Modern readers will be aghast at the idea of killing off the hero, but in the logic of middle-class Victorians this novel culminates in something that's even better than a happy ending: a morally correct one.
I enjoyed the wonderfully vague accounts of nursing Philip and Guy's fevers, which seemed mostly to involve sprinkling vinegar and camphor and opening the window. The Victorian approach to illness didn't tend to involve hospitals or any attempt to inquire about what the illness was, but just to try to relieve the symptoms and wait to see in which direction nature took its course.
August 14, 2016
Is it a bad idea to review a book in the afterglow of having only just finished the last page? If so, please ignore this review!
Though the first quarter of the book was a steady and slow development of the principle characters of the story, by about one third of the way through I was continually drawn deeper into the thoughts and lives of these characters and wanting to know all!
Guy and Philip teach us so much about ourselves! And I am glad to be warned by the fallen characters, as I look for their faults in myself, seeking to repent and be changed.
I believe I missed some of the warnings of poor character in the beginning of the novel and now want to go back and reread that portion with the end in mind this time.
I can see myself describing my loved ones as a Charlie or Philip or Guy or an Amabel or Laura. What a great Victorian character study all wrapped up in an engaging tale!
Though the first quarter of the book was a steady and slow development of the principle characters of the story, by about one third of the way through I was continually drawn deeper into the thoughts and lives of these characters and wanting to know all!
Guy and Philip teach us so much about ourselves! And I am glad to be warned by the fallen characters, as I look for their faults in myself, seeking to repent and be changed.
I believe I missed some of the warnings of poor character in the beginning of the novel and now want to go back and reread that portion with the end in mind this time.
I can see myself describing my loved ones as a Charlie or Philip or Guy or an Amabel or Laura. What a great Victorian character study all wrapped up in an engaging tale!
February 11, 2025
The Heir of Redclyffe was my choice for my first work of Charlotte Mary Yonge, because it’s the one Jo reads in Little Women. There are lots of connections there--and I’m sure even more in The Daisy Chain, I’ve heard.
I’m sure if you asked my husband about this book he would think it was called The Many Sins of Philip or somesuch, because that’s how I related it to him. Philip really raised my blood pressure and I just couldn’t with his .
While The Heir of Redclyffe is a sensible place to start reading Yonge, I am starting my Yonge reading journey not entirely trusting her because she . When he happened upon me nearing the end of the book, my husband asked me if Philip was being aggravating, and I started crying and telling about how The Heir of Redclyffe is not one of the many books about giving grace, but is about the challenge of receiving grace, unmerited favor, costly grace. It is a fundamentally theological novel.
I think Yonge must have been a huge influence on Alcott because in the early chapters I had to keep reminding myself I wasn’t reading a book by her! Alcott has the same ease of narrative, realistic familial characters, and, I don’t know, sense of storytelling? Suffice to say, I will be recommending Yonge to young readers of Alcott because I sure would have loved her work as I loved Alcott’s in my adolescence (and still thoroughly enjoy both now, of course).
Yonge is readable (reasonably sized sentences and chapters) for her era, she has a bouquet of characters that are easy to grasp once you know all their names, and she takes the time to explore the interior lives of many of them. If you like a redemption story and don’t mind shedding a few tears on the way, The Heir of Redclyffe may be a Victorian novel worth trying. And if you are a Little Women superfan, I can’t recommend it highly enough!
I’m sure if you asked my husband about this book he would think it was called The Many Sins of Philip or somesuch, because that’s how I related it to him. Philip really raised my blood pressure and I just couldn’t with his .
While The Heir of Redclyffe is a sensible place to start reading Yonge, I am starting my Yonge reading journey not entirely trusting her because she . When he happened upon me nearing the end of the book, my husband asked me if Philip was being aggravating, and I started crying and telling about how The Heir of Redclyffe is not one of the many books about giving grace, but is about the challenge of receiving grace, unmerited favor, costly grace. It is a fundamentally theological novel.
I think Yonge must have been a huge influence on Alcott because in the early chapters I had to keep reminding myself I wasn’t reading a book by her! Alcott has the same ease of narrative, realistic familial characters, and, I don’t know, sense of storytelling? Suffice to say, I will be recommending Yonge to young readers of Alcott because I sure would have loved her work as I loved Alcott’s in my adolescence (and still thoroughly enjoy both now, of course).
Yonge is readable (reasonably sized sentences and chapters) for her era, she has a bouquet of characters that are easy to grasp once you know all their names, and she takes the time to explore the interior lives of many of them. If you like a redemption story and don’t mind shedding a few tears on the way, The Heir of Redclyffe may be a Victorian novel worth trying. And if you are a Little Women superfan, I can’t recommend it highly enough!
July 8, 2025
2025 Review: Reading “The Heir of Redclyffe,” I anticipated a preachy, didactic "moral novel" with clear-cut heroes and villains. I was wonderfully mistaken. This book delivers an epic, Jane Austen-esque experience, featuring an endearing cast navigating misunderstandings, family pride, and generational feuds.
