The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Easy Classics)

Written by Anne Brontë and Stephanie Baudet

Narrated by Rachel Beresford

An illustrated adaptation of Anne Bronte's classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
A mysterious woman has arrived at Wildfell Hall. Unmarried and living alone, she is the subject of whispers and rumours. Where has she come from? Where is her husband? Gilbert is determined to find out about this secretive woman. And, when he gets her journal, he finally has the chance …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing
• Release date: Sep 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781782267072

Anne Brontë

Anne Brontë was born in Yorkshire in 1820. She was the youngest of six children and the sister of fellow novelists Charlotte and Emily, the authors of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights respectively. Her mother died when she was a baby and she was raised by her aunt and her father, The Reverend Patrick Brontë. Anne worked as a governess before returning to Haworth where she and her sisters published poems under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. She published her first novel, Agnes Grey in 1847 and this was followed by The Tenant of Wildfell Hallin 1848. She died from tuberculosis in 1849

Reviews for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Easy Classics)

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some very painful reading! And sometimes I just wanted to slap that Gilbert upside the head, I really did.

[paulusm_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like Hollyoaks for the 19th century, with a healthy dose of religious piety

[m.belljackson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Tenant offers a finely written plot with two well realized main characters, one through letters and the other via diary entries.Unfortunately, the episodes of catering to all those insufferable men and the overlong diarymade for interminable boredom.As well, the horrific beating of a former friend was both unwelcome and improbable.

[teresa1966-460496 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gripping, scandalous and quite ahead of its time.

[philsyphe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anne Brontë was an author capable of producing vivid scenes and believable characters. You can picture everything clearly. owing to Anne’s superb writing skills. I consider this woman to be a genius.This is the first novel I read with a twin narrative. To begin with, we have first-person narration from the lead male character Gilbert Markham, followed by the first-person narrative of the lead female character Helen Graham/Huntingdon, and finally it’s back to Markham again. This approach works incredibly well.Anne shows – and mean “shows”, not “tells” – us the hearts and minds of these two principle characters. You feel what they feel; see what they see. You sense the oppression of being in a home where you can’t be happy, or even at ease. This is one of few books I’ve read that has left strong impressions of certain scenes in my mind like memories.The way this gifted author conveys emotion is impeccable. Sometimes it’s a simple thing, like showing Helen’s annoyance with Gilbert as she flicks through some pages without reading them – creative writing at its best.This is essentially a love story, but it has great depth, and is by no means your average boy-meets-girl story. Lots of conflict and heartache feature along the way.The theme of drinking too much is didactic but this in no way proves irritating to a modern reader – not to this one, anyway. Anyone familiar enough with Brontë history will know that Anne’s brother died through his addiction to drink, so it’s understandable that she’d want to dissuade others from following the same path via the means she knows best – her pen. Again, this doesn’t detract from the story. In fact, it strengthens it.The “bad boys” of the story are led by Arthur Huntingdon. Arthur is a despicable character, to whom it’s hard to feel any sympathy for. Same can be said for his cohort Grimsby. Hargrave is more likable, but having said that, he’s still something of a sly creep. Hattersley, on the other hand, I found rather likable, especially as Helen’s narrative progresses.I first read “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” in 2010 as part of a module during the second year of my BA degree. All the books I’d studied beforehand paled compared to this literary masterpiece. I was so absorbed by it that I chose this and Charlotte Brontë’s “Villette” as my essay for the module’s assessment, which meant reading both these books a second time only a few months after my first reading. This was no chore.Ten years after reading “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” for a second time, I decided to pay tribute to Anne Brontë on her 200th birthday in January 2020 by reading it again. This is one of few books I’ve read more than twice (not counting the likes of Mr Men stories, which I read repeatedly when I was a boy). Pleased to say that I once again enjoyed my experience of this classic novel.When some people talk about the Brontë sisters, they refer to Anne as “the other one”. I refer to Anne as “the best one”. Her writing style is notably different to her sisters Charlotte and Emily, who both write romantic fiction. Anne was a realist author, and a damn good one at that.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is so adorably, painfully, frustratingly Hufflepuff. The good folks at The Toast knew what they were about when they sorted Anne Bronte into that esteemed Hogwarts House. This is an interesting book with sporadic plotting and framing, but a worthwhile read, nonetheless. I would definitely choose to spend class time on this over Wuthering Heights ANY DAY.

