Anne Brontë

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Modern Library)

Average customer rating:

A good attemp
Another lovely tale from Bronte
Loved It!
Classic Tale by a Lesser Known Bronte
'You must go back with me to the autumn of 1827.'

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Modern Library)
Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679602798
Release Date: 1997-08-05

Book Description

Over a short period in the 1840s, the three Brontë sisters working in a remote English
parsonage produced some of the best-loved and most-enduring of all novels: Charlotte's Jane Eyre, Emily's Wuthering Heights, and Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, a book that created a scandal when it was published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell.
     Compelling in its imaginative power and bold naturalism, the novel opens in the autumn of 1827, when a mysterious woman who calls herself Helen Graham seeks refuge at the desolate moorland mansion of Wildfell Hall. Brontë's enigmatic heroine becomes the object of gossip and jealousy as neighbors learn she is escaping from an abusive marriage and living under an assumed name. A daring story that exposed the dark brutality of Victorian chauvinism, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was nevertheless attacked by some critics as a celebration of the same excesses it criticized.
     "Every reader who has felt the power of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights comes, sooner or later, to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall," observed Brontë scholar Margaret Lane. "Anne Brontë, with all the Brontë taste for violence and drama, and with her experience of the same rude scenes and savage Yorkshire tales that had fed the imaginations of her sisters, did not shrink. She used the material at hand, and shaped it with singular honesty and seri-
ousness....Anne is a true Brontë."
     This edition of The Tenant of Wildfell
Hall is the companion volume to the Mobil Masterpiece Theatre WGBH television presentation broadcast on PBS.

The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foun-dation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hard-bound editions of important works of liter-ature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torchbearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inau-gurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.

The Modern Library of the World's
Best Books

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a dramatic serial on Mobil Masterpiece Theatre, a public television series presented by WGBH-TV, Boston, made possible by a grant from the Mobil Corporation.


"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was conceived in the same atmosphere as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Wildfell Hall has power and imagination, and is so close to one of the tragedies in the sisters' own lives, that no perceptive reader can be indifferent to it."

                                                          --Margaret Lane
"I wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it."

                                                             --Anne Bronte

Download Description

It is autumn of 1827 when a woman named Helen Graham moves into the deserted, stately moorland manor Wildfell Hall with her young son. The neighbors take immediate notice of this awkward circumstance, and she is subjected to their jealousy and the idle rumor they spread. They discover she is escaping a brutish marriage and has taken an assumed name to prevent her husband finding her. She must unchain herself and her son physically and emotionally from his roguish influence and earn a living. The imaginative power and realism of these characters involved in marital hostilities urge the reader to view the far-reaching aspects of their struggle with a more compassionate understanding. The husband she left, Arthur Huntingdon, was a selfish womanizer who only wanted to satiate his own desires. Even though Helen offered to help him turn his life around, he had no wish to give up his drunkenness or adultery. At last Helen grew to despise him as much as she once loved him. But when she witnessed his attempts to make his son a chip off the old block, her motherly duties overrode her responsibilities as a wife, and with the help of her brother she runs away to the obscurity of a small town. Here she meets Gilbert Markham who falls in love with her and requests her hand in marriage. She refuses him and offers an explanation by supplying him with references to her journals and letters that will eventually convince him of the desperation of her married life. As the plot advances and mysteries unwind, what Gilbert and Helen say--and also what they don't say--gives the reader access to Bronte's scourging accusation of the sexual ambiguities of 19th century Britain. And even though they are often unaware of their insensitive reactions to their own beliefs, they realize they love each other. When Arthur Huntingdon dies, they are finally allowed to marry.

Customer Reviews:

A good attemp.......2007-05-21

I agree, having read the book, that Gilbert was brutish and at times overyly "girlish" in expressing his emotions. The ending was rather abrupt. But because it's just from letters, that's to be expected.

Another lovely tale from Bronte.......2007-04-28

This is a very different novel from the other of Anne Bronte's that I've read, Agnes Grey. The story is told mostly from the first person viewpoint of Gilbert Markham as he and his fellow villagers meet the mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall, the widowed Mrs. Graham, who has a bit of a mystery about her and her young son.

As feelings grow between the two main characters, the story is shifted to the viewpoint of Mrs. Graham as retold through a diary she wrote, and about her life married to an abusive, unfaithful alcoholic, and her efforts finally to extricate herself from the marriage.

An interesting tale, and I give the author marks for tackling what in her time would have been a most controversial topic (women just did not leave their husbands, no matter what the reason). Some of the melodrama is more than a tad bit over the top, Helen was just too pure and good natured, and having a woman writer write in the first person viewpoint of a man was a bit of a stretch for me. Gilbert was at times too emotional in a womanly sort of way -- I mean throwing himself down on the wet ground and having a good cry over a broken heart was way over the top for me. He was also a bit too brutish and rough at times for my taste, and not always very likeable, but that is the author's choice as to how she wrote her characters.

Other than those quibbles it was a very entertaining read and some very thought provoking topics to take with you when finished with the book.

Loved It!.......2007-04-16

I read all of the Bronte sisters novels when I was a teenager and I will have to say the The Tennant of Wildfell Hall was absolutey my favorite. I loved Jane Eyre also. I always wondered why Anne Bronte did not get more attention for her novel, while her sisters got plenty of attention for their writing!

