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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Do not read this book if you expect a biography of the sort published in the 20th and 21st century. It is a different format and not at all satisfying if one expects the above described.
I enjoyed the book but I definitely have a couple "bones to pick." One, Gaskell's chronology is quite hazy and hard to decipher. Two, one of the reasons for the first point is Gadkell's frequent insertion of Charlotte's correspondence. While fascinating to read these letters, it helps Gaskell avoid making any sort of opinion of and/or judgment call on any of her friend's choices. Haskell is deferential in the extreme.
This book makes it easy to see why all of the books of the Brontë sisters are so utterly depressing. (Any biography would do the trick, I think.)
This book also makes me want to read an actual biography written by an unconnected third party with a bit more time than two years separating the author from the death of the subject.
I enjoyed the book but I definitely have a couple "bones to pick." One, Gaskell's chronology is quite hazy and hard to decipher. Two, one of the reasons for the first point is Gadkell's frequent insertion of Charlotte's correspondence. While fascinating to read these letters, it helps Gaskell avoid making any sort of opinion of and/or judgment call on any of her friend's choices. Haskell is deferential in the extreme.
This book makes it easy to see why all of the books of the Brontë sisters are so utterly depressing. (Any biography would do the trick, I think.)
This book also makes me want to read an actual biography written by an unconnected third party with a bit more time than two years separating the author from the death of the subject.
to be cont.
This is my first Bronte biography (other than a novelized version of Charlotte's life by Lynne Reid Banks), despite having been a fan of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights for a few years. Now I'm not a Bronte scholar, but I found it pretty interesting and informative.
First of all, it was pretty impressive to read an entire book by someone who knew her personally - albeit only during the last few years of her life - especially given that she had few close friends. Mrs. Gaskell certainly added plenty of detail without making it dry. There were parts that I got a bit bored, probably partly due to the different style of the period as much as to the long descriptive sections. Still, it contained some powerful passages, especially pertaining to the Cowan Bridge school, and Charlotte's mourning after the deaths of all her siblings, especially Emily and Anne. She let Charlotte's own words speak for themselves where it was possible; in the recounting of Emily's terrible death, her sister described it much better than anyone else could have. I can't say Mrs. Gaskell didn't do her research: gathering letters Charlotte had written, visiting any place that had an association with her, and interviewing her friends and acquaintances, even some of those from her time at Cowan Bridge. That anyone would go to these lengths to write a biography of her friend is tremendous and, I think, speaks well of their relationship.
OK, you might have guessed what I'm going to say: That said. It seems as though Mrs. Gaskell both believed Charlotte was all but sainted, and gave a watered-down version of her character. My perception may have been influenced by Alan Shelston, editor of the copy I read, who pointed out that the author was anxious to emphasize Charlotte's bearing up through difficult times. Which I'm not denying certainly were difficult if the account in the biography is accurate. Mrs. Gaskell wanted to protect her friend's memory from accusations that she was "unfeminine" and "immoral" for countering enforced gender and class roles of the time, especially given that there were surviving close friends and family who must have been hurt by these charges, particularly pointed because of the rigid Victorian standards. This solicitousness on the author's part seems to have resulted in her emphasizing Charlotte's self-denial and devout Christianity, opting to stay at home caring for her ailing family members rather than living independently as she had wanted, and constantly looking to her faith for guidance. I'm sure these were true. But in this soft-spoken image, I'm having a hard time seeing the woman who spoke against the repression of women; who countered the idea that people in lower social classes were inferior to those of the higher, who held that everyone should have self-respect and deserved respect from others, no matter if that person was male or female, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly; who wrote so fiercely about independence and personal freedom. It's particularly disappointing given my attachment to Jane Eyre. I was hoping to find more of Jane herself in the person who created her.
Overall, I found it well-researched and informative about the Bronte family, but a letdown as far as giving a fair picture of Charlotte's personality. Worth reading for the educational aspect.
This is my first Bronte biography (other than a novelized version of Charlotte's life by Lynne Reid Banks), despite having been a fan of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights for a few years. Now I'm not a Bronte scholar, but I found it pretty interesting and informative.
