The Real Charlotte

A masterpiece of Irish literature of the Victorian Age, The Real Charlotte draws characters from the worlds of Anglo-Irish aristocracy and the native Irish peasantry. Delightful.-The Guardian.

The writers were cousins (two women), and they had a great insight into life in the upper classes of Ireland during the Victorian era - which makes this book interesting, but it's the characters and their interaction that makes this novel zing. It is almost Austen like in the beautiful, entertaining protrayal of the everyday.

Good story. Quite an endearing heroine, very forthright, flirtatious with slightly common Dublin accent. Her romantic adventures with admirers and determination of them all to escape or avoid poverty.

It compares to Tolstoy (Russian) in importance of reading something from the late 19th century from different authors and different countries, giving one a more global view of the thought of the time.The story holds the readers interest; and the authors lead the reader into the interior lives of the characters, while still leaving room for the reader to discover things for themselves.