The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 

by Anne Bronte
★★★★☆ 

Gilbert Markham is a young man falls for a woman who has moved into a large house in his neighborhood. Her background is a bit of a mystery. As Gilbert becomes more attached her past is slowly revealed in the form of a journal. 

The titular character, Helen Graham, escaped from an abusive marriage with her young son. I was in awe of Anne Bronte’s ability to tell such a relevant story in 1848. There are so many women who find themselves in the same situation today. She was young and naïve when she married Arthur Huntingdon and by the time she learned his true character it was too late. 

The writing is wonderful and for me that story pulled me in completely. The author tells the story from Gilbert’s point-of-view at times and from Helen’s at other times. The changing narrative flowed well and never rang false.

Bronte covers some intense subjects in the book. In addition to infidelity and alcoholism, she makes some disturbing observations about women’s rights during this time period. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come in the last few years. 

BOTTOM LINE: For me, this Bronte novel fell right under Jane Eyre in my ranking. The characters aren’t as likeable, but the story is powerful. 

 

“If you would have your son to walk honorably through the world, you must not attempt to clear the stones from his path, but teach him to walk firmly over them - not insist upon leading him by the hand, but let him learn to go alone.”

“When I tell you not to marry without love, I do not advise you to marry for love alone: there are many, many other things to be considered. Keep both heart and hand in your own possession, till you see good reason to part with them; and if such an occasion should never present itself, comfort your mind with this reflection, that though in single life your joys may not be very many, your sorrows, at least, will not be more than you can bear. Marriage may change your circumstances for the better, but, in my private opinion, it is far more likely to produce a contrary result.”

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte

 

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte

by Syrie James

★★★☆

 

In the same vein as James’ novel on Jane Austen comes this take on Bronte’s life. She flows easily back and forth between known fact and conjecture about the author’s thoughts and romantic feelings. For me, the romance didn’t feel central to the story. Instead it’s more about the bond of the Bronte sisters and their struggle to find their voices despite their circumstances. James clearly did a lot of excellent research about Charlotte’s life and an afterward even clarifies the few bits that aren’t factual.

 

I loved it because I was able to learn more of the facts of Charlotte Bronte’s life in an accessible way. I knew the general story, but this clarified quite a few things about her family for me. I cared less about the romantic relationship, though that was part of the true story as well. The book really made me want to read Elizabeth Gaskell’s biography of Bronte. The two authors’ friendship added such a sweet aspect to Charlotte Bronte’s life, especially after all of her sisters had passed away and she had no one left to talk about her writing. I can’t imagine that kind of loneliness. Not only did she lose her family, she also lost her community of fellow writers.

 

BOTTOM LINE: A great one to pick up after reading Charlotte Bronte’s work. It’s not an earthshattering book, but if you love the Brontes, and I do, this novel is a wonderful way to see what their lives were like. It makes their bodies of work even more impressive when you take into account all the obstacles they overcame to get published.

 

“One man cannot be everything to a woman, nor should he be expected to be.”

 

“It’s not easy, but a clever woman can find time to do the things that matter to her.”

 

Top Ten Favorite Classic Books

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for our Top Ten Favorite Classic Books, which is one of my favorite topics! It's also incredibly hard to just pick ten!

1) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

3) Persuasion by Jane Austen

4) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

5) The Sign of Four (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

6) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

7) Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

8) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

9) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

10) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

 

BONUS: Shakespeare! I can’t pick between his plays so I’m going to give him his own bonus spot.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

★★★★★

 

There are books that resonate with you no matter what stage of life you are in. I first read Jane Eyre in 2007 when I was fresh out of college and in my first real job. Now, seven years later, I’ve had multiple “real” jobs, I’m married and I just celebrated my 30th birthday. I’m at a very different point in life, but the book is more relevant than ever. Rereading it gave me the chance to notice new aspects of the story and to deepen my love for the book in so many ways.

 

Jane Eyre is famous for its scenes with the stormy Mr. Rochester and his terrible secret, but really the book is not just a romance. At its heart it's about a woman who has been through so much. She’s lost everyone she loved and she’s been persecuted by the people who are supposed to care for her. Instead of being cowed into submission and settling into a lonely life of servitude, she stands up for herself. She never allows people to treat her badly. When there’s an easy way out and all she would have to do is compromise her beliefs she refuses to do it. She is strong and brave, but she doesn’t have to shout to get her point across. She has a quiet steely strength and determination that is incredibly rare.