[elenaj-147457 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised by how heavy this book is on theology and moral didactics (perhaps I would be less surprised if I were more versed in the Brontes). But it's a very readable and striking story.

[susiebookworm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Enjoyed" might be a strong word for reading this. The story of Helen's marriage isn't quite as depressing as some other hard-hitting 19th-century novels (cough cough, Jude the Obscure), but it's on up there. In reading fiction, I don't think I've ever run across depictions of male characters who are such prime examples of gaslighting, toxic masculinity, narcissism, and emotional abuse. It surprised me in a 1848 novel, because Anne Bronte certainly would not have had those specific terms in mind when she crafted the characters. And it is a well-crafted novel. It's realistic throughout: no caricatures; no extreme drama or sentimentalism; no plot holes or sudden fortuitous endings (though, SPOILER ALERT, it is a happy ending!). Much unlike some of the twists and little gothic details of Charlotte's work.

[jbd1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another one of those books that had somehow slipped through the cracks for far too long. I'm glad I finally read it: it's a well-crafted novel, with believable (if nearly all pretty awful) characters. 

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We took a trip to England this spring and part of the time we spent in Yorkshire very near where the Brontes were raised. We didn't go to Haworth Hall but we were very near so we were certainly in Bronte country. Considering that all 6 Brontes died before reaching their 40s their fame is quite amazing. Anne was the youngest child but may have been the most productive since, using the name Acton Bell, she had poems and two novels published. However, her writing was not as celebrated as that of her two sisters, Charlotte and Emily. For my taste I prefer this book to Wuthering Heights but perhaps not as much as Jane Eyre.When a young widow and her son come to take up residence of Wildfell Hall near Linden-Car the local gentry is extremely curious about her background. Visits are paid to Mrs. Graham but she is slow to divulge any information. When she finally comes to the farm run by Gilbert Markham with her young son she explains that she keeps close to the Hall because she does not want to leave young Arthur alone. Gilbert and his mother and others are quick to tell her she is spoiling the youngster and they are particularly surprised that she does not allow him to take any alcoholic beverage. Boys should be exposed to danger and temptation to ready them for such when they are adults. When Mrs. Graham asks if girls should also be treated so and receives the answer that they should not she questions why the distinction is made. This is one of the first instances that show us why this book is conssidered the first feminist novel. Despite this rocky beginning Gilbert and Mrs. Graham (who allows Gilbert to call her Helen eventually) become quite good friends and soon Gilbert develops other feelings for her. Helen refuses his declarations of love and when Gilbert sees her arm in arm with her landlord he thinks they are having a love affair. Some time later he confronts Helen and she gives him her diary to read so that he will know her full story, a story which tells the tale of her marriage to a controlling, alcoholic adulterer and her secret escape from him. But then Gilbert learns that Helen has returned to her husband who has been badly injured by a fall from his horse. Even when the husband dies Gilbert can see no way to propose marriage to Helen because of their differences in property and standing in society. This book certainly points out the disparity between women and men before women could own property and divorce. Helen delays leaving her husband because he would not agree to her taking their son with her and, by law, he was entitled to custody of the child. She brought property with her to the marriage but lost ownership of it with the wedding vows. She manages to use her artistic talent to raise some money which she hoped would enable her to flee to the US but when her husband learns of her plan he confiscates all the money plus any jewellery that she might use to convert to funds. It was only by borrowing some funds and a place of refuge from her brother (the man Gilbert saw her walking arm in arm with) that she finally managed to make her escape. From all I've read this was no exaggeration of conduct to make a dramatic novel; women were at the mercy of their husbands in that time. It makes me glad I was raised in the 20th century. Things are still not completely equitable between men and women but we have come a long way.