The novel's true "morality" shines through its characters' authentic faith journeys. There are no overt calls to conversion or mentions of Jesus's name. Instead, we witness profound, believable transformations. Characters who once walked their own path are subtly, yet unmistakably, reshaped by their Savior. It's truly beautiful!
“The Heir of Redclyffe” exemplifies how Christian fiction should be. It doesn't explicitly lay out theological points or detail devotional routines. Instead it masterfully "shows,” rather than “tells" the genuine, life-altering impact of embracing Christ.
~Jen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2022 Comment: Adding "The Heir of Redclyffe" to my to-read list. I was intrigued to hear that Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) the Dutch pastor, prime minister, and theologian was converted to Christ through reading this novel, and ranked it "next to the Bible" in its meaning in his life. Pretty high recommendation, I'd say!
The novel's true "morality" shines through its characters' authentic faith journeys. There are no overt calls to conversion or mentions of Jesus's name. Instead, we witness profound, believable transformations. Characters who once walked their own path are subtly, yet unmistakably, reshaped by their Savior. It's truly beautiful!
“The Heir of Redclyffe” exemplifies how Christian fiction should be. It doesn't explicitly lay out theological points or detail devotional routines. Instead it masterfully "shows,” rather than “tells" the genuine, life-altering impact of embracing Christ.
~Jen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2022 Comment: Adding "The Heir of Redclyffe" to my to-read list. I was intrigued to hear that Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) the Dutch pastor, prime minister, and theologian was converted to Christ through reading this novel, and ranked it "next to the Bible" in its meaning in his life. Pretty high recommendation, I'd say!
July 4, 2009
This was very disappointing following The Clever Woman of the Family. The characters and familial relationships were portrayed very well—Yonge excels at this—but all that fell by the wayside. The lead character--the heir--is martyred horribly and the whole second half of the book is suffused with piety that manages to be both stern and sickening. And absolutely humorless, which I can never forgive.
Yeah, I totally gave away the ending, but I can't imagine many would read this. I had a tough time finding this edition, and I really looked forward to reading it. Too bad.
Yeah, I totally gave away the ending, but I can't imagine many would read this. I had a tough time finding this edition, and I really looked forward to reading it. Too bad.
January 9, 2025
A glorious book and an all time favorite!
March 19, 2022
If you love this book, you might not want to keep reading. You have been warned.
I had this book recommended to me by several people and thought I’d probably enjoy it.
However . . .
The characters caught my interest right away. I liked Charlie right from the start. His ability to see beyond what everyone else saw and to recognize the truth even if he was sarcastic about it, made me glad he was in the story. I liked Amy until after the climax. And Charlotte was fun. Even Laura wasn’t bad. Guy was real and called for my sympathy several times. I wanted to step in and give him some advice and help now and then.
And then there was Philip.
Oh, Philip, why must you be so arrogantly pious? I wanted to slap you five times, shove you into a mud puddle (if one had been around), shake you several times and ring your neck! However, if I had been able to step into the story and do any of those things you would no doubt have given me a coldly superior look and told me I was acting childish. You caused me so much frustration and wrath by your provoking ways that several times I had to put the book down and walk away. If I had been reading a book instead of a kindle version I would most likely thrown the book across the room several times.
I finally got past the half-way mark and Philip disappeared. Yay! Then I began to enjoy the story more.
Until the climax.
Ugh. That climax had me rolling my eyes and wondering when the book would be over. If you enjoyed the climax, sorry. I didn’t. It was too much drama and pious nothings for my taste.
The supposed “Christianity" was such a shallow thing with no real life that it was practically worthless. This author believes that being baptized as a baby will save you, yet that is not found anywhere in Scripture. A few Bible verses were quoted, general thoughts and mentions of “Truth” or “something higher” were mentioned but it was mostly just vague general words that might sound pious but don’t mean anything.
After the climax the story just went on and on and on. I was quite bored and felt like the author was dragging out the story just to make it longer. (Was she paid by the word like Dickens was?) I did have to laugh when the author had Amy growing healthy and having pink in her cheeks one day, and two days later with no sickness or anything, she says she’s thin and pale. Huh? Since when? My other problem after the climax is how selfish Amy and Philip and Laura were. Of course they were all supposed to be pitied and such, but really, all they thought about were themselves! Amy was finally doing better and thinking of others and doing for others and getting back to her former self, but then it was as though the author thought that selfish living was just fine after what they’d been though and arranged mattered so that she could continue to think mostly of herself.
The writing style was somewhat along the lines of Louisa May Alcott, except with more English words, Latin words, and other words thrown in that most readers won’t know the meaning of. (Even my dictionary couldn’t tell me some of them.) Also, the author’s overuse of the term “Poor someone” drove me crazy! This book has 44 chapters and that term was used 276 times! And none of those times referred to someone who was actually monetarily poor.