Classic Tale by a Lesser Known Bronte.......2007-03-03

Let me just preface my review by saying, "Thank GOD, I didn't live back then!" The story is told by Gilbert Markham through a series of letters to his friend Halford and by journal entries of the mysterious and devout Mrs. Helen Graham. A recent widow, Mrs. Graham and her young son are the new tenants of Wildfell Hall, a dilapidated estate owned by Frederick Laurence. The air of mystery that surrounds Mrs. Graham is certainly fodder for the townsfolk. She is quiet, reserved and not very inviting to most of her neighbors. Wildfell Hall only has a few rooms that are in livable condition. And she has a strange attachment to her son, Arthur. She is never separated from him.

As the days go by, Gilbert finds that he is undeniably attracted to Mrs. Graham. But he is very disheartened to find that rumors are now being circulated around town about Mrs. Graham and Frederick, a man that Gilbert has always considered a friend. It is also very clear to him that Helen is shutting him down at ever effort to get to know her, especially regarding her past.

Eventually, Helen is unable to deny her feelings for Gilbert and gives him her diary. This action is her one chance for him to understand who she really is and dispel the rumors that the townsfolk have come to believe. The diary is Helen's account of her life before she moved into the rooms at Wildfell Hall, but most specifically, it is about her marriage to Arthur Huntingdon, a very charming man that had few, if any, scruples.

At first I had a hard time getting into this book. I found the characters all rather unlikable and rather annoying. The townsfolk were always in everyone's business. Gilbert was rather insensitive and kind of bully, when you come right down to it. And Helen spent most of the book playing a martyr by saying it was "God's Will". I do realize that it was different times, and a woman's rights were very few. This is the main reason I overlooked my annoyance and continued reading. In the end, I found that I really enjoyed the story. Bronte wrote this book at a time when women were less than citizens and brought forth a whole host of probably very controversial topics for that time: alcoholism, infidelity, and women's rights to name just a few. I think Anne Bronte was very much ahead of her time.

'You must go back with me to the autumn of 1827.'.......2007-02-19

The story of Helen Graham, her marriage to Arthur Huntingdon and her life outside the conventional role of a woman, wife and mother in the 19th century deserves a much broader contemporary readership. The subject matter is confronting, and many of Anne's beliefs and sense of moral duty may not sit neatly with contemporary readers.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall explores a number of different themes, a number of which are drawn from Anne's own experience as a governess, as a member of a family impacted by the addictions of a family member and by observations of society outside the parsonage at Haworth. This novel is frequently dissected from the perspective of dealing with sexist double standards and dissolute behaviours. While this is one way of categorizing the issues dealt with, the danger in doing so is that the voice of hope for a better future can be lost.

Anne Bronte died at the tragically early age of 29. And for a young woman whose mother died when she was still an infant, who outlived all but one of her siblings, hope for the future is all the more remarkable. Anne's characters are not always well developed and her prose sometimes shows more promise than polish. But underneath all of this is an underlying sense of duty, a deep vein of passion and of belief. Those of us who can see her inherent talent in the two published novels that are her legacy can only speculate about what might have been had she lived longer and written more.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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"My House is Desolate Yet, Miss Grey..."
A charming, simple tale of Victorian England
Charming
Insights into the Victorians
Anne Bronte's Classic Agnes Grey is the well told tale of a Victorian governess

Agnes Grey (Oxford World's Classics)
Anne Brontë
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192834789

Book Description

Drawing directly on her own unhappy experiences, Anne Bronte's first-person narrative describes the almost unbelievable pressures endured by nineteenth-century governesses - the isolation, the frustration, and the insensitive and sometimes cruel treatment meted out by employers and their families. Distinguished by its sharp, often ironic observation of middle-class social behaviour, this deeply personal novel also touches on religious belief, moral responsibility, and individual integrity and its survival. Using the text of the definitive Clarendon edition, this volume also incorporates Anne Bronte's previously unpublished manuscript revisions.

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Agnes Grey is undoubtedtedly a deeply personal novel, in which Anne Bronte views on the 'contemporary' issue of the treatment of governesses, as well as her passionate religious sympathies, find very deliberate expression; but she also touches on issues of moral behaviour, moral responsibility, and individual integrity and its survival.

Customer Reviews:

"My House is Desolate Yet, Miss Grey...".......2007-04-16

Poor Anne Bronte. Her legacy will forever be overshadowed by the greater success of her elder sisters; Charlotte Bronte, the author of "Jane Eyre", and Emily Bronte, who gave the world "Wuthering Heights". I would love to be able to say that Anne is the hidden gem of the Bronte family, but the fact is that her work is simply not as good as that of her sisters'. She writes vividly and sympathetically, but ultimately her stories are rather forgettable, especially when compared with the trials and tribulations of Jane Eyre and the violent and passionate love affair between Heathcliff and Catherine in "Wuthering Heights" (okay, I'll admit it - it's my favourite book. I'm hopelessly biased).

