シャーリー 2

シャーリー [Shirley] #2

by Kaoru Mori

カフェを経営する女主人ベネット・クランリーがメイドとして雇ったのは、まだ13歳の少女シャーリー・メディスン。
ひとつ屋根の下でふたりが暮らす、穏やかなロンドンでの生活を描いた読切シリーズが、ふたたび1冊の本にまとまりました。
これまでに発表されてきた7つの作品に加えて、描き下ろしあとがき漫画を収録しています。

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

190 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2014

About the author

Kaoru Mori (森 薫) is a Japanese manga author. Her stories tend to be intricately drawn female lead historical dramas set in exotic locations like Britain and along the silk road. Her series include Emma (2002-2008), Shirley (2003-present) and the best known A Bride's Tale (2008-present).

Reviews

[Mehsi]

Thanks to my friend for letting me know that there is more Shirley out there. :)

I enjoyed this one more than I did the previous book, though I did find it a shame we didn't get more backstory on Shirley. Instead this is just more daily stuff, more about Ms. Bennett. And while that was all fantastic, I did wish we could have found out more about Shirley. She is such an interesting character, full of bravery, full of stuff she still needs to learn, full of intelligence.

But oh well, at least this whole volume is about Shirley, not like the previous one, in which we had Shirley and 2 other maids. No no, this one is totally about Shirley, or about Ms. Bennett. And I was just delighted at all that, every chapter I kept hoping that we would have more Shirley and Ms. Bennett and then we did! You can just imagine me squealing in happiness.

From the previous review, which I will add because it still fits with this one:
"I loved how mature she was (though I guess that is what happens when one is alone/orphaned in a time like that). At times I thought she was a bit silent, but then she would burst something out and I was just applauding for her bravery.
I also loved the lady of the house, especially since she was working, she was independent. She wasn't married like all the other women, she had her own job, her own responsibility and I was delighted to see it."

My favourite parts? The storm and the salary. I just had to laugh so hard when all Shirley wanted was new equipment to clean, and didn't understand why Ms. Bennett would have none of it. Shirley has a lot to learn, like that her salary is really for her, and for her fun only.

The art, of course, was gorgeous and I love it. Though at times the eyes were a bit strange (at certain angles, the eyes (pupils and such) looked really huge and alien.

After this volume, I can just say one thing, I want more Shirley! And this time about her backstory, because daily life is fun, but I want to know more about Shirley.

Would I recommend this one? Yes. Definitely.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[machinaheart]

Cute, little short stories :)
Lovely, sweet with a hint of sadness around the edges, sometimes. I felt that the setting seemed slightly unrealistic in a "too-good-to-be-true" kind of way, but what the heck? Sometimes that is exactly what you need.
(And Mori's art is still utterly lovely. Makes me want to read Emma again and finally start Oyomegatari.)

[Phoenix]

3.5 stars! Very pleasant read, as is to be expected of Kaoru Mori. This reads almost like a bildungsroman of sorts for both protagonists, Shirley and Cranley. I love how Mori makes cosy yet meaningful historical narratives.

I have some issues with how characters keep having to mention that Shirley's so young (child workers were common back then). I hope there's no creepy audience being pandered to with those repeated mentions. But since I've read almost all of the available volumes of A Bride's Story, I know Mori is most likely just trying to impress upon the reader that as late Victorian society progresses even the citizens of back then are taken aback that there are still young workers like Shirley.

There's a nice feminist undercurrent to Cranley's arc, that of a spinster cafe owner who's proud of her lifestyle and doesn't compromise her goals for the sake of acceptance in society. It's a little unbelievable at times, as censure could be quite harsh back then (not just a few people frustrated with Cranley's choices and speaking behind her back). I'm wondering if future volumes might clarify exactly how Cranley ended up in the position she's currently in.

All in all, this is a very cute and light read. Exactly what I needed during the dreary late winter months.

[Yue]

Mori Kaoru is awesome, I love her works so much! Her art and the details on them (the clothes! the shoes!). This short series is about maids. Shirley deserves the world, she is such a nice little girl. This volume is mostly about housecleaning and daily life in Victorian period... simple yet heartwarming.

[Bibliothecat]

Review for complete series

Shirley is the absolute cutest, I am almost tempted to say that it surpasses Mori's better known work Emma. Both take place in London at the turn of the 20th century and have a maid as main character. Both have beautiful art so it's worth picking up either for that reason alone. However, what Shirley does better is simply embracing Mori's tendency to have episodic and somewhat jumpy stories.

Where Emma does follow a main plot line, it did often veer off to little slice of life moments that distracted of the main story. But in Shirley, there doesn't seem to be an end goal in mind and each chapters is just a charming little tale of her life and those around her. It's absolutely charming, a very light read with a bit of humour thrown in.

Miss Bennett, a lady in her mid twenties, lives on her own and runs a café. Her ad for hiring a maid brings the thirteen year old Shirley to her doorstep. Although she initially doubts Shirley's suitability due to her age, she decides to hire her and the pair get along so well it's simply wholesome to read. Miss Bennett is a good employer and more or less takes Shirley under her wing. The latter is a quiet but also very competent child and seem the perfect fit for the clumsy and scatter brained Miss Bennett.

The first volume also includes a few short stories featuring other maids which are equally fun to read. The chapters of Shirley specifically are short and truly just give us glimpses of their lives. If there is any more specific plot to follow, perhaps it would be Shirley's past of Miss Bennett's prospects in marriage. However, Shirley as a series was never officially completed as serialisation stopped mid third volume, thus leaving us with only two complete physical volumes and a few extra chapters which would have otherwise been compiled in a third volume. I think it's unlikely that Mori will return to this series so I essentially tread it as a two volume series. Given its episodic nature, you can read as little or as many of it as you like without feeling dissatisfied, it is perfectly readable in its current state.

[Denaiir]

I love Kaoru Mori's style so much, I can't get enough of her slice of life stories and her art!

I enjoyed this one more than volume 1, it seemed a bit more precise, a bit more meticulous, and the stories were better put together. Even though it still doesn't have the emotional impact that some volumes of Emma have, it is delightful. I loved getting to know Ms. Bennett a little bit better, and can't get enough of these everyday scenes.

[Valérie Harvey]

Dans ses temps libres, quand la mangaka Kaoru Mori peut faire autre chose... elle dessine! Entre 2003 et 2014, elle a poursuivi les courtes scénettes de Shirley et sa maîtresse. Réunies, ces histoires ont donné ce 2e tome, encore meilleur que le premier, parce que les personnages secondaires s'affinent et que le questionnement sur les obligations d'une femme de cette époque, le rapport à la beauté, au mariage et aux hommes sont fort intéressants.

[Anya]

More lovely artwork and terrible writing... Kaoru Mori really needs to learn more about English culture before writing another chapter. Also, Bennett's age jumped from 26 in Vol 1 to 28 in Vol 2, while Shirley stays age 13.

[RuneKirhan]

4,5⭐️