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is an interesting novel, but is not, I think, destined to be one of my favourites. The story itself is fascinating for showing a failing marriage. Helen marries Arthur Huntingdon as she believe she sees something in him and can change him for the better. This is despite the best advice of her aunt, who can see right through Huntingdon's facade from the start. Mind you we can't necessarily blamed Helen for that; which of us has not ignored advice when it does not meet with our own inclination. Thought not. From the marriage things begin to go downhill. At first slowly, but then with increasing speed. Huntingdon is a drunk, a bully and generally behaves bady, showing a complete lack of care for his wife, who can do nothing right for him, and embarking on an affair with her friend, who has married one of his friends. It's not a pleasant portrait of life, but it is a very real one. It is, however, the behaviour towards her young son, also Arthur, that finally causes Helen to get the hell out of there and so she plots to leave Huntingdon. And this is actually where we see her first, as the new tenant of the house on the fell, calling herself Mrs Graham. I was not convinced by the manner in which this was told. It is set as a letter from our narrator to his brother in law, and tells of how he meets Mrs Graham and falls for her. She then geives him her diary, which is then related to the letter's recipient. It just doesn;t hang together and leaves everything at third hand. while both the letter and the diary are told in the first person, they are curiously flat and distant, somehow. I never really felt for them in any immediate way. Helen herself is a bit of an enigma, she leaves Huntingdon primarily for the sake of her son, not herself. She refuses the advances of any suitor while she is married, for the sake of their souls. Then she returns to nurse her husband. It's all very contradictory. I'm glad that I have finally read it, and I like the way that there is no sugar coating, this is a portrait of a failing marrige, it is not supposed to be nice or much of a romance. It's a warning to others, if you like, to not be taken in by appearances and to seek something stable and satisfyng. There's enough in here to keep the interest and make you want to know where the characters end up, I'm just not entirely conviced that this was the most effective way of telling the story.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was totally spellbound by The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the second and final novel of Anne Bronte. This Victorian story opens in a rural community that has it’s focus on the newest arrival, a young widow, Helen Graham, who has taken up the tenancy at Wildfell Hall with her young son. As the community tried to unravel the truth behind Helen’s background, malicious gossip and innuendo arises accusing her of being an immoral woman. A local gentleman farmer, Gilbert Markham, finds himself becoming more enamoured by the widow and although they have obviously formed an attachment, he is frustrated by her resistance to his romantic advances and torn by jealousy. When she finally allows him to read about her life from her diary her troubled past is revealed.Helen’s previous life had been ruled by her alcoholic adulterous husband who made her life a living hell and seemed bent on teaching her son to follow in his debauchery. The book gives the reader a clear look at Victorian sensibilities, and although extremely shocking at the time of publication, has been lauded over the years for exposing the hypocrisy of hiding away scandals for appearance sake. I cannot imagine trying to live up to the ridge code of behaviour that was applied to Victorian women. I loved this story and grew to admire Helen immensely. Gilbert, on the other hand, although far better than her husband, was not my idea of the perfect man as he exhibited a childish, petulant side with a wicked temper. The story is told in an epistolary manner as Gilbert writes to a friend and then the pages of Helen’s diary. I got totally caught up in this revealing early feminist novel that was quite simply an exquisite read.

[over.the.edge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Tenants of Wildfell Hallby Anne Bronte1848Penguin Classics4.0/ 5.0Set in the English country side of the 1840s, this classical romance addresses problems of the time- alcoholism, womens rights, and chauvinism.The story is told through a series of letters from Gilbert Markham to a friend, concerning Helen and his son. It's broken into 3 Volumes.Volume 1, Mrs. Helen Graham arrives at Wildfell Hall causes much gossip and speculation in town. Volume 2 we learn more of Helen's home life and marriage to Gilbert. Helen is hiding her past. Gilbert is an abusive alcoholic, but defends Helen. Volume 3, Helen escapes and continues her struggle for independence, knowing she will never be free from the control of Gilbert until he dies.I found myself totally immersed in the lifestyle and time of the 1840s. I really liked Helen, and had to follow her story to the end.I'm so glad I finally read this. It's a fantastic study and story.