Anne Bronte's most famous book "Agnes Grey", is without the timeless appeal of her sisters' novel, since it is a novel meant for her contemporary Victorian audience, one that underlined the trials and difficulties faced by governesses of the time. At this point in British history, economical and social problems had driven many young women to seek employment as governesses, and because of the influx of potential governesses, families could naturally whittle down the price of a teacher for their children (Charlotte Bronte for example, had to accept twenty pounds a year for her services as a governess). Being one of the first novels to address the hardships and indignities faced by governesses, Anne Bronte's book provided a valuable window into this world; and it did this so well in fact that one critic said of the author: "he must have bribed some governess very largely...to reveal to him the secrets of her prison house, or, he must have devoted extraordinary powers of observation and discovery to the elucidation of the subject."

In this critic's defense, Anne (along with her sisters) published their books under masculine pen names, but it is a testimony to her skill that the conditions of the governess were captured so vividly. Being a governess herself (with many similarities to her title character, as we shall see in a moment), Anne was in the prime position to `spill the beans' on the plight of the governess. By today's standards "Agnes Grey" provides a vivid and interesting history on this aspect of life in Bronte's time period, but it is more valued for its glimpses into the Bronte sisters' lives than its compelling story.

Agnes Grey is the story of a young heroine who - because of her family's financial struggles - advertises herself out as a governess. Stepping out into the world from a life surrounded by a loving family is trial enough, but Agnes is looking forward to achieving her independence and helping her family in its time of need. She is sadly disillusioned, as her new position in the Bloomfield household is not at all what she expected. The children are unruly and spoilt, the house servants are unfriendly and the master and the mistress hold Agnes responsible for their children's wild behaviour. Her second position is only moderately better; treated as little more than a servant; she is only gradually accepted by her two new charges: the flirtatious Rosalie and the tomboyish Matilda Murray. Her only spark of light is the sensible young curate Mr Weston, a man whom Rosalie is determined to add to her list of conquests before her upcoming marriage is made public...

The similarities between Agnes and Anne's lives are numerous: both are the youngest and adored little sisters of their families (and although all but one of Agnes's siblings are dead, six were born - the same as Anne's family), both had two positions as a governess at two different households and were unfairly dismissed for incompetence from the first one, both are the daughters of North England clergymen, and both are nineteen when they take up their first post. What makes Agnes especially unique in the large canon of literary governesses (of which she was one of the first), is that she is actively enthusiastic about going out into the world and earning money - a trait that is admittedly coupled with a real need to help her family, but one which is rare (most book-governesses are forced reluctantly into their positions). Agnes's situation as the adored little sister of the Grey family is akin to Anne's own place in her family (a position that scholars now believe Anne rebelled against), perhaps accounting for the unique characteristic of Agnes's initial desire to become as a governess - that she actively goes out in search of a job, rather than being helplessly driven to it solely by poverty.

There is nothing wrong with Bronte's writing technique - her language is crisp and concise, her heroine realistic and sympathetic, and her social commentary on the plight of the young unmarried Victorian woman's chances at a career is as thought-provoking as ever (though naturally a bit dated by today's standards). The problem lies with the story itself, which is somewhat uneventful. Bronte is particularly good in capturing the frustrations of being governess to a pack of ungrateful children; their naughty behaviour, their disinterestedness and the unfair treatment accorded to her by her employees, but ultimately nothing is done with it. Because it is predominantly an exposition on the requirements and hardships of governesses, we never really get any satisfactorily comeuppance to any of Agnes's pupils, save one, whose unhappy marriage is almost *too* tragic. Anne Bronte's novel is more didactic than that of her sisters', as Agnes is a paragon of virtue and patience in the face of ongoing frustration. Yes, her temper is worn at times, but she is remarkable in her ability to withhold her emotions and keep in place her calm exterior. Just once I would have liked one of the little brats to get slapped! Also, I don't think I'm alone in thinking that Agnes's romance with Mr Weston is a little flat - we never really get to know him very well, and Agnes's falling in love with him is as much a leap of faith on his perceived goodness then any real meeting of minds and hearts.

But "Agnes Grey" is certainly worth the read, for the historical insight as well as a comparative text for Anne Bronte's second novel, the much more rich and accomplished "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall."

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics)

A charming, simple tale of Victorian England.......2007-04-02

This was a simple, albeit enjoyable tale of Agnes Grey, a younger daughter who seeks her way in the world employed as a governess. I understand this tale is based upon Ms. Bronte's own experiences and brings to light the snobbery of the upper class along with the often degrading way that the servants are treated by the same.

The first family literally has the children from h***, the second family being not quite as abusive, but still treat the servants as second class people. The young Misses Murray are self centered and thoughtless, particularly the elder (who gets what she deserves in the end).

I have been reading a book called the Selected Works of the Bronte sisters, and it's been interesting to compare the sisters' writing styles. Anne's is much closer to Chartlette's, with the gorgeous flowing prose, but not quite so littered with the large words and the smattering of french.

Well worth your time checking out for a pleasant, short read.

Charming.......2007-03-26

A delightful little book waiting to be enjoyed by fans of the Bronte sisters' after they have read their more famous books. Not as sweeping a story as Tenant of Wildfell Hall but deserving in it's own right. Anne is a new discovery of mine and I like her just as well as Charlotte and Emily! Her style of writing draws you in. At the end of Agnes Grey, she writes that she could go on further but will end the story here. I found myself wishing she would go on further.

