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A review by tumblyhome_caroline
The Brontës by Juliet Barker
5.0
What a brilliant and clever biography. I first read this book about 20 years ago but understand it has been revised and updated, so I wanted to reread it. I was a little daunted by the size, my edition has 979 pages plus extensive notes at the end taking it to 1158 pages in total. I should not have been intimidated by that, the book had me totally engrossed and living within its pages this past month or so. While Wuthering Heights is my favourite book and I do love Jane Eyre, I would not describe myself as a die hard Bronte fan. So I don’t think this is a book that is only relevant to those ardent followers of all things Bronte.
Juliet Barker has written such a thorough, well researched book. As well as leaving no stone unturned and detailing so much information based on fact, not speculation, she has also succeeded in making this story readable and as enjoyable as a novel.
I enjoyed the social history aspect of the book, e.g. it told the story of life in the North of England, in small towns, not just the big cities and how someone from that background viewed London life during the Victorian era. It was a really interesting perspective. But mostly I loved reading about how the creative talent within the Bronte family developed. Their story is utterly remarkable, fascinating and unique.
Dare I say that I am not a Jane Austen fan at all, the manners, high society and neatness of those books just doesn’t speak to me. It is an England I don’t recognise or want to know. The Brontes books are wilder, less civilised, with the wind from across the moors blowing out from the pages of their books. This biography is like that also, to read it is to know that the landscape of the Brontes home was woven into them and poured out of their pens in all it’s bleakness. In that respect I loved reading of Emily Brontes love of the moors and how that translated itself into Wuthering Heights.
If I had to be more balanced in this review I would say that I wasn’t so interested in the church politics Patrick Bronte had to deal with and felt the imaginary world building in the Brontes childhood and earlier writing was less enjoyable because it was described in much detail, but agree completely that it needed to be included.
All in all I am a bit sad I have finished the book...I loved it.
Juliet Barker has written such a thorough, well researched book. As well as leaving no stone unturned and detailing so much information based on fact, not speculation, she has also succeeded in making this story readable and as enjoyable as a novel.
I enjoyed the social history aspect of the book, e.g. it told the story of life in the North of England, in small towns, not just the big cities and how someone from that background viewed London life during the Victorian era. It was a really interesting perspective. But mostly I loved reading about how the creative talent within the Bronte family developed. Their story is utterly remarkable, fascinating and unique.
Dare I say that I am not a Jane Austen fan at all, the manners, high society and neatness of those books just doesn’t speak to me. It is an England I don’t recognise or want to know. The Brontes books are wilder, less civilised, with the wind from across the moors blowing out from the pages of their books. This biography is like that also, to read it is to know that the landscape of the Brontes home was woven into them and poured out of their pens in all it’s bleakness. In that respect I loved reading of Emily Brontes love of the moors and how that translated itself into Wuthering Heights.
If I had to be more balanced in this review I would say that I wasn’t so interested in the church politics Patrick Bronte had to deal with and felt the imaginary world building in the Brontes childhood and earlier writing was less enjoyable because it was described in much detail, but agree completely that it needed to be included.
All in all I am a bit sad I have finished the book...I loved it.