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I've been reading the Brontës for almost my entire life. When I was a young teenager and ready to move from the children's section of the library, my brother Mark recommended Jane Eyre to me. My parents had these wonderful hardback copies of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights that had woodcut illustrations that became burned into my memory.
In compiling this page of all the posts that I've done on the Brontës, I was surprised to find that I've never done a post devoted to either of JE or WH, both of which I have reread many times. Now that I have seen that glaring omission, I will endeavor to correct this on my next rereading.
Now that I have started collecting my thoughts and posts on this wonderfully interesting literary family, I am inspired to rewatch, reread, and read more about them and what they created.
The Novels
Villette, by Charlotte Brontë - mixed feelings about this one. Felt like an exercise in catharsis but worth reading if only to understand Charlotte better.
Agnes Grey, by Anne Brontë - I know there are legions of Anne fans, but I am not among them. I didn't like this book, but I do like Anne in the family. She just didn't have the genius of Charlotte and Emily.
Biographies
The Life of Charlotte Brontë, by Elizabeth Gaskell - I have read this several times, and I really love it. I am a Gaskell fan anyway, and the fact that she was asked to do a bio of her friend Charlotte by Patrick Brontë after Charlotte's death makes it so meaningful and relevant. Yes, it is biased but it was a labor of love and respect. I did a number of posts based on a rereading of this book.
Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë
Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë: In the Hill-Country Silence
Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë: The Professor and "Mode of Composition"
Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë: the French, Branwell, and Ruth
The Taste of Sorrow, by Jude Morgan - Morgan writes wonderful fictional bios and this one, also called Charlotte and Emily, is superb.
The Brontës: Wild Genius of the Moors, by Juliet Barker - a comprehensive bio of the family. My only gripe is that she doesn't respect Gaskell's bio as I do.
Fifteen Wild Decembers, by Karen Powell - the story of the Brontë family, told from Emily's pov. Absolutely wonderful. Gorgeous writing and the depiction of Emily is spot on.
Miscellaneous
Daphne, by Justine Picard - an interesting novel about Daphne du Maurier and her obsession with Branwell Brontë, with weird parallels to the author's own life.
Brontë Humor, Gaskell Bio, and Plath's poem - a truly spur-of-the-moment post about something that struck me while I was reading the Gaskell bio.
- Here is the Sylvia Plath poem, Wuthering Heights.
The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte, by Daphne du Maurier - I read this as a teenager and have been wanting to reread it for decades. I'll let you know when I do.
The Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys - I read this roughly 50 years ago as a teenager. I remember feeling that Jane really got shortchanged, but I think that was the point. It is Bertha's story--the first wife, the mad woman in the attic. How she got there and the role Mr Rochester played in her madness.
Cinematic
Brontës of Haworth (1973) - episode 5 - the very dated Brontës of Haworth is absolutely wonderful. I have watched it several times and it is so good. Yes, it was done in 1973, but the storytelling is first rate and the characterization of all the members of the family is perfect. I think they must have used Gaskell's bio as the source material.
To Walk Invisibile - I haven't done a post on this BBC series (though I've mentioned it a few times), but in many ways it is an updated version of the 1973 mini-series. Excellent.
All the movies and series on Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights
George C. Scott was my first Mr. Rochester, but I haven't seen that version of JE in decades. Same with Heathcliff and Lawrence Olivier. I am currently down on adaptations because they invariably disappoint me.
Travels
Travelogue: Haworth - I visited Haworth in 2009 with my then 16-year old daughter, and we had the best time exploring the town, visiting the parsonage and church and museum and pubs. I especially liked walking up on the moors.
More on Keighley or 'Cyhha's Clearing' - this was a nerdy follow-up post to the post about our visit to Haworth. Keithley is the nearby town with the train station.
Does Rick Steves' Hate Haworth - a prequel post made while planning the trip to Haworth. Posted in 2009. It would be interesting to see if more exists on the RS website about Haworth now.
Let's assume I've never read a single book by them, because I haven't, where would you suggest I start?
ReplyDeleteI think Jane Eyre is the most accessible, with a heroine you clearly want to root for and a deeply flawed but still attractive hero. The story of JE is so powerful, from her struggles as a child to her making the way in the world on her own. She has to make tough choices in order to survive but also to stay true to herself and her values.
DeleteSo cool that you got to visit Haworth! I liked Anne's novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall better than Agnes Grey. And while I like Jane Eyre, my favorite Bronte novel has always been Wuthering Heights. I think I read it at just the right time/age in my life. I don't know if I'd like it as much now. But it might be worth rereading to see. Lovely post! :D
ReplyDeleteI ended up skimming most of Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I thought the first part was compelling, but then it got pretty repetitive for me. That said, I do recognize how significant it was for a woman of the 1840s to write on this topic...and so powerfully.
DeleteIt's always fascinating to see how our reactions to books change (or not!) on rereadings.
Thank you for this great reference guide to the Brontes. I read Jude Morgan's really fine novel on the Brontes A Taste of Sorrow. He captured things so well and loved the miniseries To Walk Invisible. Glad you got to see Haworth and walking on the moors would really enrich the experience of reading the novels.
ReplyDeleteI agree--A Taste of Sorrow captures the Brontë story so well.
DeleteThis is a really valuable & helpful post for us less seasoned in the Brontes and who want more. I think a trip to Haworth would be spectacular & will put it on my bucket list. I will need a reread of Charlotte's & Emily's books beforehand. Then I will read Gaskell's bio. You've given us a path. I wonder a bit if the movies are still available ... maybe thru PBS? I will check. thanks.
ReplyDeleteCheck the library for the DVDs. Mine has both To Walk Invisible and the 1973 miniseries.
DeleteVisiting Haworth is an absolute treat. I do love northern England and Scotland.
I'm in the middle of preparing my next "Six Degrees of Separation" post for next Saturday and, as the starter book is "Wuthering Heights", I have taken the Brontës' books. Now you come and have a whole post about it. Fantastic. They are just great.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading your Six Degrees post, featuring the Brontës
DeleteThanks. Don't expect too much. LOL
DeleteThank you for your comment about Agnes Grey on my blog. Good to know I wasn't in the minority on this one. This is a page on your blog I will bookmark as it's such a good resource for Bronte books and movies. Villette is on my to-read classics list.
ReplyDeleteWhile Tenant of Wildfell Hall or WH is not on my classics list I may add them. Believe it or not but I already started a new list of 50 books for my next goal.
Good for you, creating a new list of 50. I need to do the same! Shirley by Charlotte Brontë is still on my TBR list. There is a theory that Charlotte destroyed a manuscript that Emily was working on when she died--wouldn't it be amazing to find out if wasn't destroyed?!
DeleteWow, thanks for this treasure trove resource. Having just completed The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte quite recently, I find myself intrigued to hunt down a copy of Daphne.
ReplyDelete