Insights into the Victorians.......2006-12-31

The youngest of the three literary Brontë sisters, Anne was the first to die, within only two years of the publication of Agnes Grey and one year of the publication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. In this edition, Angeline Goreau's introduction offers valuable insights into the relationships among the Brontë siblings, Anne's personality without the distortion of Charlotte's lens, and the conditions prevalent in Victorian England that inspired the writing of Agnes Grey.

For her first novel, Brontë chose to write about the social topic she knew best--life as an underpaid, unempowered, unappreciated governess. Her story, which begins, "All true histories contain instruction," closely parallels her own experience as governess to two families of overindulged, undisciplined, disrespectful children. She "candidly lay[s] before the public what I would not disclose to the most intimate friend."

At times, Agnes Grey is hard to read, not because of the Victorian language and conventions, but because Brontë's unadorned, dispassionate writing style coolly conveys the monstrosity and heartlessness of the children for whom she has responsibility without power and of their distantly doting parents. When the cruel, sadistic Tom Bloomfield, age 7, tries to torture and kill a nest of baby birds and Agnes intervenes, spoiling his "fun," his mother coldly tells her, "You seem to have forgotten that the creatures were all created for our convenience . . . I think a child's amusement is scarcely to be weighed against the welfare of a soulless brute." Through her portrayal of Tom, Brontë makes it clear who in her opinion is the "soulless brute" and how he came to become one. Meanwhile, Tom, his sister Mary Ann, and their parents foil Agnes's every attempt to perform her duties, including the teaching of morals.

Agnes's next family, the Murrays, are somewhat tolerably by comparison, although she is expected to, in her words, "study and strive to amuse and oblige, instruct, refine, and polish, with the least possible exertion on their part, and no exercise of authority on mine." In the Murray household, Agnes is subjected to a form of social snobbery and disdain from which her background, manners, and education do not exempt her. All that matters to the wealthy and privileged Murrays is that she is the hired help, to be controlled, ignored, bullied, or snubbed at their whim.

Agnes becomes a governess against her family's wishes so that she can help them out of their financial straits. When her illusions about molding the minds, hearts, and souls of her charges are taught away in chapters titled, "First Lessons in the Art of Instruction" and "A Few More Lessons," Agnes does not continue her ignominious career out of economic necessity; in fact, her family refuses to accept her financial assistance. She continues to work from a sense of pride; she does not want to admit to her family, and perhaps to herself, the personal and emotional cost of her own "instruction."

Given Brontë's purpose in writing Agnes Grey, there are some difficulties with the novel. First, Agnes's distress is primarily emotional, yet surely the masses of underpaid governesses suffered from poverty and from the hopelessness of escaping it. As Goreau notes, there were so many single women vying for governess positions that the employers could pay these vulnerable women next to nothing in wages, even taking deductions for laundry. Charlotte Brontë herself was paid 20 pounds per year at her final post, with 4 pounds deducted for washing. This deprivation, and the lifelong sense of despair that must have come with it, is not evident in Agnes Grey.

The novel also becomes sidetracked from its purpose when Agnes develops an interest in the new curate, Edward Weston. Toward the end, Agnes Grey is transformed from a novel about governesses and Victorian family life into a weak, undramatic love story that is too drawn out. The Anne Brontë who hid her feelings from the domineering Charlotte does not reveal them even through Agnes. While Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights seethe with the drama and passion of unhealthy relationships, Agnes Grey plods through the development of an uninspired one.

The strength of Agnes Grey lies in its characterizations of Victorian country society and the people who inhabit it. Their materialism, which reaches its apex here in the unhappily married Rosalie Murray; their wanton wastefulness; their view of nature as subservient to the whims of man; and their hypocrisy and recasting of God into man's image are the easily recognized precursors to many 20th-century attitudes. Despite its faults and facile ending, Agnes Grey is a tiny but honest glimpse into the Victorian world that preceded ours. Angelina Goreau's informative introduction, with its generous helping of quotations, makes this edition especially worthwhile.

Anne Bronte's Classic Agnes Grey is the well told tale of a Victorian governess.......2006-10-30

Imagine an evening at obscure Haworth parsonage in the depths of Yorkshire! Three female geniuses sat in the tiny parlor writing away at classics which will live forever. Emily with Wuthering Heights; Charlotte the eldest noted most for Jane Eyre. And then there is Anne....the least well known of the girls. In her short life (1820-1849) she wrote two novels: Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which stand up well in the annals of English fiction.
Agnes Grey is a short novel of under 200 pages. It tells the story of Agnes Grey the daughter of an impecunious Church of England pastor. Anne leaves the love of her family to become a governess. She works for the horrible Bloomfield family noted for their son's torture of small animals; the bumptiious and repulsive hunting father and the snobbish mother. Disgusted with this family Miss Grey goes to the aristocratic family the Murrays. This is a wealthy family which is self-centered and as cold as a brisk day on the Yorkshire moors. Rosalie and Matilda are the two sisters who are to be taught by Agnes. They are shallow and ignorant girls. Rosalie weds a rich older man to get his estate but is very disappointed in her marriage.
Agnes finds happiness with the altruistic and kind clergyman the Rev. Weston.
The novel is plainly told with honesty and conviction. The life of a governess caught in the limbo between that of servant and family member is well captured. Women in the 19th century had a dfficult time if they had to support themselves outside of the home.
There have many copies of novels about governesses by Anne in Agnes Grey and Charlotte in Jane Eyre are at the top of this type of story.
Anne Bronte deserves to be read and appreciated for her literary gifts. She impresses me as a kind Christian woman who loved her family and those less fortunate than she. Her palpable love for animals is also evident.
This is a fine novel for anyone wishing to read a good story well told.

