Reviews - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

3.62k reviews for:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Brontë

4.07 AVERAGE

alliebebbs9's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

samanne's review against another edition

4.0

Spoiler in the third paragraph of this review!

It may be the first truly feminist novel, written in the 1820s. I'd overlooked the 3rd Bronte sister. It's not hard to imagine how groundbreaking and controversial this novel was when it was published. The main female character is a painter who resents being disturbed from her vocation by men or mindless chatter. A woman who makes a bad marriage to an abusive alcoholic and managed to run away with her young son and escape (an act that was illegal in the day).

Like her sisters, she published under a male name--Acton Bell. It's amusing to think of a male reader picking this novel up, believing the writer was male, and beginning to read the story that begins from the perspective of rather self-serving clueless man who begins pursuing the mysterious single woman of Wildfell Hall.

I was disappointed that Helen ends up with Gilbert in the end. Yes, his character improved. But stick with your painting! Pursue as much independence a woman was allowed in the early 1800s!

For readers who enjoy reading Bronte novels: don't pass this one up. Another novel that opens a window to the female experience and world of the 19th century/