Reviews for Yorkshire Illustrations of English History

The average rating for Yorkshire Illustrations of English History based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-02-04 00:00:00 Jewelrit Stewart The Wide Wide World was first published in 1852 and is said to be America’s first bestseller. But, the first I ever heard of it was while reading another book last month (Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare). I downloaded a free edition of The Wide Wide World to my Kindle and couldn’t wait to get into it. Then I couldn’t wait to finish it. This is a very difficult review to write because I am happy that I read and finished a classic novel BUT, I absolutely did not like what I was reading and had to struggle to keep going to the end. I am glad to see that other readers here on Goodreads didn’t like the book because over at Amazon, everyone raves and gives it five stars. The book is horribly written. The interesting parts of the story are often hurried with only a brief mention while boring unimportant conversations and reflections were drawn out for pages (felt like days). But I would have enjoyed the book if my only aversion was the writing style…unfortunately that’s not the worst of it. The author spends no time on character development. For most of the book, I had NO IDEA of the age of our “heroine”, Ellen Montgomery. I was thoroughly confused as to the location of the characters and had a very difficult time envisioning anyone or any place. As Wikipedia states, the book was originally written to be a Christian lesson. And, by God, the author beats the reader over the head with that lesson. Unfortunately, it backfires because I can’t imagine anyone, in their right mind, wanting to emulate Ellen. The book is supposed to be inspiring but I wanted to throw it and run away. I was SO ANGRY at what I was reading and instead of being inspiring and loving, much of the time it was just creepy and infuriating. Ellen is told over and over that she has a sinful heart (she is about 11 years old) and must be submissive and controlled by the men in her life in order to be a good Christian. I’ve included some quotes from the book so you can see for yourself: “Ellen obeyed, trembling, for it seemed to her that it was to set her hand and seal to the deed of gift her father and mother had made. But there was no retreat, it was spoken and Mr. Lindsay, folding her close in his arms kissed her again and again. “Never let me hear you call me anything else, Ellen. You are mine own now, my own child, my own little daughter. You shall do just what pleases me in everything, let by-gones be by-gones.” “It was a grievous trial. Ellen cried for a great while when she got to her own room, and a long hard struggle was necessary before she could resolve to do her duty.” “Then Ellen, can you not see the love of your heavenly Father in this trial? He saw that his little child was in danger of forgetting him, and he loved you, Ellen; and so he has taken your dear mother, and sent you away where you will have no one to look to but him; and now he says to you, ‘My daughter, give me thy heart.’ Will you do it, Ellen?” Seriously? Why would anyone be drawn to a god that would have a child’s mother die because the young child loved the mother more than she loved God? WHAT??? Overall, I am happy that I was able to finish the book. But, there is nothing, in my opinion, redeeming about the story. It ends without an ending and was much more infuriating than entertaining. The only way I recommend this book is if you want to read “the classics” and would like a glimpse into life in the mid-19th century. Personally, I’m thrilled to be done with it, but...I will close this on a good note; there is one quote from the book that I love. It is said to Ellen as she is leaving, not knowing if she will ever return: “My dear little daughter,” said he, “you cannot be so glad to come back as my arms and my heart will be to receive you.”

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-04 00:00:00 Daniel Wright I read this book first as a child when I found it in a jumble sale and recognised it as the book Jo March read weeping in Little Women. As a child I loved it for the story of Ellen coping when sent away from her mother to live with her unkind Aunt Fortune. As an adult, I enjoyed it for the window it provides to life in the 19th century - not so far in the past but a time when the death of mothers, sisters and children was an everyday part of life and people had to draw on all their resilience and faith to continue to live cheerfully and well. I am sure not everyone will agree but for me, John Humphreys is a highly attractive hero. In a world where most people expected Ellen to just obey, he wanted to develop her mind and opinions. (He was also good looking, clever and able to come to her rescue on horseback.) Some people will no doubt be put off by the Christian moralising - particularly as it takes a Victorian form that is not commonly held today. But it was a bestseller in its day and illustrates a worldview that was seen as common and worth emulating at that time.