topic Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY in Community Chat

THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Oznell — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 11:49:29 GMT

To me, Charlotte, doomed Branwell, Emily and Anne Bronte-- novelists, poets, artists-- are as much a historical phenomenon, as they are a literary one. How many families living in remote obscurity, have burst upon the world with the collective brilliance of this one? The question of their collective talent has always been one of intense fascination.

I've read a number of bios of Charlotte, and even mentioned them here. But a relatively new one (2015) surpasses them, in my opinion, and explores that question posed above, in depth. It is:

"Charlotte Bronte- A Fiery Heart" by biographer Claire Harman, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

(Don't be put off by the hokey appendage, "A Fiery Heart"-- that sounds to me like something a publisher slapped on to attract readers!)

Claire Harman had access to letters not accessible to previous biographers-- but she also has the advantage of absolutely riveting writing skills. The book reads like a novel.

Especially so, in the familiar story of Charlotte's tortured, real-life sojourn at the school in Belgium, run by Monsieur and Madame Heger.

Charlotte's passionate falling in love with the married Heger, (her model for 'Jane Eyre's' "Mr. Rochester") and then, being slowly extricated from that potentially explosive situation, is given in heart-breaking detail.

It tracks so closely with her fictional account of 'Lucy Snowe' and 'Paul Emanuel' in her brilliant novel, "Villette". The long, lonely holidays when Charlotte was left alone at the school in Brussels while the Hegers vacationed, are given in all their tortured, hallucinatory detail, just as they are in fictional "Villette".

I learned more than I had ever known, about the Brontes' somewhat mysterious, highly intelligent, vivacious mother, Maria Branwell, from Cornwall, who died when the children were still young.

The parental Brontes-- Maria Branwell Bronte, and Patrick Bronte. Hmm, the Bronte children had a double dose of Celtic from both of them-- Cornish and Irish! Might explain a lot:

A whole separate book could be written about Charlotte's Irish father, from County Down, born to an agricultural laborer into poverty as "Patrick Brunty", but transformed to "Bronte" and raised to the heights of a Cambridge education and a life as an Anglican clergyman in Yorkshire.

Branwell, Charlotte, Emily and Anne had two older siblings, Maria and Elizabeth, who died young. Charlotte considered Maria to be the most talented of the siblings-- in that crew, that's really saying something!

(In the 21st century, we now know more, personally about Branwell, a prodigy child writer like Charlotte, but also an alcoholic and opiate addict; extreme introvert, wild Emily; and pensive Anne; and this book no doubt benefits from that. Literary opinion has evolved on Anne for example. She's always been given rather short shrift among the other intellectually dazzling siblings. Interestingly now, her "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is considered the first real 'feminist' novel, and is of considerable historical interest for that.)

Genius is always fascinating, but genius plural, in one family, compels attention.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Harpa — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:05:34 GMT

Nice job on this review!! @Oznell

My favorite history of all time is biography!

I have mixed feelings on what to write next...I'm thinking of our younger generations who seem to be pre-occupied not with writing or developing other talents. They have way too many other distractions.

But in any event, I try to force my students' writing! Just yesterday a student submitted quite an astonishing rap! (as we look into rap and electronica Am. pop music.)

There was a movie documentary about the Brontes played on PBS. Did you happen to catch that?

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

kaydee50 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:08:48 GMT

@Oznell Thanks for this review. Will request from our library. I love bios and am always looking for a "good read."

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Patriot3 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:49:41 GMT

Interesting.........going to get the book. Thanks @Oznell

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

MoJoV — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:43:04 GMT

Thanks for the recommendation. I read a book a few years ago very similar to that about the Brontes. I forget the tirle. The son Barnwell caused the family much misery, he died very young.

One of my favorite books is A Chainless Soul by Katherine Harris. It's a biography of Emily and is so interesting. It gives real insight into the fami!y dynamic. I can picture Emily walking through the wild moors of Yorkshire with Keeper. I bought the book and have read it more than once. And I rarely read a book more than once. I hope you read it.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

millieshops — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:23:00 GMT

@Oznell I think it's taken a long time for our cultural life (literature, art, music, dance, theater,etc.) to get the place I believe it deserves when we evaluate various eras. For example, I know I had to be in college before I read anything by any of the Bronte sisters or Jane Austin even though I was aware of other aspects of the history of their era before that.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

stuyvesant — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:44:23 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@Oznell I think it's taken a long time for our cultural life (literature, art, music, dance, theater,etc.) to get the place I believe it deserves when we evaluate various eras. For example, I know I had to be in college before I read anything by any of the Bronte sisters or Jane Austin even though I was aware of other aspects of the history of their era before that.

I read them in grammar school. Probably before I could menstruate. Jane Eyre was great, so was Pride and Prejudice, but Wuthering Heights was insane.

There's a fiunny story about Wuthering Heights. In the book, Heathcliffe leaves, driven off really, a penniless stableboy and comes back wealthy. It's never explained how he made his money (very British).

When the writers were scripting the screenplay, they included an act explaining how Heathcliffe got his money (very American). He was a gambler in the Old West, and even had one of those famous gunfights down the main street. In my head, I've always thought of him in Monument Valley whispering longingly "Cathy."

Anyway, the writers did this as a joke on the director and producer. It was a total spoof. I've always enjoyed that. The writers of that screenplay were the best.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

kaydee50 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:46:54 GMT

@stuyvesant I too read Jane Eyre when I was in grammar school, maybe 10 or 11, and loved it. Tried reading it a few years ago and gave up. How my tastes have changed!!!

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Oznell — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 15:27:48 GMT

@Harpa, no, I haven't seen the documentary. Would love to know what you thought of it-- do you feel it was a good portrayal? There's so much "Bronte love" and respect out there, that documentary and film treatments abound.

What wonderful work you are doing with your students!

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Harpa — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:26:30 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
@Harpa, no, I haven't seen the documentary. Would love to know what you thought of it-- do you feel it was a good portrayal? There's so much "Bronte love" and respect out there, that documentary and film treatments abound.

What wonderful work you are doing with your students!

It was a very good portrayal over several weeks. But as I recall, the sound quality was terrible! In places, the actors were speaking so softly that I missed some of what they were saying. British produced.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Oznell — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:44:26 GMT

Thanks for that, @Harpa ! A multiple-episode series, like you describe, would at least have the advantage of enough time to do justice to such complex characters.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

insomniac2 — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:54:05 GMT

Harpa, I've long been intrigued by the "astonishing Bronte family."

I want to comment on the PBS documentary: I hated it. The program mainly focused on Branwell (the sisters truly were "invisible women"), and so many facts were wrong. It was a true waste of time.

One thing I learned a couple years ago: the pronunciation of their last name. Patrick Bronte (the father--a most fascinating man) had changed the final syllable of Bronte so that it was said as "Bronty." After decades of saying it another way, I've had to remind myself of that final "y."

Also, I treasure the novel Villette. I taught a four-week class on this book about 10 years ago (for OLLI, a senior citizen organization). I also presented it for a recent book club meeting at our wondrous library.

Villette is my favortie Bronte book.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Harpa — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 14:37:10 GMT

@insomniac2

Ah, so! I'll check that out, and perhaps gain a new persective! Thank you!!

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Oznell — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:58:18 GMT

I agree, @insomniac2 -- "Villette", is her crowning achievement.

Re: THAT ASTONISHING BRONTE FAMILY

Harpa — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 18:18:10 GMT

@Oznelland @insomniac2

Just found the audiobook in youtube!

Thanks again! I love being read to!