First of all, it was pretty impressive to read an entire book by someone who knew her personally - albeit only during the last few years of her life - especially given that she had few close friends. Mrs. Gaskell certainly added plenty of detail without making it dry. There were parts that I got a bit bored, probably partly due to the different style of the period as much as to the long descriptive sections. Still, it contained some powerful passages, especially pertaining to the Cowan Bridge school, and Charlotte's mourning after the deaths of all her siblings, especially Emily and Anne. She let Charlotte's own words speak for themselves where it was possible; in the recounting of Emily's terrible death, her sister described it much better than anyone else could have. I can't say Mrs. Gaskell didn't do her research: gathering letters Charlotte had written, visiting any place that had an association with her, and interviewing her friends and acquaintances, even some of those from her time at Cowan Bridge. That anyone would go to these lengths to write a biography of her friend is tremendous and, I think, speaks well of their relationship.
OK, you might have guessed what I'm going to say: That said. It seems as though Mrs. Gaskell both believed Charlotte was all but sainted, and gave a watered-down version of her character. My perception may have been influenced by Alan Shelston, editor of the copy I read, who pointed out that the author was anxious to emphasize Charlotte's bearing up through difficult times. Which I'm not denying certainly were difficult if the account in the biography is accurate. Mrs. Gaskell wanted to protect her friend's memory from accusations that she was "unfeminine" and "immoral" for countering enforced gender and class roles of the time, especially given that there were surviving close friends and family who must have been hurt by these charges, particularly pointed because of the rigid Victorian standards. This solicitousness on the author's part seems to have resulted in her emphasizing Charlotte's self-denial and devout Christianity, opting to stay at home caring for her ailing family members rather than living independently as she had wanted, and constantly looking to her faith for guidance. I'm sure these were true. But in this soft-spoken image, I'm having a hard time seeing the woman who spoke against the repression of women; who countered the idea that people in lower social classes were inferior to those of the higher, who held that everyone should have self-respect and deserved respect from others, no matter if that person was male or female, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly; who wrote so fiercely about independence and personal freedom. It's particularly disappointing given my attachment to Jane Eyre. I was hoping to find more of Jane herself in the person who created her.
Overall, I found it well-researched and informative about the Bronte family, but a letdown as far as giving a fair picture of Charlotte's personality. Worth reading for the educational aspect.
I have always wanted to read this biography and I am glad that I now have. But it is not for the fainthearted. Some of the passages are difficult to get through (some are even in French) but try not to give up. Some passages are very illuminating, I felt like I was in Haworth Parsonage listening to the Bronte sisters. The section dealing with the deaths of Charlotte's siblings is incredibly moving.The insights into Charlotte's life through the letters she wrote are also very interesting. I have always been a Emily Bronte fan rather than Charlotte but this book has raised Charlotte in my estimation. I also wanted to read this because it is written by Elizabeth Gaskill who knew Charlotte personally and so this gives the account of Charlotte's life an extra dimension.It is a difficult book to read because of the language and the Victorian references to people who were in the news at the time but if you are a Bronte fan it really is a must read.
Hard to imagine the almost unremittingly dismal life Bronte led and the faith she maintained throughout that.
informative
slow-paced
2017: DNF at 33%. I had the wrong expectations for this work. This is a collection of letter fragments written by Charlotte Bronte, which Gaskell has curated and contextualized. I was expecting a Gaskell novel about Charlotte Bronte. Gaskell's writing does not shine or entertain in this volume like it does in most of her other works (at least, for me). I may attempt to finish this in the future, now knowing what to expect. I recommend you pick this up if you want to learn about Charlotte Bronte, not if you are a fan of Gaskell's writing. I wanted both, but it turns out the Gaskell part was more important to me at this time.
2020: DNF at 40 pages. This is just so dry! It reads like Gaskell did her best to sound like a serious nonfiction writer rather than herself. I’d much rather put the effort into Barker’s 900 paged Brontë biography, that is more accurate, than this one.
2020: DNF at 40 pages. This is just so dry! It reads like Gaskell did her best to sound like a serious nonfiction writer rather than herself. I’d much rather put the effort into Barker’s 900 paged Brontë biography, that is more accurate, than this one.