[antao-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1981-02-04)“The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” has received a lot of scholarly attention more recently, it has various depths beyond the exploration of domestic violence. She was partly not appreciated because her sister openly and strongly disagreed with the subject matter of the novel and prevented republication after Anne's death which left the novel behind somewhat.Anne's work tends much more towards social realism than Charlotte or Emily, which also possibly turned Charlotte (a critic of Austen) against the novel. Everyone has their own opinion, I would personally say that it's not a 'how-to guide to perfect relationships' at all, it explores numerous topics such as class structure, art, hunting, religious hypocrisy etc., and the use of the diary form is clever in presenting the issues within upper class domestic spheres.Having said that, I just don't get it. I think without Emily and Charlotte, Anne wouldn't be read at all now. I find her characters one-sided and little more than stand-ins for positions in Victorian morality. Helen is good because she loves God and self-sacrifices. The alcoholic one obviously drinks himself to death. Whenever he came into the story I imagined a plinky plonky piano playing over a sepia silent film with captions about the evils of drink; Helen and her hideous drippy religious friends swooning in the background. I just don't get how you can compare that to the anguish and drama of Wuthering Heights or any of the Charlotte novels.

[griffin22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Weird book. It starts with the narrator meeting the mysterious widow, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but a quarter of the way through the book it becomes a flashback in the form of the widow’s diary where we learn her history. I kept waiting for the ‘flashback’ to end and get back to the ‘real’ story, but the diary went on and on. I got quite impatient. I eventually flicked ahead to check, and found that the diary takes a very substantial portion - around half the book. I had been in the wrong mindset, it was as much the real story as the ‘present day’ parts. Anyway, it was an ok story. As much drama as romance. Didn’t love it as I do the Austen novels or Jane Eyre. I didn’t like the narrator/romantic lead much, he is an overexcited puppy.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte had this pulled from publication after Anne's death. There is speculation it is because the portrayal of the alcoholism and debauchery of the husband hit too close to home; that it shared with people the truth about their brother.Reading it now it seems strange that when this came out it was considered the most shocking of contemporary Victorian novels.Leaving her alcoholic, unfaithful husband was a very shocking act in a time when a married woman had no rights. She had no right to leave, no rights to her own child or her own income.

[sadiebabie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On the Bronte scale I'd say this is better than Wuthering Heights but not as good as Jane Eyre. I loved the strong female role. Which is strange as I didn't agree with the choices she made in the later stages of the book, and her piety made me want to slap her. Still, time and context play a part, and she was very brave with how she chose to live her life. I just wish the story hadn't been told from the male perspective. But it was a good book with some nice twists, and a lot of the insights still apply today.

[hes7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this feminist classic about a mysterious stranger, who proves her strength by dealing with local gossip and revealing the secrets of her past. It might even be a new favorite.

[vinjii-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sadly, me and Anne did not click as much as I hoped we would. I admire Anne for tackling such an important topic at that time, and if I were only judging the social commentary it would definitely be a five stars. However, the story dragged for me, especially the middle. If you're a fan of the Brontë sisters, definitely do not miss out on Anne. It's quite impressive how far ahead of her time she was.

[electrascaife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in Victorian England, this is the story, told through a series of letters (and then diary entries within letters) of a woman who marries for what she thinks is love but when she discovers that her husband is more than a bit of a cad, she escapes to (she thinks) a secluded life in her old family hall with her young son. She then, of course, meets Mr. Right, and then ensues much hand-wringing and tear-shedding because she won't be unfaithful to her wretched husband.There isn't one male character in this whole business who isn't at least marginally repugnant (which is, I'm certain, a big part of the point), but then, to be honest, I found Helen and her fanatical religious devotion to be fairly intolerable as well. And the whole "Oh, how I love you, oh, but we simply mustn't" schtick gets tiresome so very quickly. So, yeah, not my favorite thing ever.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've never read anything by Anne Bronte, and was surprised at how bold and modern in its views of women' rights are for a book that was published in 1848. The book is told through a series of letters between Gilbert Markham to his brother-in-law about the events surrounding the meeting of his wife.Helen Graham and her young son and servant arrive at Wildfell Hall, which has been vacant for many years where she lives in seclusion. Because of her secrecy she becomes the subject of local malicious gosip. Gilbert, however, refuses to believe any of the stories about her. Her befriends her and soon discovers her true story. Helen, who is from an upper class family has left her abusive, alcoholic husband hoping to save her son from his unhealthy influence. The depiction of her dissolute husband, her marital strife and her argument fof women's independence are extremely advanced for Victorian England and reflect the author's belief in both women's rights and universal salvation. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is now considered to be one of the first feminist novels published.