When she unexpectedly falls in love, she never questions her feelings or tells herself she’s not worthy of loving someone in a higher station than she is. She also refuses to let him talk her into doing anything that she doesn’t want to do. No matter how much she loves him she won’t to do something that would make her lose her self-respect.

 

There are so many things I love about her as a character. She's grounded and doesn't let herself be swept away by emotion. She doesn't rely too heavily on what other people think of her. She won't settle for less than what she truly deserves. She works hard to get an education and then put it to use. She wants to be with someone who challenges her, instead of with someone who is comfortable and easy. She doesn’t fall for Rochester’s looks; it’s his personality and fire that win her.

 

I love that Jane knows what she wants but she rarely shows anyone else her true feelings. She is just incredibly brave. She leaves her teaching job, a reliable position, to venture out into something completely unknown in order to experience more of the world. Quitting your job in the 21st century is scary and we have networking and online job search sites. Imagine doing it in the 19th century when you don’t know a soul who can help you find a job.

 

**SPOILERS**

I love that Jane has a chance to return to her first home when her aunt is dying, because it gives her a chance to see how she’s changed since her time away. She has fallen in love not only with Mr. Rochester but also with Thornfield and with the freedom she has there.

 

The scene where Bertha tries on the veil gives me serious chills every time I read it. I know that her whole role in the story is controversial. Does that relationship make Rochester a villain? Was she truly mad or just a victim of circumstance? All great questions and they add an extra layer of depth to the story for me.

 

I also think that the nauseating proposal from St. John is crucial to the story. It shows us that Jane is not willing to settle for a loveless marriage, no matter how convenient. It’s much harder to turn something like that down when you have limited options, but she knows how unhappy it would make both of them.

**SPOILERS OVER**

 

BOTTOM LINE: One of my absolute favorite books, this classic will teach you something new about yourself each time you read it.

 

“I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.”

“I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one.”

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.”

 

Funny Side Notes:

- There are multiple times when Mr. Rochester calls her Janet. I checked different editions to see if it was just a typo but it's Janet and every edition that I have. I never noticed that before.

 

- There’s a line that says “It was the 5th of November, and a holiday.” This made me double check the dates online, but she was referring to Guy Fawkes Day! I had no idea that Guy Fawkes had been tried and executed all the way back in 1605. For some reason I thought it must have been later.

 

- Also, there’s a character named John Green who pops up in chapter 26. How funny is that? Another minor character that I had forgotten is Mr. Oliver, obviously my subconscious remembered that when we named our dog Oliver.

 

Check out the Crash Course episode about this book if you haven’t already seen it!

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for my Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger. I started blogging in January of 2010, so I had a lot of favorite books under my belt before then. Actually, most of them are still favorite books!

  

1) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

5) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

6) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

7) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

8) Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

9) A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

10) Persuasion by Jane Austen

A few bonus ones that could have made the list: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The History of Love, The Time Traveler's Wife, Anne of Green Gables, Nine Stories, Empire Falls, Watchmen, Gone with the Wind, Travels With Charley and 84, Charing Cross Road

Top Ten Favorite Romances

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for my Top Ten Favorite Romances. There will be some SPOILERS if you haven’t read these books.

1) Anne and Captain Wentworth in Persuasion – Their love withstands years of separation and rekindles in the most beautiful way.

2) Anne and Gilbert in the Anne of Green Gables series – I love that we get to see their whole relationship, from courtship through marriage and children throughout the series.

3) Henry and Clare in The Time Traveler’s Wife – Spanning almost Clare’s entire life, these two had a romance that defied fate.

4) Jo and Professor Bhaer in Little Women – I know most people rooted for Laurie and Jo, but re-reading this as an adult made me fall in love with Bhaer along with Jo. They were perfectly suited for each other and they both thought they would probably never find love.

5) Thursday and Landon in the Thursday Next series – What would you do if the man you loved was completely erased from existence? Thursday has to deal with this, yet the books are still hilarious.

6) Levin and Kitty in Anna Karenina – Sure, Anna’s romance is more dramatic, but Levin and Kitty were always my favorite. Their relationship was not an easy one. They both had to mature before they could be together. Their relationship shows that real love is hard work, but worth every second of it!