This book is particularly interesting to me because it combines two factors : one, Elizabeth Gaskell *and* Charlotte Brontë (two for the price of one) ; two, this is the first biography that a man (Patrick Brontë) asked a woman to write. Apparently, no woman novelist had written a biography before about a woman novelist. It was published in 1857, so 2 years after Charlotte's death.
This is a strange biography : at the very beginning of the book, Elizabeth Gaskell tells us about Yorkshire and its inhabitants and it's really funny ! Because she was well bred and respectable and the people of Yorkshire tended to be... rougher. At least, the one she chose to describe, I'm afraid she was an unreliable narrator, she chose a certain aspect of life in Yorkshire to display.
Then she moves on to the life of Charlotte. She visited people she knew, she wrote to her friends, she gathered information, of course she talked with her father (I'm not sure she really liked him ?) and so we learn about her childhood and that of her famous siblings. But as soon as we reach the stage when Charlotte has made friends and corresponds with them, there are a lot (and I mean a lot) of letters, commented by Elizabeth from her point of view.
Since Charlotte's father was at the origin of this biography, and Elizabeth was a friend of Charlotte, there are certain details that you feel she holds back out of delicacy I guess (and fear of trials), about Branwell of course - he's barely there, but not only. Reputation was important in those days so never lose sight that the biography was subjective. One detail pops to my mind (not written, I learned otherwise) : Elizabeth never let her own daughter read Jane Eyre before she turned 20 ! Charlotte in here is portrayed as a rather depressed, but a very wise and obedient daughter - she lacks the spark that must have existed when you read her books and see her personality shine through. Even if I think that her mental health must have been in cause (but hey, dead mother, dead siblings, sick father, ill health, gloomy winters), not only her physical health as Elizabeth says. But still, you catch a glimpse of that spark here and there. And you know that Charlotte was her father's daughter : he left Ireland at a very young age to make a life for himself, Charlotte, obscure daughter of a Yorkshire clergyman, managed to bring her sisters' books and her own to lasting world wide fame. She must have felt trapped in the monotony of her life as the eldest daughter replacing her mother, literature was a means of escape.
What shocked me was how unsanitary Haworth was, not only because of the weather, the cold, the lack of heating, but also because apparently when it rained, the waters washing the cemetary contaminated the town's water supplies (anyone who has seen pictures of Haworth will understand why, there's a very steep road there) ! No wonder so many people died young in this family and in the surrounding neighbourhood. At one time, there were eight people buried in one day in Haworth !
As a conclusion, I would say that it's a very interesting biography, not only when it comes to Charlotte, but also about Elizabeth herself and the era they were living in and the memory they wanted to leave for posterity. It's worth reading also for Charlotte's letters and the stories you learn, details about her life, how she and Elizabeth Gaskell's daughter held hands when they were together - some things that make her more alive to us, more human.
I don't intend to read this biography only. I heard that Elizabeth's book was making a saint out of Charlotte, now I have Laura El Makki's biography, who I heard was turning Charlotte into a villain, then I have the book written by Peggy Hewitt who worked at the Brontë parsonage. Those two are on my shelves, but I'm mostly looking forward to reading Juliet Barker's books - the ultimate reference, so I heard. Great reads to come !
This is a strange biography : at the very beginning of the book, Elizabeth Gaskell tells us about Yorkshire and its inhabitants and it's really funny ! Because she was well bred and respectable and the people of Yorkshire tended to be... rougher. At least, the one she chose to describe, I'm afraid she was an unreliable narrator, she chose a certain aspect of life in Yorkshire to display.
Then she moves on to the life of Charlotte. She visited people she knew, she wrote to her friends, she gathered information, of course she talked with her father (I'm not sure she really liked him ?) and so we learn about her childhood and that of her famous siblings. But as soon as we reach the stage when Charlotte has made friends and corresponds with them, there are a lot (and I mean a lot) of letters, commented by Elizabeth from her point of view.
