"The same piercing and loving eye, and the same bold and poetic imagery, are exhibited here as in 'Jane Eyre.' Similar power is manifested in the delineation of character. With a few brief, vigorous touches, the picture starts into distinctness."—Edinburgh Review.
"'Shirley is very clever. It could not be otherwise. The faculty of graphic description, strong imagination, fervid and masculine diction, analytic skill, all are visible. . . . . Gems of rare thought and glorious passion shine here and there."—Times.
"We like the book as a whole: we like its spirit. The character of 'Shirley' is excellently conceived and well sustained; and touching is the story of Caroline. We sympathise with the author's general charity, with her special love for the old country, the old church, and the old duke; we kindle with her fervid bursts of eloquence, and recognise the truth of her pictures from life."—Fraser's Magazine.
"'Shirley' is a book demanding close perusal and careful consideration. The writer's main purpose has been to trace the fortunes and feelings of two girls: the one is tender, the other is sparkling; both suffer from the malady of unrest and dissatisfaction, and in both the desolateness and the fever are assuaged by one and the same master-enchanter—Love."—Athenæum.
"'Shirley' is a novel of remarkable power and brilliancy; it is calculated to rouse attention, excite the imagination, and keep the faculties in eager and impatient suspense. It will unquestionably add to the reputation of the author. Currer Bell's powers of description are displayed to greater advantage in this novel than in its predecessor."—Morning Post.
"'Shirley' is the anatomy of the female heart. It is a book which indicates exquisite feeling, and very great power of mind in the writer. The women are all divine."—Daily News.
"The novel before us is Yorkshire throughout—racy of the soil. There is something in it of kin to Jane Austen's books, or Maria Edgeworth's, or Walter Scott's. There is human life