7) Lucy and George in A Room with a View – The ultimate question in a good romance; do you marry the sensible guy or do you throw caution to the wind and follow your heart? This book has one of the best examples of this kind of romance that I’ve ever read. Plus, they meet in Florence, which is just a lovely bonus.

8) Marco and Celia in The Night Circus – A ridiculously difficult obstacle to overcome, magic in the air, what more could you want?

9) Arwen and Aragorn in Lord of the Rings – A romance that was relegated to the Appendix for the most part, but undoubtedly swoon-worthy. To be together Arwen must give up eternal life, but she knows that a short lifetime with him is better than an eternity without him.

10) Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester – Of course they made my list! Their love is undeniable, yet Jane still walks away because she won’t compromise her belief system for any man. Then comes one of literature’s most irresistible lines … “Reader, I married him.”

Image from here. 

3 years and Thank You

It's been 3 years since I started this little blog. It's changed, I've changed and I still love it. I've made such wonderful friends through blogging. You people have amazing taste in books! I've co-hosted a readalong and joined in lots of others. I became a moderator of the Classics Club, participated in readathons, and most of all I've somehow deepened my love of reading. I didn't know that was possible. 

So I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who stop by here. Your comments and emails always make my day. You all are the kindest, funniest people and I'm so glad that because of this blog I had the chance to meet you! 

As a tiny thank you I'm giving away a copy of the Penguin Clothbound edition of Jane Eyre. It's one of my favorite books and it's part of a series of editions I'm in love with, so it seemed fitting. 

The giveaway is open internationally. To enter all you have to do is comment and leave your email address below. You don't have to be a follower or follow me on twitter or anything else to enter. 

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED- Amy is the winner. Thanks guys!**

I'm only keeping the giveaway open until Sunday because the point is to thank the people who are regular readers. I'll post the winner here and I'll email them. They'll have 24 hours to respond with their address. 

Thanks again guys, you are all awesome. 

Image from here. 

A Victorian Celebration Giveaway!

Giveaway Closed: Kerry @ Entomology of a Bookworm is the winner!

Last year I participated in a Victorian Literature Challenge and read 15 books that fall into that category. I developed a huge appreciation for the genre* and realized how much I enjoy it. I also discovered a few new authors whose work I’m looking forward to exploring.

So when Allie at A Literary Odyssey decided to host a Victorian Celebration this summer I couldn’t resist. To join in the fun I’m giving away three Victorian novels that I love: Jude the Obscure, Jane Eyre and Great Expectations. All three are wonderful in their own ways and if you haven’t read them yet, this is the perfect opportunity.
 
For a chance to win all three books (seen above) leave a comment with your email address and your favorite Victorian novel. This giveaway is open to US residents only, sorry guys!
 
For my own reading choices for the Celebration I decided to definitely read Villette by Charlotte Bronte (1853) and The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (1878). I’m also going to try and fit in a couple more from the following list:

- The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1890)
- Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 

- The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1855) 


- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844) 

- Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1848)

If you’re looking for other ideas of Victorian books to read, here are the books I finished for last year’s Challenge.
1) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895)


2) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1902)


3) Middlemarch by George Eliot (1874)

4) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850) 


5) The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)
 

6) The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (1905) 


7) The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (1897)
 

8) Heidi by Johanna Spyri (1880) 

9) Kim by Rudyard Kipling (1901) 

10) King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (1885) 

11) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1869)


12) The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)


13) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869) 


14) A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1887)


15) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (1845)

* The Victorian era is usually defined as the lifespan of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837-1901. Books published during these particular years and authors who lived during this time usually fall in the “Victorian” category.

Top Ten Victorian Novels

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for my Top Ten books in the genre of my choice. I decided to do Victorian novels, because to complete the Victorian Literature Challenge last year I read 15 books from that period and I have a few others I already loved.

The Victorian era is usually defined as the lifespan of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837-1901. Books published during these particular years and authors who lived during this time usually fall in the “Victorian” category. I’ll also add that there are still many Victorian novels that I haven’t read yet, so if you don’t see your favorite here, tell me I should read it soon!

1) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)

2) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

3) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)

4) Middlemarch by George Eliot (1874)

5) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895)

6) Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)

7) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892)

8) The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)

9) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1859)

10) Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (1851)

Image form here.