Shelley's work has been criticized for its didacticism and undisciplined emotionalism. But essentially, he was a poet of ideas and in his search for truth and original human perfection, Shelley was inspired as much by the Greek poets and philosophers. Above all, his great gift was his lyricism and his verse comes as near to music as poetry can.
Agnes Greyová, mladšia dcéra chudobného duchovného, chce pomôcť rodine a spoznať svet, preto sa zamestná ako guvernantka - to bola v 19. storočí pre ženu zo strednej vrstvy jediná prípustná profesia. Život guvernantky je však oveľa ťažší, než si Agnes predstavovala. Býva ďaleko od domova, uprostred nepriateľsky naladených ľudí, zamestnávatelia sa k nej správajú ako k slúžke, služobníctvo ju nerešpektuje a žiaci, ktorých má učiť a vychovávať, sú nezvládnuteľní. A hoci ju ťaží neznesiteľná samota, verí, že aj ona jedného dňa nájde blízku dušu. Anne Brontë vo svojom prvom románe opisuje vlastné pracovné skúsenosti a načrtáva svoje názory na výchovu, ktorá bola v jej časoch témou vášnivých diskusií.
Linda Burnell dreams, listless and distant, whilst downstairs her mother sets in order the family's new home in the New Zealand countryside. Her vigorous and exhausting husband, Stanley, is at the office, but will return with eager and admiring eyes. Her children prepare lunch on a concrete step and her sister sings love songs to an imaginary young man. This is The Aloe, which Katherine Mansfield wrote to crystallize the memories of her childhood. It was reworked to become her acclaimed Prelude. But the original is very different - in style, detail and texture - giving us a wonderful short novel in its own right. The text has been prepared by Vincent O'Sullivan, the renowned Mansfield scholar.