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Agnes Grey (Thrift Edition)
Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486451216

Book Description

First published in a volume that also contained her sister's Wuthering Heights, Brontë's daring first novel was hailed as "the most perfect prose narrative in English literature" by famed Irish novelist George Moore. Originally quite scandalous and drawing from the author's own troubled life, this biting social commentary exposes the hardships of a governess's life.

Selected Works of the Bronte Sisters (Wordsworth Special Editions) (Wordsworth Special Editions)

Average customer rating:

Great bang for your buck!

Selected Works of the Bronte Sisters (Wordsworth Special Editions) (Wordsworth Special Editions)
Charlotte Bronte , Emily Bronte , and Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
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ILLUSTRATED Jane Austen - 8 Books In 1. Illustrated by Hugh Thomson. Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Lady Susan, and Love & Friendship.
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ASIN: 1840220600

Customer Reviews:

Great bang for your buck!.......2007-03-19

What a great value, and a wonderful way to rediscover some old favorites, and perhaps to find some new ones, along with comparing the different writing styles of the Bronte sisters.

One thing in this printing is you will not find the endless footnotes that you would in some of the other printings available now. I don't feel I missed out on anything, but if you feel you need to understand every word and nuance you might want to get a different version of the book(s).

Jane Eyre -- which I enjoyed much more the second time around. It's always good to take time to reread those required books from school once you've obtained some years and maturity. This is a lovely and somewhat autobiographical tale of Jane Eyre, orphaned and raised by self-centered and uncaring relatives until they send her off to school. Eventually she is hired as a governess to a young girl and meets the girl's guardian Mr. Rochester, and of course they fall in love and plan to marry. But, there is a mystery about the house that once it is discovered destroys the wedding plans.

A lovely tale, and Bronte has such a wonderful prose that makes you want to slow down and savor it and the story like a fine red wine or chocolate. Highly highly recommended, one that should be taken off the shelf and reread every couple of years or so. Five stars.

Wuthering Heights -- The dark and brooding tale of Cathy & Heathcliff. What a great experience to finally reread this classic as an adult. Emily Bronte depicts a very gothic and depressing story of two star-crossed (but not terribly likeable) lovers, Cathy & Heathcliff, and the love between them that transcended the grave. Added to that a wonderful depiction of the dark English moors and the local characters with their strange dialects. This was also told in a very unusual style, like a tale within a tale within a tale, adding more layers and perspectives to the story.

How unfortunate that one's upbringing can so affect a person that their grief and bitterness turn what could have been a fine young man into such a hateful and vengeful person as Heathcliff became. And fortunate that Cathy's daughter and Hareton could overcome their dark upbringing to bring a happier light onto the dark moors of England.

It's one book you have to read at least twice in your life -- of course in school as required reading and then again as an adult to add that perspective of age and experience in life so that one can more fully appreciate a such a classic tale. Four stars.

Villette -- another semi-autobiographical tale from Charlette Bronte, based upon her time spent teaching in Belgium. This is not a novel of page turning excitement, but a lovely tale of one woman's battle to maintain her independence. It's very interesting how the author brings characters in and out of her tale, and ties them all together in the end. Along with that, Bronte's gorgeous prose and all those large words that make you want to go running for the dictionary.

A lovely tale, but this one had much more french than Jane Eyre and I would have appreciated some footnotes to interpret those phrases to enjoy the tale more. Five stars.

Anges Grey -- This was a simple, albeit enjoyable tale of Agnes Grey, a younger daughter who seeks her way in the world employed as a governess. I understand this tale is based upon Ms. Bronte's own experiences and brings to light the snobbery of the upper class along with the often degrading way that the servants are treated by the same.

The first family literally has the children from h***, the second family being not quite as abusive, but still treat the servants as second class people. The young Misses Murray and self centered and thoughtless, particularly the elder (who gets what she deserves in the end).

It's been interesting to compare the sisters' writing styles. Anne's is much closer to Chartlette's, with the gorgeous flowing prose, but not quite so littered with the large words and the smattering of french.

Well worth your time checking out for a pleasant, short read. Four stars

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall -- This is a very different novel from the other of Anne Bronte's that I've read, Agnes Grey. The story is told mostly from the first person viewpoint of Gilbert Markham as he and his fellow villagers meet the mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall, the widowed Mrs. Graham, who has a bit of a mystery about her and her young son.

As feelings grow between the two main characters, the story is shifted to the viewpoint of Mrs. Graham as retold through a diary she wrote, and about her life married to an abusive, unfaithful alcoholic, and her efforts finally to extricate herself from the marriage.