Overall, did I enjoy this book? No.
Would I read it again. No!
Would I recommend it? Nope.
I had this book recommended to me by several people and thought I’d probably enjoy it.
However . . .
The characters caught my interest right away. I liked Charlie right from the start. His ability to see beyond what everyone else saw and to recognize the truth even if he was sarcastic about it, made me glad he was in the story. I liked Amy until after the climax. And Charlotte was fun. Even Laura wasn’t bad. Guy was real and called for my sympathy several times. I wanted to step in and give him some advice and help now and then.
And then there was Philip.
Oh, Philip, why must you be so arrogantly pious? I wanted to slap you five times, shove you into a mud puddle (if one had been around), shake you several times and ring your neck! However, if I had been able to step into the story and do any of those things you would no doubt have given me a coldly superior look and told me I was acting childish. You caused me so much frustration and wrath by your provoking ways that several times I had to put the book down and walk away. If I had been reading a book instead of a kindle version I would most likely thrown the book across the room several times.
I finally got past the half-way mark and Philip disappeared. Yay! Then I began to enjoy the story more.
Until the climax.
Ugh. That climax had me rolling my eyes and wondering when the book would be over. If you enjoyed the climax, sorry. I didn’t. It was too much drama and pious nothings for my taste.
The supposed “Christianity" was such a shallow thing with no real life that it was practically worthless. This author believes that being baptized as a baby will save you, yet that is not found anywhere in Scripture. A few Bible verses were quoted, general thoughts and mentions of “Truth” or “something higher” were mentioned but it was mostly just vague general words that might sound pious but don’t mean anything.
After the climax the story just went on and on and on. I was quite bored and felt like the author was dragging out the story just to make it longer. (Was she paid by the word like Dickens was?) I did have to laugh when the author had Amy growing healthy and having pink in her cheeks one day, and two days later with no sickness or anything, she says she’s thin and pale. Huh? Since when? My other problem after the climax is how selfish Amy and Philip and Laura were. Of course they were all supposed to be pitied and such, but really, all they thought about were themselves! Amy was finally doing better and thinking of others and doing for others and getting back to her former self, but then it was as though the author thought that selfish living was just fine after what they’d been though and arranged mattered so that she could continue to think mostly of herself.
The writing style was somewhat along the lines of Louisa May Alcott, except with more English words, Latin words, and other words thrown in that most readers won’t know the meaning of. (Even my dictionary couldn’t tell me some of them.) Also, the author’s overuse of the term “Poor someone” drove me crazy! This book has 44 chapters and that term was used 276 times! And none of those times referred to someone who was actually monetarily poor.
Overall, did I enjoy this book? No.
Would I read it again. No!
Would I recommend it? Nope.
December 22, 2023
5+ stars (7/10 hearts). I was really excited to read this for a long time, and I was not disappointed. This book kept me completely hooked.
I loved Guy so much, and related to him extremely much. I would so love to be able to grow as much as he did! Amy was amazing and I admired her so much. Laura I felt so sorry for—what a blinded woman. Philip I hated for almost the whole book, but at the end, I felt that “his punishment was almost greater than he could bear.” Charles started out horrid and ended up pretty amazing. Charlotte improved immensely. Mr. Edmonstone reminded me of Sir John in Sense & Sensibility —affable, stupid, clueless, humorous, and well-meaning. Mrs. Edmonstone was a warning to me—she was too willing to let things go and wait for things to happen. Overall, the characters were all very real and taught me so much.
The plot was really well done and as I said, completely hooking. It was well done too—not too slow, not too fast, not too dramatic, and not boring. The writing style was also very nice. But the characters are really what make the book. I could hardly even cry at the death scene; she showed their peace so strongly! The moral/message was SO good. It was a lovely read and I cannot wait to read it again.
A Favourite Quote: “There is nothing,” said Mrs Edmonstone, “that has no temptation in it; but I should think the rule was plain. If a duty such as that of living among us for the present, and making yourself moderately agreeable, involves temptations, they must be met and battled from within. In the same way, your position in society, with all its duties, could not be laid aside because it is full of trial. Those who do such things are fainthearted, and fail in trust in Him who fixed their station, and finds room for them to deny themselves in the trivial round and common task.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “So I think the haymakers will say!” answered her mother, rising to go indoors. “What ruin of haycocks!”
“Oh, I’ll set all that to rights,” said Guy, seizing a hay-fork.
“Stop, stop, take care!” cried Charles. “I don’t want to be built up in the rick, and by and by, when my disconsolate family have had all the ponds dragged for me, Deloraine will be heard to complain that they give him very odd animal food.”
“Who could resist such a piteous appeal!” said Guy, helping him to rise, and conducting him to his wheeled chair.’
