Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall

Mr. Huntingdon has to be one of the most odious, despicable characters I've encountered. Anne Bronte so accurately captured the behaviour of an abuser that I can't believe she didn't personally experience that kind of relationship. The little ways that Hundington manipulates Helen made me so angry I had to put the book down at times. Bronte also managed to capture the essence of The Nice Guy so perfectly in Mr. Hargrave, so this novel really does a lot in terms of showing women what kind of men to avoid.

The narrative drags at times (the conclusion is a bit drawn out when we can already see where all of the characters are going to end up like 40-50 pages earlier), but altogether a really impressive work that shouldn't be forgotten in the English literary canon. Compared to Jane Eyre, I found this novel's plot and message to stand the test of time much better. I think the depiction of abuse and the essons learned from this novel feel highly relevant today and would definitely recommend it.

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221bpinkst's review against another edition

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reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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rieviolet's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall much more than Anne Brontë's other novel, Agnes Grey.
I liked the writing style and the use of different narrative techniques
(the alternating POVs and the mix of letters and diaries entries).

It is an engaging read, there is a bit of mystery to keep your interest alive and I was also really engrossed in the characters' emotions. Though I have to say, as the story progressed, I felt that the emotional portrayals moved a bit too much into melodrama territory. I also struggled to reconcile some of the characters' choices with their depiction and growth up to that point, they felt a bit unexpected (and not in a good way).

The themes that are explored (such as addiction, domestic abuse and women's conditions) are really powerful and so releavant even in the present day. However, at times there was just too much of a
religious focus for my personal taste and that lowered my overall enjoyment of the story.

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