[rmckeown_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first dreamed of teaching college English Literature, my heart was set on studying the Brontës—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Without a mentor willing to work with me on them, I had to change direction. It has been some time since I read any of the works by these women, so I am now going to embark on reading them all again. I plan on four or five a year. My first is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall>/i> by Anne. I only read it twice, and I was not as impressed as I was with the other two authors. I was delighted when a colleague nominated Wildfell for our book club.Anne Brontë was the youngest of the three, and she wrote only one other novel besides Wildfell, Agnes Gray. She was born in 1820, and became close to Emily. Together they created an imaginary world of Gondal. This work was the basis for much of their dramatic poetry. The novel was considered quite scandalous at the time. Anne drew on her experiences as a governess for the novels, and her experiences with her Brother Branwell provided the fodder for Mr. Huntingdon, the husband of Helen. Wildfell represents the first sustained feminist novel. Anne died in 1849.My attitude toward this novel has turned 180 degrees after this read. While the novel is the weakest of the Brontës, largely because of a somewhat chaotic ending, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. In a preface to the second edition, Anne wrote, “My object in writing […] was not simply to amuse the Reader, neither was it to gratify my own taste, nor yet to ingratiate myself with the Press and the Public. I wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it.”The novel opens with a letter from Gilbert Markham to his friend, Halford. Markham has a crush on Helen Huntingdon, and he maneuvers to place himself in her good graces. Lots of obstacles are in his—and Helen’s—way to a peaceful life. Helen is married to Mr. Arthur Huntingdon, and she has a son, Arthur. Arthur senior has gambling and alcohol problems, and Helen flees with Rachel, her lady’s maid, to the sanctuary of Wildfell Hall, to escape her terrible situation. She does not reveal her location to anyone, except her brother. Of course, gossip and the rumor mill are fast at work as soon as news that someone has “taken Wildfell Hall.”Markham already smitten, questions Helen. Ann wrote, “‘Do you not find it a desolate place to live in’ said, I, after a moment of silent contemplation. // ‘I do, sometimes,’ replied she. ‘On winter evenings, when Arthur is in bed, and I am sitting there alone, hearing the bleak wind moaning round me and howling through the ruinous old chambers, no books or occupations can repress the dismal thoughts and apprehensions that come crowding in—but it is folly to give way to such weakness I know—If Rachel is satisfied with such a life, why should not I?—Indeed I cannot be too thankful for such an asylum, while it is left me.’ // The closing sentence was uttered in an undertone, as if spoken rather to herself than to me. She then bid me good evening and withdrew” (76).While the antiquated and elevated language may be a barrier to some readers, a persistent bibliophile will quickly become accustomed to the style. These three women have left us a fantastic set of literary marvels. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë is an exhilarating ride through one of my favorite literary periods. 5 stars.--Chiron, 8/29/17

[caslater83 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm going to try to be blunt about this: This is not my favorite classic. The Bronte sisters took the publishing world by storm in their time--almost unheard of for any woman of their time. I've read "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, and I wasn't really in love with it. I was hoping to have more positive feelings towards "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall." Unfortunately, I did not fall in love with this book either. It's not cold, like most classics, but it is a bit darker, it's sadder, and more sullen that I'd like it to be.

