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rosietakesonliterature's review against another edition
5.0
Took me too long to finish, but my favorite of gothic novels, I think. I truly wish for a different ending, as I found the “we got married” quite underwhelming, but for one of the first feminist pieces of literature it was a leap. Beautiful story, I loved the epistolary nature and the fact that it was a novel inside a novel, in a way. Huge fan.
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
erinsca's review against another edition
5.0
Anne Bronte is my homegirl. This book was so wonderful. Anne did a wonderful job of telling a (feminist!)morality tale while weaving a romance and personal growth through it all. I don't know why The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is so under-appreciated in today's book culture but I hope that changes soon.
This story is about a mysterious woman called "Helen Graham" who comes to a tight-knit town with her small son Arthur and inhabits the dreary Wildfell Hall and intrigues the gossipy neighbors. She is apparently a widow, she supports herself with her paintings, and she appears to others to be harsh, unforgiving, and overly pious. (She won't drink alcohol and keeps her son near her at all times which irritates the villagers.)
A local farmer, Gilbert Markham is attracted to this beautiful young widow and starts a friendship with her. She is reluctant to become attached to Markham but eventually the two fall in love.
After much time, she decides to reveal to Gilbert that she is not, in fact, a widow but that she is hiding from her abusive, alcoholic, philandering husband so that he can't taint her son and ruin him. The book goes into great detail on the perils of marrying the wrong man and the consequences that women in those days had to endure if their husband was a monster.
It ends happy but not without a period of dreary existence for poor Helen. Stick with it though and in the end Ms.Bronte does a great job of actually showing the relationship of Hero and Heroine unlike so many novels of the time that wrap up the romantic tension in two paragraphs.
This is a must-read for lovers of classic literature. Do yourself a favor and read it!
This story is about a mysterious woman called "Helen Graham" who comes to a tight-knit town with her small son Arthur and inhabits the dreary Wildfell Hall and intrigues the gossipy neighbors. She is apparently a widow, she supports herself with her paintings, and she appears to others to be harsh, unforgiving, and overly pious. (She won't drink alcohol and keeps her son near her at all times which irritates the villagers.)
A local farmer, Gilbert Markham is attracted to this beautiful young widow and starts a friendship with her. She is reluctant to become attached to Markham but eventually the two fall in love.
After much time, she decides to reveal to Gilbert that she is not, in fact, a widow but that she is hiding from her abusive, alcoholic, philandering husband so that he can't taint her son and ruin him. The book goes into great detail on the perils of marrying the wrong man and the consequences that women in those days had to endure if their husband was a monster.
It ends happy but not without a period of dreary existence for poor Helen. Stick with it though and in the end Ms.Bronte does a great job of actually showing the relationship of Hero and Heroine unlike so many novels of the time that wrap up the romantic tension in two paragraphs.
This is a must-read for lovers of classic literature. Do yourself a favor and read it!
biolexicon's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those rare books that finds words for feelings I've been unable to articulate. It is an understatement to say that I love it.
I'm also an atheist. I know religious salvation is a major theme in this book, but the emotions resonate beyond that, for me at least.
I'm also an atheist. I know religious salvation is a major theme in this book, but the emotions resonate beyond that, for me at least.
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not sure why Anne Brontë isn’t talked about as much or more then her sisters. I’ve read wuthering heights and didn’t really get the romanticism of healthcliffe being in love with the girl version of him and Catherine being in love with the male version of him. They were such awful people with too much self love. Then I’ve tried 4 times to read jane eyre before giving up. This book is much better written and way more accessible then her sister’s works. It’s also far more radical. A woman in an abusive relationship leaving with her son and making it on her own? Completely unheard of in that era. The way it was presented with letters and diary entries was a really interesting way to do it as well.
stuperman_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Gaslighting
usnebojemesa's review against another edition
4.0
a really nice, comforting read
really like gilbert's part of the story, kinda wish helen's story wasn't written through diary entries but oh well
really like gilbert's part of the story, kinda wish helen's story wasn't written through diary entries but oh well