Since Charlotte's father was at the origin of this biography, and Elizabeth was a friend of Charlotte, there are certain details that you feel she holds back out of delicacy I guess (and fear of trials), about Branwell of course - he's barely there, but not only. Reputation was important in those days so never lose sight that the biography was subjective. One detail pops to my mind (not written, I learned otherwise) : Elizabeth never let her own daughter read Jane Eyre before she turned 20 ! Charlotte in here is portrayed as a rather depressed, but a very wise and obedient daughter - she lacks the spark that must have existed when you read her books and see her personality shine through. Even if I think that her mental health must have been in cause (but hey, dead mother, dead siblings, sick father, ill health, gloomy winters), not only her physical health as Elizabeth says. But still, you catch a glimpse of that spark here and there. And you know that Charlotte was her father's daughter : he left Ireland at a very young age to make a life for himself, Charlotte, obscure daughter of a Yorkshire clergyman, managed to bring her sisters' books and her own to lasting world wide fame. She must have felt trapped in the monotony of her life as the eldest daughter replacing her mother, literature was a means of escape.
What shocked me was how unsanitary Haworth was, not only because of the weather, the cold, the lack of heating, but also because apparently when it rained, the waters washing the cemetary contaminated the town's water supplies (anyone who has seen pictures of Haworth will understand why, there's a very steep road there) ! No wonder so many people died young in this family and in the surrounding neighbourhood. At one time, there were eight people buried in one day in Haworth !
As a conclusion, I would say that it's a very interesting biography, not only when it comes to Charlotte, but also about Elizabeth herself and the era they were living in and the memory they wanted to leave for posterity. It's worth reading also for Charlotte's letters and the stories you learn, details about her life, how she and Elizabeth Gaskell's daughter held hands when they were together - some things that make her more alive to us, more human.
I don't intend to read this biography only. I heard that Elizabeth's book was making a saint out of Charlotte, now I have Laura El Makki's biography, who I heard was turning Charlotte into a villain, then I have the book written by Peggy Hewitt who worked at the Brontë parsonage. Those two are on my shelves, but I'm mostly looking forward to reading Juliet Barker's books - the ultimate reference, so I heard. Great reads to come !
What a fantastic book!! I never was a large fan of Jane Eyre but I am infinitely more appreciative of it now, thanks to Elizabeth Gaskell. I really need to read more of her books ahhhh
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
I like Elizabeth Gaskell's work. She tells engaging stories and that is exactly what she has done here. Originally requested by Charlotte's father to write a biography of Charlotte's life. Patrick Bronte together with Charlotte's widowed husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls, wisely realised that if they did not select someone to write about Charlotte's life, then someone who was not their choice would certainly do so. Unfortunately, while Gaskell seemed the most suitable choice for a fair, unbiased account, they would have been better to have chosen one of Charlotte's many other female writer friends. Gaskell certainly does not allow the truth to get in the way of a good story. She certainly did do a fair amount of research, although she was happy to pass over various sources who had a better claim of intimacy with Charlotte than she herself did. Gaskell did visit Haworth during Charlotte's life and Charlotte visited Gaskell in London (where, it is to be noted, she was extremely uncomfortable and taken to gatherings where she would be considered an oddity with a curious lack of sensitivity in her host!) however the 'friendship' between them was not nearly so close as Gaskell intimates.
She also compounds the issue by giving an unequal and selective portrait of the rest of the Bronte family which does a great disservice to Patrick, Branwell and even Emily. Patrick wrote to Gaskell on several occasions to politely request that she clear up and amend certain inaccuracies; Gaskell never replied to any of these letters and went abroad just as the biography was published. In the end Patrick dropped the matter, preferring to let his daughter's memory rest.
Part of the problem with writing a biography of the Brontes, is that they wrote such strong and enduring characters that they frequently became confused with their creations. This biography gives a flavour of the times and certainly tells us a lot about Elizabeth Gaskell but get your Bronte facts elsewhere. Julet Barker's The Brontes is excellent.
She also compounds the issue by giving an unequal and selective portrait of the rest of the Bronte family which does a great disservice to Patrick, Branwell and even Emily. Patrick wrote to Gaskell on several occasions to politely request that she clear up and amend certain inaccuracies; Gaskell never replied to any of these letters and went abroad just as the biography was published. In the end Patrick dropped the matter, preferring to let his daughter's memory rest.
Part of the problem with writing a biography of the Brontes, is that they wrote such strong and enduring characters that they frequently became confused with their creations. This biography gives a flavour of the times and certainly tells us a lot about Elizabeth Gaskell but get your Bronte facts elsewhere. Julet Barker's The Brontes is excellent.