A woman trapped in a loveless marriage is bound to be a sad book. She deserves so much and asks for so little in return and the husband is a fool and a moron to ignore her and neglect her for as long as he did. She finally leaves him. (And I secretly applaud her because I just don't like to see good wives stuck with jerks.) And when he gets sick and ends up on his deathbed, what happens? She goes back to him to nurse him. I thought she was crazy!!!

I'm satisfied with the ending, but I will admit that the writing style does nothing for me. I want to feel connected with the characters and feel drawn into their world. I just read the book and didn't feel much of anything. So while I admire the Bronte sisters for paving the way for other aspiring female writers, I wish their writing styles mirrored Jane Austen.

[lit_chick_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Helen Graham, the enigmatic new tenant of Wildfell Hall, has a dark secret – but not the one circulating amongst local gossips. Gilbert Markham, who falls for the young “widow” will be shocked to realize her truth, which is revealed to him through her dairies. Mrs Graham has fled with her young son, Arthur, from a cruel marriage. Her writings tell the story of the physical and moral decay of her husband, his alcoholism, and their marital breakdown. In order to be spared the unbearable pain of watching her son be raised in his father’s image, Helen has done what was unimaginable to the Victorian woman and has fled both husband and home. Under an assumed name, she travels to a location that remains secret from all but her brother.Not surprisingly, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – a hard-hitting critique of the position of Victorian women in society – shocked contemporary readers. Both critics and readers alike were stunned by its coarseness. Truthfully, though I am not a stranger to the plight of Victorian women, the novel still retains its power to shock, or in the very least disturb. A most memorable passage on a “confiscation of property”: "My painting materials were laid together on the corner table, ready for to-morrow’s use, and only covered with a cloth. He soon spied them out, and putting down the candle, deliberately proceeded to cast them into the fire: palette, paints, bladders, pencils, brushes, varnish: I saw them all consumed: the palette-knives snapped in two, the oil and turpentine sent hissing and roaring up the chimney. He then rang the bell.'Benson, take those things away,’ said he, pointing to the easel, canvas, and stretcher; ‘and tell the housemaid she may kindle the fire with them: your mistress won’t want them any more.'" (Ch 40)But I do not wish to leave prospective readers with the impression that all is gloom and doom in The Tenant – such is not the case at all! Other central themes in the novel include the power of faith, forgiveness, repentance – and “the infectious theme of love.” (Ch 51) Highly recommended, particularly to lovers of Victorian classics.

[smiler69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Published in 1848, this novel is a true feminist manifesto, arguing for a woman's rights to independence and acting as a warning on the pitfalls of romantic marriage. Helen 'Graham', and young widow, is a new arrival in a small town in Yorkshire, where she and her young son take up a few rooms at the creepy old Wildfell Hall. Told in epistolary form, it begins with the narration of Gilbert Markham, one of the inhabitants of the town who takes a great and immediate liking to the young mother. She becomes the target of much gossip and speculation, at first because of her odd quirks; she refuses to be separated from her son even for short visits, doesn't return social calls, and soon thereafter because she is suspected of having a romantic relationship with her landlord, the young Frederick Lawrence. We learn about Helen's recent past when the narration switches to her diary, in which she describes her disastrous marriage and how she came to live in Wildfell Hall. Helen is a talented artist who must support herself through her paintings, becoming self-supportive after being forced to take matters in her own hands following her ill-fated love match to Arthur Huntingdon. Themes of faith, loyalty and morality play a large part in the story, as they do in most (all?) of the Brontë sisters oeuvre, and this is understandable, but the choices our heroine makes out of her moral convictions are both admirable and maddeningly frustrating in turns, which only enforces the message of how limited a woman's options were and how much self-sacrifice was expected of a mother and wife. I've not given it the full four-stars, because of how frustrated I was with Helen at times, but it's a great read in the romantic gothic style and no doubt was a strong inspiration for feminists at times when the word itself had only recently been coined (in 1851). ★★★¾

