Reviews - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

3.65k reviews for:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Brontë

4.07 AVERAGE

lisa__t's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

imissyou's review against another edition

3.0

So, here's the thing.
It's not the best book ever (Gilbert is one of the most annoying characters I have ever read) but it's not the worst either... it's just meh

carolinebl's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This is my least favourite of the Brontë sister novels I have read thus far. I enjoyed the large middle section told in Mrs Graham’s hand, but I could not stand the narrator!

Mr Markham is violent, impatient, obsessive, self-centred and a whole manner of unpleasant characteristics that make me question Helen’s taste (though her first husband was certainly worse). Hopefully our narrator proves a better husband than a friend. I could not root for him, so the ending was not a satisfying resolution. Furthermore, it was too easy for Mr Huntingdon’s death to wrap the narrative up so neatly.

Disliking a character does not necessitate disliking a novel, but I don’t think that he was supposed to be so unlikeable, especially considering the strong religious messaging throughout. This is a bold story with some great twists, but also a few considerable flaws.

Content Warnings

kbkittyb's review against another edition

5.0

This will never not be a 5* read for me.

This is my second re-read and it is brilliant as the first time.

This book is a warning...it was a warning to women when they had no warnings. The bravery of Anne Bronte for writing this when she did is truly astonishing - my respect for her will never cease.

The book itself is well structured, never boring in its visceral true-to-life representation of DV, some of the characters are endearing although flawed (I do not count certain 'gentlemen' in this, they suck), and the level of satisfaction that is given by the characters 'just desserts' is cathartic.

This book is as valid today as it was then...But this book did sooo much for sooo many women.

Despite all of the reality of this book, there is an endearing love story that shines through the bleak truth. A must read for everyone...

zhelmikuu's review against another edition

5.0

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

avaxgayle's review against another edition

4.0

I think this book is good! I like how it explored the themes of an unhappy home, and a sort of quest for happiness (and the belief that it might be unattainable). It has, what I would consider, a pretty basic (but happy!) ending - all the bad people are punished, and all the good people are happy in the end.