Well, I'm back to reading books for a college class. And this is the first thing I had to read this term? Ugh. Sometimes the life of an English major isn't quite so glamorous.
I will say that while I didn't love this book (written in the late 1700s), I didn't hate it either. Once you get past the old writing style and accept that the author will direct certain passages directly to her reader, it has a pretty good story line. Of course, you also have to bear in mind that the story is built around the ideals of the 1700s where girls of certain classes were expected to have their parents' permission to marry and eloping leads to the ruin of girls.
Charlotte is a good girl. She's being educated by a well known and trustworthy lady. However, the French teacher, Mademoiselle La Rue, is not a good girl and really shouldn't be friends with Charlotte. La Rue encourages Charlotte to do things that are inappropriate for a girl of her station, which leads to Charlotte meeting a soldier by the name of Montraville. Between La Rue and Montraville, they convince Charlotte to elope with him to New York, where his company is ordered to be.
She hates betraying her family, and eventually, Montraville forgets about her for a girl of significant wealthy. Poor Charlotte is left pregnant and rather delusional. Her reputation is completely ruined and she quickly spirals.
It's kind of a sad story about a sweet girl who was lead astray by people who should have been protecting her. In the end, I felt bad for Charlotte, hated La Rue, and actually kind of pitied Montraville. While this story isn't very relevant for today's society, I can see how it was so popular in the time it was written.
But, I did get a little weary of the author talking to her reader about things other than Charlotte's story. I also thought certain points were a little preachy, but then I'm a 21st century girl reading a story about an 18th century girl. It can be expected that I'd find it preachy.
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