I loved Guy so much, and related to him extremely much. I would so love to be able to grow as much as he did! Amy was amazing and I admired her so much. Laura I felt so sorry for—what a blinded woman. Philip I hated for almost the whole book, but at the end, I felt that “his punishment was almost greater than he could bear.” Charles started out horrid and ended up pretty amazing. Charlotte improved immensely. Mr. Edmonstone reminded me of Sir John in Sense & Sensibility —affable, stupid, clueless, humorous, and well-meaning. Mrs. Edmonstone was a warning to me—she was too willing to let things go and wait for things to happen. Overall, the characters were all very real and taught me so much.
The plot was really well done and as I said, completely hooking. It was well done too—not too slow, not too fast, not too dramatic, and not boring. The writing style was also very nice. But the characters are really what make the book. I could hardly even cry at the death scene; she showed their peace so strongly! The moral/message was SO good. It was a lovely read and I cannot wait to read it again.
A Favourite Quote: “There is nothing,” said Mrs Edmonstone, “that has no temptation in it; but I should think the rule was plain. If a duty such as that of living among us for the present, and making yourself moderately agreeable, involves temptations, they must be met and battled from within. In the same way, your position in society, with all its duties, could not be laid aside because it is full of trial. Those who do such things are fainthearted, and fail in trust in Him who fixed their station, and finds room for them to deny themselves in the trivial round and common task.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “So I think the haymakers will say!” answered her mother, rising to go indoors. “What ruin of haycocks!”
“Oh, I’ll set all that to rights,” said Guy, seizing a hay-fork.
“Stop, stop, take care!” cried Charles. “I don’t want to be built up in the rick, and by and by, when my disconsolate family have had all the ponds dragged for me, Deloraine will be heard to complain that they give him very odd animal food.”
“Who could resist such a piteous appeal!” said Guy, helping him to rise, and conducting him to his wheeled chair.’
March 17, 2021
Okay, I loved this book, it had very good character development and a decent plot.
2nd read
Well... I read it quickly so I didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st time.
2nd read
Well... I read it quickly so I didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st time.
October 2, 2021
Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
3* The Lances of Lynwood
3* The Heir of Redclyffe
3* The Lances of Lynwood
3* The Heir of Redclyffe
December 28, 2024
Well, this book totally took me by surprise! I knew it HAD to be great because Kate Howe loves it so much. I just didn't know HOW great it would be. What felt like a "slice of life in Victorian times" book which I had decided to sit back and enjoy soon turned into something that had me going through all ends of the emotional spectrum from DETESTING to LOVING character--laughter to tears and so many moments of "Charlotte Mary Yonge, where have you been hiding and why didn't I read you before now???". Just when I thought there wasn't a plot, there it shows up; just when I thought a character was having a pity party, I was falling in love with them. Yonge has a way of making you question why certain characters are acting as they do and reading so fast to see what will happen because you grow to care so much!
Old Sir Guy passes and the Mr. Edmondstone becomes the guardian of young Sir Guy until he comes of age to take over the estate. We get to know all of the family members in the Edmondstone family as well as a few cousins which come to play big parts of the story. There's even a dog that pulls at your heart strings!
This was my first CMY and will NOT be my last (spoiler: I'm reading several next year).
Old Sir Guy passes and the Mr. Edmondstone becomes the guardian of young Sir Guy until he comes of age to take over the estate. We get to know all of the family members in the Edmondstone family as well as a few cousins which come to play big parts of the story. There's even a dog that pulls at your heart strings!
This was my first CMY and will NOT be my last (spoiler: I'm reading several next year).
January 23, 2021
While I was reading Snuffed Out I came across a reference to this author. I had never heard of her before. I was excited to try her out because the book made her work sound so good.
I was not prepared for how good this book would really be.
I've read a lot of older books, some of which were written around the same time. Often the books are filled with good and evil characters, or perhaps an extensive cast that's hard to keep up with. Tragedy is common in Victorian novels. While this book did have a touch of tragedy to it, it was mostly a story about Christian virtue triumphing in the face of everything, even tragedy.
The cast of characters was not unmanageable. It took me a little bit to figure out all the connections, but once that was done, the story pulled me in and swallowed me. It tugged at my emotions and made me feel like I had made new friends.
This story follows the Edmonstone family as they navigate life. This is not an adventure story, this is the story of choices. It’s what I call a gentle story. It was just what I needed as life was busy. Every time I returned to the book, it helped me to slow down.
At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book of the characters. I think some of this is due to Yonge’s capturing very real characters with real struggles. And as the story unfolds, each character grows, changes, and learns.
It’s hard to describe how gripping this book is once you get into it. At least, I found it gripping. I saw how some people’s faults would affect them and others I waited to see if they would learn their lesson.
Guy was my favorite character of the whole book. His desire to do what was right even with his struggle with his temper and unjust accusations was inspiring. In him, you see true humility in so many areas, which is contrasted with the pride and arrogance of his distant cousin, Philip.
