Community Chat

[Oznell]

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.

[Harpa]

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?

[kaydee50]

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

[Patriot3]

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

[MoJoV]

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.

[millieshops]

@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.

[stuyvesant]

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@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.

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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.

[kaydee50]

@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!!!

[Oznell]

@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!

[Harpa]

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@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!

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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.