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gilbert Markham is a young man falls for a woman who has moved into a large house in his neighborhood. Her background is a bit of a mystery. As Gilbert becomes more attached her past is slowly revealed in the form of a journal. The titular character, Helen Graham, escaped from an abusive marriage with her young son. I was in awe of Anne Bronte’s ability to tell such a relevant story in 1848. There are so many women who find themselves in the same situation today. She was young and naïve when she married Arthur Huntingdon and by the time she learned his true character it was too late. The writing is wonderful and for me that story pulled me in completely. The author tells the story from Gilbert’s point-of-view at times and from Helen’s at other times. The changing narrative flowed well and never rang false.Bronte covers some intense subjects in the book. In addition to infidelity and alcoholism, she makes some disturbing observations about women’s rights during this time period. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come in the last few years. BOTTOM LINE: For me, this Bronte novel fell right under Jane Eyre in my ranking. The characters aren’t as likeable, but the story is powerful. “If you would have your son to walk honorably through the world, you must not attempt to clear the stones from his path, but teach him to walk firmly over them - not insist upon leading him by the hand, but let him learn to go alone.” “When I tell you not to marry without love, I do not advise you to marry for love alone: there are many, many other things to be considered. Keep both heart and hand in your own possession, till you see good reason to part with them; and if such an occasion should never present itself, comfort your mind with this reflection, that though in single life your joys may not be very many, your sorrows, at least, will not be more than you can bear. Marriage may change your circumstances for the better, but, in my private opinion, it is far more likely to produce a contrary result.”

[thebookmagpie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The bad people are all horrible and the pious people are all saintly. No one is even remotely in the grey-area. Mr Hargrave seems to get a bit of a personality transplant halfway through. Helen is almost insufferable. Her aunt gets proved right, despite having a despicable (even for the time) attitude towards her niece. Anne can't pull off the pious heroine in the same way that Charlotte did in Villette, she just makes her horrendous. And who the fuck is Gilbert, anyway? He's so boring as to be utterly lacking in impact.

The writing was pretty good, though.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anne Bronte is probably the least prominent of the three Bronte sisters, with this book and her other novel Agnes Grey not having achieved the same fame as Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights. But in terms of quality, I think this deserves to be ranked alongside those two masterpieces of early 19th century literature. The central narrative of the story revolves around speculation about the identity of the eponymous occupant of the local hall, with a substantial middle section of the book revealing her true identity and her dramatic failed marriage, an account which strikes many parallels with failed marriages of more recent times in the basic patterns and themes. Probably the most interesting aspect of the book for me was how successful the author is in portraying convincingly both the male authorial voice of the framework narrative in the first and final parts of the book, farmer Gilbert Markham, and the female much more aristocratic voice of Mrs Graham and her real identity in the middle part. Bronte switches gender register and ways of looking at the world in a seemingly effortless way between these sections, which is rare even now, and even rarer in the mid-19th century. A great read, though the very ending was perhaps slightly too drawn out.

[karin7-11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I only discovered Anne Bronte a few years ago, and she is far and away my favourite Bronte sister. This is her second book and is better written than the first one. It was a shocking book in its time because it showed how bad a husband could be and she had her protagonist leave her husband. Be very careful to get a copy that is true to the book Anne published, because after Anne died, her sister had later editions published with some of the more disturbing (at that time, not by today's standards) taken out.

[bagpuss-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gilbert Markham is fascinated with the mysterious Helen Graham who moves into some rooms in a nearby run-down manor house, Wildfell Hall located on a bleak moor, with her young son and faithful servant. As Gilbert falls for Helen she becomes the subject of local gossip and Gilbert in turn becomes jealous of another man who he believes is also in love with Helen – so she asks him to read her diary…

Told through letters from Gilbert Markham to his friend and brother-in-law, the reader learns the reason for Helen’s occupation of the Hall – she has fled her unhappy and abusive marriage. This novel is widely considered to be one of the first feminist novels and caused quite a stir on publication due to its portrayal or a woman who breaks with convention, leaving her alcoholic husband, taking their child with her. It took me a few weeks to read it, but that has nothing to do with the content – it was very enjoyable and easy to read and Brontë’s portrayal of the mental cruelty Helen receives at the hands of her husband must have been really shocking at the time. It’s no wonder that after Anne’s death, Charlotte prevented further publication of the novel!