Charles became another favorite. Initially, while a realistic character (he’s disabled and self-centered) I didn’t love him. Yet, as he grew and changed, I came to love him almost as much as I loved Guy.
The girls, each of them, were wonderful, though Amy was my favorite. It’s odd, I think that I liked the main characters I was supposed to like, which doesn’t always happen to me in books.
As for the Christian aspect of this story, it is very obvious, but also not preachy. Christian virtue is praised and shown to triumph in the end. Yet, there is never a sermon or bible passages quoted. I think one of the things Yonge did superbly was to contrast calm superiority and true humility. Sometimes people can confuse the two.
Yes, this story does have the usual touch of tragedy found in almost any Victorian novel. Yet, I feel like there was purpose and hope in the tragedy. It wasn’t pointless, depressing, or leave me feeling like a dark cloud was hanging over me (which some for the novels of the time have done). Happy endings don’t always happen, but true Christian virtue, motivated by love, changes hearts and the future.
I would love someday to do an annotated version of this book. Maybe my friend Kelsey and I could do that together.
Also, an interesting note, Yonge outsold many great authors of her day, including Dickens.
I was not prepared for how good this book would really be.
I've read a lot of older books, some of which were written around the same time. Often the books are filled with good and evil characters, or perhaps an extensive cast that's hard to keep up with. Tragedy is common in Victorian novels. While this book did have a touch of tragedy to it, it was mostly a story about Christian virtue triumphing in the face of everything, even tragedy.
The cast of characters was not unmanageable. It took me a little bit to figure out all the connections, but once that was done, the story pulled me in and swallowed me. It tugged at my emotions and made me feel like I had made new friends.
This story follows the Edmonstone family as they navigate life. This is not an adventure story, this is the story of choices. It’s what I call a gentle story. It was just what I needed as life was busy. Every time I returned to the book, it helped me to slow down.
At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book of the characters. I think some of this is due to Yonge’s capturing very real characters with real struggles. And as the story unfolds, each character grows, changes, and learns.
It’s hard to describe how gripping this book is once you get into it. At least, I found it gripping. I saw how some people’s faults would affect them and others I waited to see if they would learn their lesson.
Guy was my favorite character of the whole book. His desire to do what was right even with his struggle with his temper and unjust accusations was inspiring. In him, you see true humility in so many areas, which is contrasted with the pride and arrogance of his distant cousin, Philip.
Charles became another favorite. Initially, while a realistic character (he’s disabled and self-centered) I didn’t love him. Yet, as he grew and changed, I came to love him almost as much as I loved Guy.
The girls, each of them, were wonderful, though Amy was my favorite. It’s odd, I think that I liked the main characters I was supposed to like, which doesn’t always happen to me in books.
As for the Christian aspect of this story, it is very obvious, but also not preachy. Christian virtue is praised and shown to triumph in the end. Yet, there is never a sermon or bible passages quoted. I think one of the things Yonge did superbly was to contrast calm superiority and true humility. Sometimes people can confuse the two.
Yes, this story does have the usual touch of tragedy found in almost any Victorian novel. Yet, I feel like there was purpose and hope in the tragedy. It wasn’t pointless, depressing, or leave me feeling like a dark cloud was hanging over me (which some for the novels of the time have done). Happy endings don’t always happen, but true Christian virtue, motivated by love, changes hearts and the future.
I would love someday to do an annotated version of this book. Maybe my friend Kelsey and I could do that together.
Also, an interesting note, Yonge outsold many great authors of her day, including Dickens.
January 8, 2015
Free on kindle. Mentioned in Little Women. Apparently one of the most popular novels of its time.
Bleh, bleh, (if you could hear me trying to spit its taste out). Spit, hack, eww.
Saccharine, disgustingly moralistic. (And, hey, remember me? I LOVE moral books, but this was just tooooooo much). I just read a review of another book that likened the happy and fluffy book to eating too much cotton candy but avoiding toothache. That does not apply to this book. Too much cotton candy, cod liver oil flavored, and lots of toothache, stomachache, everything ache, after.
Okay, I could handle the preachy preachy mostly, even though I thought Phillip one of literature's most dastardly villains, and even though the girls are just roses and water, so I kept reading until I realized what was going to happen, whereupon, if this was a real book, instead of text on my kindle, I may have dumped it in the toilet. Gag. I do NOT want daughters or sons like the characters in this book. Not that we all can't benefit from a little more self-discipline, but this was just too much. Women in the book= spineless angels, gag. Men either impossibly virtuous, total self-righteous prigs, or idiots. Charles was the only character I could like at all.
Popularity aside, this is how NOT to do it.
Maybe, though, I was early prejudiced by the fact that Yonge was obviously no Dickens fan.
Not recommended.
Bleh, bleh, (if you could hear me trying to spit its taste out). Spit, hack, eww.