An interesting tale, and I give the author marks for tackling what in her time would have been a most controversial topic (women just did not leave their husbands, no matter what the reason). Some of the melodrama is more than a tad bit over the top, Helen was just too pure and good natured, and having a woman writer write in the first person viewpoint of a man was a bit of a stretch for me. Gilbert was at times too emotional in a womanly sort of way -- I mean throwing himself down on the wet ground and having a good cry over a broken heart was way over the top for me. He was also a bit too brutish and rough at times for my taste, and not always very likeable, but that is the author's choice as to how she wrote her characters.

Other than those quibbles it was a very entertaining read and some very thought provoking topics to take with you when finished with the book. Four stars.

The Brontes: Three Great Novels: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Brontes)

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A Brit Lit classic
A "Regular People" Review
A Great Read: Compelling and Entertaining
Three Brilliant Bronte Masterpieces In One Edition - Worth Its Weight In Gold!
I've read worse

The Brontes: Three Great Novels: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Brontes)
Charlotte Bronte , Emily Bronte , and Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Emma (Oxford World's Classics)
Pride and Prejudice (Oxford World's Classics)
Possession: A Romance
Wuthering Heights (Bantam Classics)
Middlemarch (Signet Classics)

ASIN: 0192822853

Book Description

'Such a strange book! Imagine a novel with a little swarthy governess for heroine, and a middle-aged ruffian for hero.' Sharpe's London Magazine (June 1855) Jane Eyre is an orphan grown up under the harsh regime first of her aunt and then as a pupil at Lowood Institution. She leaves to become a governess to the daughter of the mysterious Mr Rochester; gradually their relationship deepens, but Jane's passionate nature has yet to endure its deepest blows. In this new edition Sally Shuttleworth explores the power of a narrative that questions the rights of women, the nature of servitude and madness, martyrdom and rebellion in a story whose emotional charge is a strong today as it was more than 150 years ago.

Customer Reviews:

A Brit Lit classic.......2007-05-07

Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" was never one of my favorite British novels. However, I finally revisited the book after many years and enjoyed it much more this time around.

Jane Eyre is a young, determined girl who is determined to find her proper place in the world. As an orphan who was brought up by her cruel aunt, Jane is sent away to boarding school at a young age, where she and the other students suffer under the hand of an evil headmaster. Things improve at the school when the institution's poor conditions are brought to light following a typhus epidemic, and Jane finishes her schooling and then remains at the facility as a teacher for several years.

Although she's content working at the school, Jane still thinks that life has something else in store for her. She accepts a governess position at Thornfield Manor, where she is employed by the dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite his rather surly disposition, Jane finds herself falling in love with Rochester, and is stunned when he returns her affections and proposes marriage. Unfortunately, the wedding never takes place due to a massive secret that Rochester unsuccessfully tries to keep hidden. Jane ultimately flees Thornfield and arrives at another manor called Marsh End, where many surprises await her. Another man eventually proposes marriage to Jane, but she must listen to her heart and return to the one place where she's ever truly felt at home.

Jane possesses great strength, self-worth and personal dignity. She's a woman who stays true to her principles throughout her entire life, regardless of the many challenges thrown into her path. Also, "Jane Eyre" is a love story of sorts, and it has a very romantic ending, which I always enjoy.

I still think there are parts of this novel that really drag, but I appreciate it a lot more than I did when I was younger. "Jane Eyre" doesn't come close to "Wuthering Heights," in my opinion (Emily was SO the better Bronte!), but it definitely stands on its own as one of the first truly feminist novels ever written.

A "Regular People" Review.......2006-11-22

OK, I'm no smarter than you are, and I read Jane Eyre and thought it was great. The book has so many themes to it, its not just about love, or money, or whatever- a lot of things are touched on. The main character is someone you'll never forget, just as I write this I'm mentally going over the book and I have that warm feeling in my stomach, thats how I know its a great book, so read it..... and keep me updated!

A Great Read: Compelling and Entertaining.......2006-10-26

Just to correct some other comments, the present book is only "Jane Eyre." It is not a collection of books by the Bronte sisters as implied in the spotlight comments above.

This is a great read. I bought this Oxford Classic after reading some very negative comments by Virginia Woolf in her polemic "A Room of One's Own." There she thought that Charlotte Bronte had gone overboard mixing fiction with her own conservative views of feminism. So, I was eager to see how bad this book was.

This is a great read and I read the book almost non-stop for two days. It is hard to put down. This was Charlotte Bronte's first successful book and it is her best. I am reading her next book written after "Jane Eyre", "Shirley," and it is not as clearly structured. The present book is similar in some ways to that great classic "Madame Bovary" in that it is compact, concise, and consists of a well formulated plot; and, it has one strong central protagonist. It is a clear and compelling read. By the way, the character is almost the complete opposite of Madame Bovary in terms of morals.

One can quibble about parts of the story since it relies to some extent on coincidence and luck. Those parts lack realism.

The book was attacked by Christians at the time of publication almost 160 years ago and later by feminists. But that is secondary.

This Oxford version has a good analysis. It has a biography of Charlotte Bronte and comments on her sisters. The Oxford introduction by Sally Shuttleworth places the book in histrical context. Also, extra notes are included on the text. I read the comments after reading the book, and the less you know about the plot before reading the book better off you will be.

