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A review by laurenjpegler
The Brontësaurus: An A-Z of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (and Branwell) by John Sutherland
3.0
As guessed by the name, this is a sort of thesaurus dedicated to the Brontës. It takes certain phrases, themes and concepts from the family and their work in order to A) make sense of them or B) introduce new arguments. This was a decent read, and has planted new concepts into my mind. I'll definitely look out for some of Sutherland's arguments when re-reading the Brontë novels. Although some of his arguments I had already thought/read about before, I was introduced to a lot of new readings. I would definitely recommend this if you're interested in this deeper reading kind-of thing.
There were some issues with the text though. Firstly, at times, I felt it was a little snobbish (I think that's fair to say?). Although he allowed room for speculation and disagreement from the reader, it also felt like it was his way or no way. What he says goes, and you're wrong to disagree. I'm not sure if this was just me, or if this is a universal feeling, but it was a little discomforting and annoying at times. I want the writer to be distance from what he's saying, not forcing his points onto the reader. Additionally, he seemed to simplify a lot of complex themes and ideas found in the Brontë novels. The entries didn't have to be as short as they did, and he definitely could have expanded on some of his points. He definitely could have argued different sides of his claims, but he chose to only incorporate his own.
I also didn't like his treatment of Anne and Branwell. Firstly, why is Branwell's name in brackets? What is that supposed to mean? He isn't as serious as his sisters? Isn't worthy of being explored, but put in to pacify some readers? He is just as important as the three sisters, and deserved more than an 'Opium' entry. Ugh. Secondly, Sutherland sorely neglected Anne. Apparently, she is destined to be the forgotten one. Only two or three entries were dedicated to her, and then she disappeared. There are plenty of concepts in Anne's novels that could be explored further, but once again she is pushed to the side lines. Not cool. This should have been called The Brontësaurus: an A-Z of Charlotte and Emily (oh, and occasionally Anne and Branwell. But don't get your hopes up). Snooze.
Whereas I really liked some entries, a lot lacked worth. He, evidently, did a wealth of research, but he should have included that more. Tell me where the arguments came from, instead of just dropping them in randomly. Include a bibliography so I can check out some of your readings? Despite this rant I find myself on, Sutherland did make some interesting arguments - not only on topics I am already familiar with, but also new ones. He introduced me to quite a lot of new information! I definitely look at the texts a different way now.
I would recommend as it was insightful, but it wasn't my favourite read about the family.
There were some issues with the text though. Firstly, at times, I felt it was a little snobbish (I think that's fair to say?). Although he allowed room for speculation and disagreement from the reader, it also felt like it was his way or no way. What he says goes, and you're wrong to disagree. I'm not sure if this was just me, or if this is a universal feeling, but it was a little discomforting and annoying at times. I want the writer to be distance from what he's saying, not forcing his points onto the reader. Additionally, he seemed to simplify a lot of complex themes and ideas found in the Brontë novels. The entries didn't have to be as short as they did, and he definitely could have expanded on some of his points. He definitely could have argued different sides of his claims, but he chose to only incorporate his own.
I also didn't like his treatment of Anne and Branwell. Firstly, why is Branwell's name in brackets? What is that supposed to mean? He isn't as serious as his sisters? Isn't worthy of being explored, but put in to pacify some readers? He is just as important as the three sisters, and deserved more than an 'Opium' entry. Ugh. Secondly, Sutherland sorely neglected Anne. Apparently, she is destined to be the forgotten one. Only two or three entries were dedicated to her, and then she disappeared. There are plenty of concepts in Anne's novels that could be explored further, but once again she is pushed to the side lines. Not cool. This should have been called The Brontësaurus: an A-Z of Charlotte and Emily (oh, and occasionally Anne and Branwell. But don't get your hopes up). Snooze.
Whereas I really liked some entries, a lot lacked worth. He, evidently, did a wealth of research, but he should have included that more. Tell me where the arguments came from, instead of just dropping them in randomly. Include a bibliography so I can check out some of your readings? Despite this rant I find myself on, Sutherland did make some interesting arguments - not only on topics I am already familiar with, but also new ones. He introduced me to quite a lot of new information! I definitely look at the texts a different way now.
I would recommend as it was insightful, but it wasn't my favourite read about the family.