Saccharine, disgustingly moralistic. (And, hey, remember me? I LOVE moral books, but this was just tooooooo much). I just read a review of another book that likened the happy and fluffy book to eating too much cotton candy but avoiding toothache. That does not apply to this book. Too much cotton candy, cod liver oil flavored, and lots of toothache, stomachache, everything ache, after.
Okay, I could handle the preachy preachy mostly, even though I thought Phillip one of literature's most dastardly villains, and even though the girls are just roses and water, so I kept reading until I realized what was going to happen, whereupon, if this was a real book, instead of text on my kindle, I may have dumped it in the toilet. Gag. I do NOT want daughters or sons like the characters in this book. Not that we all can't benefit from a little more self-discipline, but this was just too much. Women in the book= spineless angels, gag. Men either impossibly virtuous, total self-righteous prigs, or idiots. Charles was the only character I could like at all.
Popularity aside, this is how NOT to do it.
Maybe, though, I was early prejudiced by the fact that Yonge was obviously no Dickens fan.
Not recommended.
December 29, 2015
It’s hard to believe that this was one of the most popular novels of its time and that Charlotte Mary Yonge rivalled Dickens and Thackeray in the bestseller lists of the day and it’s very easy to understand why this has become a forgotten classic. There are many obscure gems of Victorian fiction out there but this is not one of them. I don’t think I have ever read such a maudlin sanctimonious piece of fiction in my life.
The first third is incredibly slow and I almost gave up (I should have gone with my instinct). The middle third is where any semblance of a plot takes place and the final third is so preachy as to make it unpalatable for all but the most saintly of souls (myself obviously not included).
The first third is incredibly slow and I almost gave up (I should have gone with my instinct). The middle third is where any semblance of a plot takes place and the final third is so preachy as to make it unpalatable for all but the most saintly of souls (myself obviously not included).
February 25, 2023
The Heir of Redclyffe is a book that I didn't love before the last 200 pages. It's a slow, emotional story that will stay in my mind for a very long time. The characters are multilayered and I loved how this was about the family dynamics and relationships more than plot. It's a beautiful, quiet and domestic - just the way I enjoy my Victorian classics.
January 19, 2015
I first discovered this book reading the introduction to the Stone Lectures at Princeton in 1898 given by Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper made reference to The Heir of Redclyffe as being the book that influenced his conversion to Christianity.
I had no idea how this book would impact me. It follows the lives of an extended Victorian family with two great icons of the battle between Law and Grace. Law was represented in the fastidious and correct life of Phillip De Morville whilst in juxtaposition was the freedom and spontaneity of Grace embodied in his cousin Guy.
Charlotte Yonge weaves the most wonderful tapestry in which innocence prevails as a living yeast within the soul of Guy's wife Amy who appears to be always in need of protection and yet influences and transforms those she meets.
In Kuyper's Autobiography he makes mention of the book and said that when Phillip falls to his knees in repentance I fell down next to him.
I had no idea how this book would impact me. It follows the lives of an extended Victorian family with two great icons of the battle between Law and Grace. Law was represented in the fastidious and correct life of Phillip De Morville whilst in juxtaposition was the freedom and spontaneity of Grace embodied in his cousin Guy.
Charlotte Yonge weaves the most wonderful tapestry in which innocence prevails as a living yeast within the soul of Guy's wife Amy who appears to be always in need of protection and yet influences and transforms those she meets.
In Kuyper's Autobiography he makes mention of the book and said that when Phillip falls to his knees in repentance I fell down next to him.
February 18, 2023
This was such a good long read. The family dynamic was beautiful. The constant fight of trying to be morally correct vs. Part of our wicked self, seems so real, especially when you place yourself in the Victorian era. We see so much character development (both positive & negative) in almost every single character. Mr. & Mrs. Edmonstone had such a nice balance home. I love how we enter quickly into the family dynamic, and the plot builds from there. I truly enjoy a book when we get introduce not only of our characters descriptions, but when we see how they interact with different personalities, it makes them so much more believable & relatable, which allows me to care for them, which is one of my main things to really love a book!
June 2, 2024
This was so good! I really enjoyed this story. On the surface it appears that it’s a very traditional Victorian morality tale but I was pleasantly surprised by how it ends up subverting the readers expectations. This book was a bestseller in its day and I completely see why. It definitely has a soap opera component to it but frankly that’s what made it so fun to read! I loved Guy so much as a character and also Amabel. I felt like I knew all the characters so well by the time I’d finished. It’s a little religious in tone but overall this aged better than I thought it would!
February 24, 2022
I read this book as part of a 2010 book club reading English literature. I had high hopes for it, but I just didn't love this one.
It's one of those books where the author tries to prove a point by killing off one of the main characters. You just don't kill the good guy so that bad guy can learn from his mistakes and spend the rest of the book trying to redeem his earlier follies. Some might call it redemptive literature, but I call it bad reading and a waste of ink.
