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A review by cousinrachel
The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell
4.0
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.