This is simply a great read.

Three Brilliant Bronte Masterpieces In One Edition - Worth Its Weight In Gold!.......2005-08-08

Three authors who greatly influenced the direction of the English novel also happened to be sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. Charlotte's "Jane Eyre," Emily's "Wuthering Heights, and Anne's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall," extraordinary novels all, comprise this Oxford University Press edition. The people, events and settings which marked these young women's lives, as well as their vivid imaginations, impacted their writing significantly.

Charlotte Brontë consciously tried to achieve financial success from the family's literary efforts. She wanted to make her living as a writer, and her goals were the most professional of the three. Her novel "Jane Eyre," a dark gothic romance, is the story of a governess and her passionate love for her Byronic employer, Mr. Rochester. It is ranked among the great English novels. There are many recurring themes here, some of which are repeated in other works by Charlotte Bronte: relationships between men and women and their different roles and limitations in society; relations between social classes; religion and morality; the need to fulfill the desires of others versus the necessity to maintain one's personal integrity; the conflict between reason and passion, and, of course, Jane's deep need to love and be loved. However, primary to the tale is the magnificent, complex character of Jane herself.

Long before the women's suffrage movement, Miss Bronte created, in the character of Jane, an intelligent, independent, strong-willed female, determined to make her place in the world. Equality between the sexes is not brought up in the novel, neither legally nor politically. What the persona of Jane addresses here is obvious in the following very famous lines: "Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex."

Emily Bronte is said, by many literary critics, to be the undisputed genius of the family. An uncompromising, enigmatic, almost reclusive personality, she produced only one novel and a few poems, yet she is ranked among the giants of English literature. "Wuthering Heights," her masterpiece, is the wild, passionate story of the intense love between Catherine Earnshaw, another intelligent, independent, strong-willed heroine, and the gypsy-like foundling Heathcliff. This novel, however, is much more than a love story. "Wuthering Heights" is about hatred, cruelty, delusion, frustrated yearning, deep despair and vengeance. At times its very darkness is depressing and painful. Yet love and faithfulness, which endure beyond death, bring hope and much needed light to this tale; as does a second love story, born from the seeds of the first. The author also addresses the issues of social class here. Emily's powerful prose, its very beauty and energy, make the book such a literary classic. Charlotte published "A Biographical Notice of Ellis and Acton Bell" in 1850, in which she explained the morbidity of Emily's work by referring to the "horror of great darkness" in her life.

Of the three extraordinarily gifted Brontë sisters, Anne has been judged the least talented. I say, look at her competition, and her short lifespan. I also think her novel "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall," about a young woman's marriage to a dissipated, villainous rake, is brilliant. Some of the behavior described in the narrative is apparently taken from events which Anne witnessed when she worked as a governess. She openly stated that in "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" she, "wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it." This well written, extraordinary tale can most definitely hold its own against the works of her sisters, and those of other noted authors of the period. Both "Agnes Grey" and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" have been wildly praised for their realism and integrity.

All three girls were born in Thornton, England in the early 1800s. Their father Patrick, was a poor Anglican clergyman. He and his wife had six children. The two oldest daughters, Maria and Elizabeth died before reaching adulthood. Their brother Patrick Branwell, was just a year older than Emily. Shortly after Anne's birth their father accepted a position in Haworth, located within the Yorkshire moors, a wide, wild, vast, uninhabited wilderness which was to have a major effect on all three women's writing. Emily loved walking the moorlands with her dogs, so much so, in fact, that she became desperately unhappy when away from home. She was extremely introspective, and preferred the outdoors to the company of her peers. Thus she made few friends. Her intensity of character is evident in "Wuthering Heights."

When Mrs. Bronte died, soon after reaching Haworth, the children were cared for by their maternal aunt. Charlotte and Emily were sent to Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire but they returned within a year. The treatment at Cowan Bridge was very harsh, and Charlotte later modeled Lowood School, ("Jane Eyre"), after it. "The food was poor and insufficient and they were treated with inhuman severity." The two oldest sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, actually died as a result of the conditions and the sickness contracted there. Charlotte's fiction is full of motherless and orphaned heroines whose loneliness is frequently the driving force behind their search for a place of belonging

For the next several years, the Bronte children were taught at home. They were extremely inventive and creative with their games and imaginary stories. Charlotte attended Miss Wooler's school at Roe Head for one year in 1831, then returned home and taught her sisters. She went back to the Wooler's school to teach in 1835, but after bouts of depression and poor health, she resigned from her position. Again, Charlotte draws material from this experience to use in Jane Eyre.

Charlotte, Emily and Jane collaborated on a book of poems, published at their own expense, entitled "Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell." The pseudonyms were chosen to match the first letter of their names. In 1847 Anne's "Agnes Grey" and Emily's "Wuthering Heights" were published together in three volumes. Although her first novel, "The Professor" was rejected, Charlotte's "Jane Eyre: An Autobiography" was an immediate success. Oddly, Currer Bell was identified as the editor rather than the author. The subtitle was dropped in subsequent editions.The popularity of the Bronte novels allowed Anne's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" to be published shortly thereafter. The sisters' identity as authors was at first unknown, even to their publishers. It was not until after the publication of Charlotte's "Shirley" in 1849 that the truth was made public. By the date of this last publication, the Bronte's family life was to be tragically destroyed.