It's one of those books where the author tries to prove a point by killing off one of the main characters. You just don't kill the good guy so that bad guy can learn from his mistakes and spend the rest of the book trying to redeem his earlier follies. Some might call it redemptive literature, but I call it bad reading and a waste of ink.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2024
3.5 ⭐
First, what I liked about the book:
Philip was a fantastic realistic villain. You've probably met people like him, people so sure they are right about, well, everything, that you can never contradict them or have a discussion with them. And they are quite sure that they have achieved perfection, while the rest of us wallow in our mediocrity. That's Philip.
I liked how she was contrasting the two heirs: one had all the appearance of goodness, and the other all the actual goodness. But the second one had to grow and develop into that goodness, and that part was well done.
All the characters were very well drawn, in fact, and we really get to know them intimately. Yonge spends a lot of time building this story and crafting these characters.
I loved the emotions she generated throughout the story telling.
What I didn't like as much:
The moralizing. People complain about the preachiness of contemporary Christian authors but I'm sorry, they've got nothing on those Victorians! Especially CMY, who not only was Victorian, but specifically a Christian Victorian, who wanted to share her vision of an ideal Christian life through her books. The result was too didactic, idealistic, and saccharine for me.
The length. Honestly, she could have knocked off a couple hundred pages and that would have given the book another star in my mind. There was just way too much detail in every single scene. And I don't mind long books as a rule. I've read quite a few in my life. And I appreciate that she really took the time to craft these characters and build this story, but I still think it could have been significantly trimmed.
First, what I liked about the book:
Philip was a fantastic realistic villain. You've probably met people like him, people so sure they are right about, well, everything, that you can never contradict them or have a discussion with them. And they are quite sure that they have achieved perfection, while the rest of us wallow in our mediocrity. That's Philip.
I liked how she was contrasting the two heirs: one had all the appearance of goodness, and the other all the actual goodness. But the second one had to grow and develop into that goodness, and that part was well done.
All the characters were very well drawn, in fact, and we really get to know them intimately. Yonge spends a lot of time building this story and crafting these characters.
I loved the emotions she generated throughout the story telling.
What I didn't like as much:
The moralizing. People complain about the preachiness of contemporary Christian authors but I'm sorry, they've got nothing on those Victorians! Especially CMY, who not only was Victorian, but specifically a Christian Victorian, who wanted to share her vision of an ideal Christian life through her books. The result was too didactic, idealistic, and saccharine for me.
The length. Honestly, she could have knocked off a couple hundred pages and that would have given the book another star in my mind. There was just way too much detail in every single scene. And I don't mind long books as a rule. I've read quite a few in my life. And I appreciate that she really took the time to craft these characters and build this story, but I still think it could have been significantly trimmed.
August 22, 2021
It's 610 pages long but as I read it as an ebook it was over 1000 pages. Massive in my opinion but not the only "beast" I've read recently. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for such a classic but I feel wastly bored and feelt like I was slogging through it. I have never heard about it before and didn't know anything getting into and my mind havnt been "right" for a while. So maybe it's tainted my reading experience but I've read other books as well that I had more pleasure reading. It wasn't terrible but was not my thing. Couldn't get invested at all
October 10, 2024
(Wish I would have updated this closer to when I finished reading! As it is, 4 stars is my best guess about a year later... I remember thoroughly enjoying this novel but not thinking Yonge was quite up to Gaskell in her writing. Still, I have consistently looked for more of her books since this, so a solid 4 or even 4.5 stars.)
February 26, 2023
This book was not it for me AT ALL and has taken the place of honour as being my least favourite Victorian novel that I have read to date.
I had been warned that this book had a slow start so I was willing to give it a chance despite not being initially drawn into the story and being a little irritated with so much dialogue about nothing. But I probably should have DNF'd it because even after the plot picked up, I was basically hate reading for the majority of the book. The last 25% or so were what has redeemed it from a 1 star rating because I did actually quite enjoy parts of that last quarter and found some of it even beautifully written and moving.
My main gripe is that I found the characters to be irritatingly pious and moralizing of little things that are not actually issues that carry moral weight. Guy especially I found intolerable and basically the male Elsie Dinsmore in the worst way.
I had been warned that this book had a slow start so I was willing to give it a chance despite not being initially drawn into the story and being a little irritated with so much dialogue about nothing. But I probably should have DNF'd it because even after the plot picked up, I was basically hate reading for the majority of the book. The last 25% or so were what has redeemed it from a 1 star rating because I did actually quite enjoy parts of that last quarter and found some of it even beautifully written and moving.
My main gripe is that I found the characters to be irritatingly pious and moralizing of little things that are not actually issues that carry moral weight. Guy especially I found intolerable and basically the male Elsie Dinsmore in the worst way.
December 27, 2024
Breathtaking in every conceivable way!! CMY has a way of accessing the deepest parts of my soul through her writing—I don't think there is another author quite like her. I believe this to be largely due to her somewhat unique combination of completely glorious writing and profound spiritual truth.
