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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
slow-paced
I'd read "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" as a teen but hadn't gotten to any of the novels by the other Bronte sisters. I am so glad I read this one.
The book concerns a woman with a young son who begins living in the decrepit Wildfell Hall and the young man, Gilbert Markham, who becomes intrigued with her. Rumors start swirling around the woman, Helen, and Gilbert tries to defend her from the gossip but begins to believe it might be true when he witnesses her talking to a man he believes is her secret lover. The middle part of the book is Helen's diary, explaining who she is and how she came to be living under an assumed name in the country.
I love Anne Bronte's descriptions of people and of nature, and her observations about family life. I appreciated that Anne doesn't shrink away from describing domestic abuse, alcoholism and other subjects very taboo in the Brontes' society. It's marvelous, and I recommend it highly if you have enjoyed novels by the other Bronte sisters.
The book concerns a woman with a young son who begins living in the decrepit Wildfell Hall and the young man, Gilbert Markham, who becomes intrigued with her. Rumors start swirling around the woman, Helen, and Gilbert tries to defend her from the gossip but begins to believe it might be true when he witnesses her talking to a man he believes is her secret lover. The middle part of the book is Helen's diary, explaining who she is and how she came to be living under an assumed name in the country.
I love Anne Bronte's descriptions of people and of nature, and her observations about family life. I appreciated that Anne doesn't shrink away from describing domestic abuse, alcoholism and other subjects very taboo in the Brontes' society. It's marvelous, and I recommend it highly if you have enjoyed novels by the other Bronte sisters.
Fantastic so far. I can't seem to find enough time to read it. :D
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So good! Loved every page. It’s a slow story in which characters act in deliciously frustrating ways, and the writing is great and Anne has so much to say about women’s volition and duty in the face of that damned patriarchy. If you like classics, don’t skip this one!
Creo que La inquilina de Wildell Hall pasa al nº1 en mi podio personal de las Brontë.
Estoy seriamente ofendida por que Anne Brontë sea considerada 'la hermana tonta'.
Full recomendado.
Estoy seriamente ofendida por que Anne Brontë sea considerada 'la hermana tonta'.
Full recomendado.
Like many other reviewers, I found the framing story to be very boring. I did not like the narrator at all--he seemed very childish, selfish and downright mean (he purposefully hurts some characters when he's in a bad mood and while his fighting may have been culturally acceptable, I can't forgive his willingness to leave a possibly dying man in the middle of the road). I almost gave up on the book before I got to the diary portion (took something like over 100 pages of the slow frame story) and had to work real hard to finish it. In the end, I'm not entirely sure Helen didn't make the same mistake she did before.
The diary portion of the book is interesting. There were points where I could identify with Helen's feelings (such as when she wonders whether she is keeping her bad marriage a secret out of pride because she doesn't want to admit she's made a mistake or out of bravery in facing her own mistakes.) Beyond the powerlessness in the family shown by Helen's attempts to deal with her husband, there are also haunting scenes involving friends who are pressured and essentially forced into marriage by their family. The diary portion of the story really highlights how little control a woman could have over her life and the subtle ways through which power was asserted over women by their families and husbands.
If I gave this book to a friend I would tell them to only read the diary portion.
The diary portion of the book is interesting. There were points where I could identify with Helen's feelings (such as when she wonders whether she is keeping her bad marriage a secret out of pride because she doesn't want to admit she's made a mistake or out of bravery in facing her own mistakes.) Beyond the powerlessness in the family shown by Helen's attempts to deal with her husband, there are also haunting scenes involving friends who are pressured and essentially forced into marriage by their family. The diary portion of the story really highlights how little control a woman could have over her life and the subtle ways through which power was asserted over women by their families and husbands.
If I gave this book to a friend I would tell them to only read the diary portion.
emotional
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
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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