Branwell Bronte, an unstable man with a history of alcohol and opium use died in September 1848. Emily then fell ill and died of tuberculosis December 19, 1848. Anne soon followed, contracting tuberculosis that same year and dying May 28, 1949. Charlotte continued to live virtually alone at Haworth. The three sisters are almost as famous for their short, tragic lives as for their novels.

Charlotte published "Villette" in 1853. During this period, Charlotte also accepted an offer of marriage from her father's curate Arthur Bell Nicholls and on June 29, 1854, she and Nicholls were wed. She became quite ill with toxemia during pregnancy, complicated by the Brontë susceptibility to tuberculosis. She died March 31, 1855. Her first novel "The Professor "was published posthumously in 1857, and a fragment from an unfinished work entitled "Emma" was published in 1860.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were writers destined to have a tremendous impact on English literature. I cannot recommend their novels highly enough.
JANA

I've read worse.......2005-05-16

This is a good book depending on your maturity level. The less mature among us find it dull and boring, while the more mature find it inspiring and a literary masterpiece. I am somewhere in the middle. Some of the story was uninteresting to me, but for the most part it had a good storyline and was fairly unpredictable.

Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Bronte Poems
Ah, the successes and faults of the Brontës...
Total Chick Bait
READ ME! READ ME! READ ME!
Excellent!

Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters (Dover Thrift Editions)
Anne, and Charlotte Bronte Emily , Emily Brontë , Anne Brontë , and Charlotte Brontë
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics)
The Professor (Penguin Classics)
The Green Dwarf (Hesperus Classics)
Agnes Grey (Oxford World's Classics)
The Life of Charlotte Bronte (Oxford World's Classics)

ASIN: 048629529X

Book Description

Careful selection of 47 poems by talented literary siblings. Twenty-three poems by Emily (including "Faith and Despondency" and "No Coward Soul is Mine"), 14 poems by Anne (including "The Penitent" and "If This Be All") and 10 poems by Charlotte (including "Presentiment" and "Passion"). Reproduced from standard editions. Publisher's Note.

Customer Reviews:

Bronte Poems.......2007-01-10

A wonderful book for any person interested in reading poetry from the Bronte sisters. Even though they were well - known for their novels ( Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Villette...), their poetry wasn't really known that well. This book presents it in a readable format. I recommend it for any Bronte fan. It's good to know about their novels, its even better when you are familiarized with their poems. : )

Ah, the successes and faults of the Brontës..........2006-02-21

This is a rather small book composed of various poems by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë. It's divided into three parts; one for each author.

I gave it three stars because it's a good collection, but not really a good read. I find the Brontë's poetry rather dry and cumbersome compared to their books, but it's still worth a look if you're a true fan. Emily is by far the best poet of the three, and at a whopping $2.00, you're not out much if you decide you don't like it... and you definitely get all that you paid for with this one.

Total Chick Bait.......2003-08-14

Yep, this book is fine for getting college chicks to dig you. Just have a copy of it on your bedside table and they will think you are sensitive and will be all over you. Don't bother to read the book - just keep it in plain sight.

READ ME! READ ME! READ ME!.......2001-02-28

I enjoyed the selected poems. I saw a lot of the same passion in the poems that I have seen also in many of their novels. If you enjoyed the poems you should be sure to get a hold of the Tenant of Wildfell Hall written by Anne Bronte and my utmost favorite Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is definitely a book I would recommend.

Excellent!.......2000-06-15

If you love the Bronte's novels, you'll love their poetry. You learn so much about their lives and relationships with each other by reading it. After reading a biograhpy of the famous family, I can more fully appreciate the poetry that got them started.

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Agnes Grey
Anne Brontë
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Agnes Grey
Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: The Folio Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Agnes Grey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)

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Agnes Grey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics)
Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Literary Classics)

ASIN: 1593083238

Book Description

Written when women—and workers generally—had few rights in England, Agnes Grey exposes the brutal inequities of the rigid class system in mid-nineteenth century Britain. Agnes comes from a respectable middle-class family, but their financial reverses have forced her to seek work as a governess. Pampered and protected at home, she is unprepared for the harsh reality of a governess’s life. At the Bloomfields and later the Murrays, she suffers under the snobbery and sadism of the selfish, self-indulgent upper-class adults and the shrieking insolence of their spoiled children. Worse, the unique social and economic position of a governess—“beneath” her employers but “above” their servants—condemns her to a life of loneliness.

Less celebrated than her older sisters Charlotte and Emily, Anne Bronte was also less interested in spinning wildly symbolic, romantic tales and more determined to draw realistic images of conditions in Victorian England that need changing. While Charlotte’s Jane Eyre features a governess who eventually and improbably marries her employer, Agnes Grey deals with the actual experiences of middle-class working women, experiences Anne had herself endured during her hateful tenure as a governess.

The Great Novels of the Bronte Sisters (The Golden Library)

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The Great Novels of the Bronte Sisters (The Golden Library)
Charlotte Bronte , Emily Bronte , and Anne Bronte
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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