As I've stated in previous reviews of CMY's novels, she has this uncanny ability to access the heart of the reader through characters that truly interact with one another's character arcs across the span of the whole narrative. By that I mean that her characters are so well developed in their own right AND that they take unexpected, but utterly believable, turns and detours in their lives as a result and consequence of other characters' choices—which makes reading her novels gut-wrenchingly realistic and relatable. It's so easy as a reader to slip into an attitude of extremes and clichés—down with the bad guy, three cheers for the good guy—but life isn't like that, and as a result, the most moving and TRUE fiction isn't like that either.
As we journey with the Morville and Edmonstone families, their lives ALL take unexpected turns, some that are so heartening and some that are so maddening—but every single one serves a purpose and speaks to the reader. In so many ways, my own character is represented in both Guy and Phillip—I'm a lot more like Guy personality-wise, but my life and sanctification journey has looked a lot more like Phillip's. I was cheering, raging, and sobbing at various parts of their stories, and I just couldn't believe how accurately CMY had captured my heart and my history on the page. Brilliant!
I also love that CMY doesn't spare us the hard truth that we can live genuinely redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled lives with those whom we love and those whom we have wounded, and yet still have to live with consequences of our past actions and the weight of the knowledge that our own sanctification may have come at a dear cost. The ending of the story is both sobering and rewarding, and I love that CMY doesn't reduce the characters or the narrative to easy solutions or trite moralizing. It's so, so powerful.
Highly, highly recommended!! Seriously, I'll say it again—when are CMY's books coming back into print?!
As I've stated in previous reviews of CMY's novels, she has this uncanny ability to access the heart of the reader through characters that truly interact with one another's character arcs across the span of the whole narrative. By that I mean that her characters are so well developed in their own right AND that they take unexpected, but utterly believable, turns and detours in their lives as a result and consequence of other characters' choices—which makes reading her novels gut-wrenchingly realistic and relatable. It's so easy as a reader to slip into an attitude of extremes and clichés—down with the bad guy, three cheers for the good guy—but life isn't like that, and as a result, the most moving and TRUE fiction isn't like that either.
As we journey with the Morville and Edmonstone families, their lives ALL take unexpected turns, some that are so heartening and some that are so maddening—but every single one serves a purpose and speaks to the reader. In so many ways, my own character is represented in both Guy and Phillip—I'm a lot more like Guy personality-wise, but my life and sanctification journey has looked a lot more like Phillip's. I was cheering, raging, and sobbing at various parts of their stories, and I just couldn't believe how accurately CMY had captured my heart and my history on the page. Brilliant!
I also love that CMY doesn't spare us the hard truth that we can live genuinely redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled lives with those whom we love and those whom we have wounded, and yet still have to live with consequences of our past actions and the weight of the knowledge that our own sanctification may have come at a dear cost. The ending of the story is both sobering and rewarding, and I love that CMY doesn't reduce the characters or the narrative to easy solutions or trite moralizing. It's so, so powerful.
Highly, highly recommended!! Seriously, I'll say it again—when are CMY's books coming back into print?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2024
" O Amy! to show you the sunny sea-the sense of breadth and vastness in that pale clear horizon line, and the infinite number of fields of light between you and it- and the free feeling as you stand on some high crag, the wind blowing in your face across half the globe, and the waves dashing far below!"
I initially gave this book 4⭐️ ( which was already my second attempt reading it) because I thought it was a little overwritten, but once I've written down my favourite quotes, I was so moved that it's now a 5⭐️read for me. The key is the great amount of time you spend with characters, that they grow so close to your heart. This is one of many Victorian books which asks for a lot of attention while reading, but it pays out so much. It's not very plot-driven, it's more about getting a glimpse into the everyday life of these people, getting to know them and their inner struggles better.
Excellent characterisation and the beautiful language are really what made this book for me. I cannot be happier that I gave this book the second try, and that's what I'd say to anyone who didn't like it the first time.
Charlotte Mary Yonge really deserves more attention, very few books by her are available as a physical copy. I can't wait to continue reading her books.
I initially gave this book 4⭐️ ( which was already my second attempt reading it) because I thought it was a little overwritten, but once I've written down my favourite quotes, I was so moved that it's now a 5⭐️read for me. The key is the great amount of time you spend with characters, that they grow so close to your heart. This is one of many Victorian books which asks for a lot of attention while reading, but it pays out so much. It's not very plot-driven, it's more about getting a glimpse into the everyday life of these people, getting to know them and their inner struggles better.
Excellent characterisation and the beautiful language are really what made this book for me. I cannot be happier that I gave this book the second try, and that's what I'd say to anyone who didn't like it the first time.
Charlotte Mary Yonge really deserves more attention, very few books by her are available as a physical copy. I can't wait to continue reading her books.
Read
December 28, 2008A fabulous work of Tractarian fiction, an extremely influential novel, and one of the most reliable tearjerkers of all time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews