The Life of Charlotte Brontë

Criticism and rumours were already circling by the time Charlotte Bronte died in 1855. To set the record straight, Bronte pere and Charlotte's husband of less than one year, Arthur Bell Nichollls, engaged Mrs. Gaskell, herself a famous novelist as well as friend in later life, to write the official biography. After serious research--including travelling to Brussels to interview the French teacher for whom Miss Bronte conceived a passionate attachment--Mrs. Gaskell produced a portrait of a small, underdeveloped woman typically dressed in sombre colours, intelligent, passionate--never in public--devoted daughter and all-round good Christian. Much of the data is presented through letters from friends and relatives, even some of show more Charlotte’s own.

I was surprised by the lack of “gothic” elements usually found in descriptions of Miss Bronte’s (and her siblings’) early life. Seemingly the Bronte noir meme is a later construction. I was also surprised by the accusation of “coarseness” attributed to her novels. When Currer Bell was revealed to be a woman, and unmarried, reviewers, male and female, deemed her passionate stories unsuitable and stemming from displaced sexual energy. I understand that if Miss Bronte had been married when Jane Eyre was published, the novel (and authoress) might have been better received.

I think Charlotte Bronte was a classic INFJ (Myer Briggs type): the most important thing was to communicate the richness and passion of her inner life. This is borne out in records of her behaviour in society--quiet to the point of taciturn and dull, unless a subject close to her beliefs and principles arose at which point she could not prevent herself from joining in. Miss Bronte famously disliked the works of her close predecessor, Jane Austen, describing the stories as “on the surface” of life. Yet, Miss Austen’s characters change, develop and usually become wiser whereas Jane Eyre or Lucy Snow experience no similar kind of growth. I believe this confirms my INFJ type attribution : like the author, Jane and Lucy always possess full consciousness and full personhood; their goal is to find a partner worthy of their inner life and passion. Think of young Jane confronting Aunt Reed.

Whether or not Mrs. Gaskell hid details that would possibly detract from the portrait of the author as dutiful daughter and sole survivor of the Bronte siblings, does not affect the quality of her affection nor admiration for Charlotte.

On a sad note, Mrs. Gaskell reveals that Charlotte was pregnant when she passed away on March 31, 1855.

8 out of 10 Highly recommended to fans of Jane Eyre and Victorian fiction. show less

After her first meeting with Charlotte Brontë, Elizabeth Gaskell wrote the following in a letter to a friend:

"She and I quarrelled & differed about almost every thing,-she calls me a democrat, & can not bear Tennyson- but we like each other heartily I think & I hope we shall ripen into friends."

...If that sentence doesn't fill you with love and make you excited to read this book, then there's probably no hope for you at all.

This book is a lot more than a biography of Charlotte Brontë. Some of the other topics it touches on, directly or by way of object lesson: feminism/women's place in art and society, the limits and pitfalls of biography, censorship, myths about the Brontës, celebrity, the balance between being a writer and being a show more person, railway speculation, the history of Haworth, outdated Penzance fashions. It is a heady brew of awesomeness.

Charlotte's letters to her friends and publishers are the main draw here. They're well-chosen to convey her personality--wry, critical, kind, anxious. Props to Ellen Nussey for not destroying Charlotte's letters even under pressure from Arthur Bell Nicholls. I love, love, love thinking about these boss ladies writing letters back and forth, exchanging books and their opinions of them, and being dear friends. I love George Smith and his thoughtful book selections, too.

The introduction by Jenny Uglow in this edition is good and not too long. However, Graham Handley's "other critical apparatus," as the cover so obnoxiously describes it, is not that great. The endnotes often point out the obvious while neglecting interesting subjects. Also, unless you speak French, I'd recommend looking out for an edition that translates the French letters and exercises, at least in summary.

Especially in the early part of the book, you can see where Gaskell got some of the material she uses in her own novels, but this doesn't have the tone or style of her other prose. Still, it's pretty great. You can argue that the book has well-documented issues, but it was Victorian England after all, and by now I think its issues are part of its charm. show less

What a remarkable discourse this is on the life of Charlotte Bronte, as assembled by her friend, Elizabeth Gaskell. Having been written so soon after her death, this biograph might perhaps lack in the objectivity which a later biography could present, but whatever might be lacking in that quarter is well made up for in spirit and understanding.

Much of Gaskell's approach is to quote from the considerable correspondence of Charlotte herself, which gives this a pointedly personal flavor. We are seeing Charlotte's life as she herself saw it, and while that cannot be all of the truth of a life, it can surely be most of what is significant.

I was struck by how much of what makes [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte show more Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639] so gripping is torn from actual experience. That Charlotte was subjected to many of the events at school that parallel those at Eyre's beginning is horrible to think and the death of her own sister, Maria, is the event that precipitates her character of Helen. With such a somber beginning to life, she had every right to expect more happiness and comfort in later years, but little of that was forthcoming.

Her determination in completing her novels in the face of some real criticism, is a testament to the strong character she possessed and her belief in God's presence in her life. She accepted herself as a faulted human being and she was welcoming of constructive criticisms that she felt might increase her understanding of her own foibles.

Speaking about stories she read when quite young, she says "...for I read them in childhood, and childhood has a very strong faculty of admiration, but a very weak one of criticism." I found that a poignant observation, for I too have a great love for some literature that came to me young and still impresses my soul although I would be forced to confess that they are inferior to other works which touch me less.

Of course, among the more touching parts of the biography are the deaths of her sisters, Emily and Anne. Our familiarity with them as authors no doubt increases our distress at their deaths, but I was struck at how perfectly her view of death aligns with what we ourselves feel upon the loss of those we love. Speaking of another young acquaintance, Charlotte says, "Wherever I seek for her now in this world, she cannot be found, no more than a flower or a lead which withered twenty years ago. A bereavement of this kind gives one a glimpse of the feeling those must have who have seen all drop around them, friend after friend, and are left to end their pilgrimage alone. But tears are fruitless, and I try not to repine." How hauntingly predictive of her own situation to come, but even in the face of her serious personal losses, she held to the last part of this statement and refrained from sinking into her sorrows.

I could quote at length from the letters she wrote regarding this loss. Having lost a close sister myself, I could feel the impact of all her words and feelings. Of Emily, "not a branch of fern, not a young bilberry leaf, not a fluttering lark or linnet, but reminds me of her." She was as expressive in her letters, as ever she was in her novels. I was delighted to read her own expressed opinion of Jane Austen, a curiosity that I never thought to have satisfied.

There is not a moment of boredom in this book and Mrs. Gaskell exhibits her own great talent of writing and exposition. I am ashamed at not having read all of Charlotte Bronte's writings and am quite anxious in the light of this better understanding of her character to now rectify the omission. I will happily undertake both [b:Shirley|31168|Shirley|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422609409s/31168.jpg|2685457] and [b:Villette|31173|Villette|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320412741s/31173.jpg|40852693] before the year's end. I am also stirred to re-read Jane Eyre and the works of both Emily and Anne. show less

I absolutely adored this book, and I sank into the book as if I were sinking into the most comfortable of cushions.

I don't think it held many surprises for me, other than that her life was even more tragic and lonely than I'd imagined. My heart ached for her as she experienced so very many losses in her life.

It was obvious that Mrs. Gaskell was a fan of her work, and a friend. I enjoyed all the little personal observations and details so much! I also really enjoyed the snippets of Charlotte's personal correspondence. I felt that these helped give a bit of additional insight into what kind of person she was.

I feel I did gain a lot of insight into what made Charlotte Brontë tick; for instance, her reaction to the criticism of Jane Eyre, show more and how she came to write Shirley, (which I have yet to read! And I call myself a fan! *Hangs head in shame.*.) There were many times, though, that I was aware that Mrs. Gaskell was writing Ms. Brontë's life while wearing a pair of rose-colored glasses. That didn't bother me a bit, because I probably was reading it through the same pair of tinted glasses!

I will reiterate how much I loved this book! I'm sure I'll read it again in the future. It's the kind of book that I will be able to turn to again and again; each time gaining something new.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! show less

As with all family friends there is some degree of bias in a story that they will tell pending on who they preferred in the family. I have read a good number of biographies on the Bronte sisters and Gaskell's does portray a poor representation of the father of the Bronte Sisters and this is based on personal dislike as opposed to fact.

But on the flip side of this you get a context and a tone that you do not from other Bronte biographers, in that Gaskell personally knew Charlotte, knew her sisters and had experience of her life at the Parsonage, and for that reason it is essential reading for those wanting an insight into the life at the Parsonage. As those who visit the Parsonage on literary pilgrimages know there is very much a lack show more of detail in the museum itself and even fewer helpful guides. So prior to visiting the Parsonage this is an ideal companion. show less

This is a biography of Charlotte Bronte by her friend and contemporary author, Elizabeth Gaskell. I found the beginning of this book pretty hard to get through, i.e. boring ;-) , but it gets better as you read on. Charlotte Bronte had such a sad, lonely, secluded life. I felt bad for her, but also wished she could have just snapped out of it at a certain point. I know that sounds mean to say, but she sounds like a hypochondriac in this book - always having headaches and pains in her side. To be fair, she probably suffered from pretty severe depression and there was no way to treat that back then. Anyway, Gaskell sticks to Bronte's own voice by copying many of her letters. Those were neat to read. Gaskell also was writing close after show more Bronte's death, so she's careful not to judge anything or anyone too harshly and also tries to be as discreet as possible. Overall, I thought it was interesting to read a contemporary portrayal of Bronte written by a friend, but it wasn't thrilling to read. It's a good supplement to other biographies, but I wouldn't read it first. show less

A fascinating read, especially considering it was written by someone who was Charlotte's friend. I had no idea that Charlotte Bronte's life was so difficult and tragic. Reading about her life gave me a new perspective on her works (which I love and enjoy), as well as on those of Emily and Anne Bronte.