The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

I loved this novel. I have a fondness for all the Bronte sisters, each of their styles are so unique from each other’s. However, I must say that in this current day and age, Anne’s writing is probably more easily understood than her sisters’ darker twisted tales with their more intellectual, spiritual, and frankly, wordy, prose. You don’t have to be a genius or love the classics to enjoy this story. It was well-rounded and kept me fully immersed in the lives it painted. I ate this novel up and it has a very satisfying ending. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to try out classic writers, especially the Brontes, though absolutely pick up Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights as they are a must.

I say as interesting as Wuthering Heights and as good as Jane Eyre because, in my opinion, Wuthering Heights is slightly better than the other two, but Wildfell Hall gives just as much, if not more, food for thought. Anne Bronte has unfairly, almost cruelly, been over-looked until very recently. People who do not enjoy Victorian literature might find this book dull, but, barring that possibility, it is a well-written, ambitious work with plenty to engage the modern mind. It is so incredibly different from her earlier piece, Agnes Grey; much darker, more complex, and more accomplished --- the progresison of Anne's skill between the two is staggering. In terms of narrative structure, it almost rivals Wuthering Heights in complexity. Wildfell Hall has a tripartite narrative structure. Anne Bronte introduces us to the enigmatic, reclusive Helen (the tenant of the title) through the eyes of Gilbert Markham (a foolish, immature, but somewhat charismatic gentleman farmer), who is repulsed by her eccentric, obstinate manner, but who cannot deny the bond forming between them. Helen, new to the neighbourhood, raises first the suspicion, then the ire, of the insular local community (which is drawn in a dry, humourous style not unlike Jane Austen). When events come to a head, Helen finds the only way to exonerate herself is to offer up her diary for examination. The core of the novel is Helen's diary, which covers the years of her life before coming to Wildfell Hall. This is a remarkable tale of deception, domestic abuse, and the dangers of keeping women naive and ignorant. Helen has suffered through ignorance and naivity, and is now a wise women in control of her own life. Anne Bronte seems to channel Mary Wollstonecraft in her calls for more and better education for women in the 19th century. I will make no comment on the third part of the novel, only to say that the narrative voice returns to Gilbert for the denouement contained therein. The end is problematic for some, but I think Anne leaves it open enough for multiple theories and ideas regarding it, many of which have recently been published in scholarly articles. This is the most feminist Bronte novel (yes, more than anything Charlotte penned). It absolutely explodes the Victorian myth of the Angel in the House, and savagely attacts the 19th century assumption that women must be kept innocent and ignorant for their own good. Indeed, Anne anticipated so many modern developments in this text that I would go so far as to say that it is the Bronte novel which has remained most relevant in today's society. It is also the Bronte novel which created the most critical censure upon its publication (likely because it so strongly attacked the status quo of the time). The aforementioned Helen is one of the most captivating characters I have ever encountered. She is strong-willed and independent-minded, but in no way perfect. Indeed, she is deeply naive when we see her at a younger age, but Bronte does not

'Sick of mankind and its disgusting ways' Anne Bronte once scribbled on the back of her prayer book. Her evident harsh view of life, coupled with her moral strength as a woman, are beautifully interwoven to produce this novel; her masterpiece. Although never enjoying the popularity and success of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' - her sisters' books - 'Wildfell Hall' is quite fit to join any bookshelf of classic English literature. The themes include utter despair and the tragic consequences of a young woman's naivety; Helen felt that, although she could see Arthur's faults, she would be able to somehow change him once they were married. In reality, her marital experience was a disaster. Anne Bronte creates a world in which the drunken, immoral behaviour of men becomes the norm and this may have been startling to contemporary readers - perhaps a reason for the book's panning at the critics. The narrative is built up delicately; first Gilbert; and then the racier, more gripping diary of Helen as she guides us through her married life; before returning again to Gilbert, whose tale by this time has become far more exciting as we know of Helen's past. Helen's realisation of the awful truth and her desperate attempts to escape her husband, are forever imprinted in the mind of the reader as passages of perfect prose. One of the earliest feminist novels, the underrated Anne Bronte writes in this a classic, and - defying the views of her early (male) critics - a claim to the position of one of England's finest ever female writers.