Charlotte Brontļæ1/2 (British Library Writers' Lives) [Paperback]

Jane Sellars (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2000 | Series: British Library Writers' Lives

Charlotte Bront� won great fame with her semi-autobiographical novels Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and The Professor. Her life story is almost as well-known as the history of her most popular herione, from her bereaved yet extraordinarily creative childhood in a bleak Yorkshire parsonage to her early death just months into a happy marriage to her father's curate. Few writers have had the facts of their lives so inextricably linked with the fiction they wrote. This book, written by an acknowledged expert on the Brontes and beautifully illustrated throughout, provides a fluent, objective and compassionate account of the life of a much loved genius of English literature.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 UpAThis excellent biography of the author of Jane Eyre is a wonderful introduction to a complex woman. Sellars's thesis is that the real Charlotte and the fictional Jane are "inextricably entwined," and she carefully and convincingly builds her case. Readers learn how Charlotte, like Jane, lost her mother while still quite young; how her father put her in a school for clergymen's daughters; how she fell in love with a married man; and how she turned down at least one proposal from a young curate. The author plays down the often-discussed harshness of Patrick Bront?, claiming that views on this matter were colored by Elizabeth Gaskell's sympathetic biography of her friend published in 1857. Sellars also downplays the Bront? children's make-believe world of Angria. The writing style is lively, yet its overall scholarly tone will attract readers looking for an enjoyable yet authoritative reference source for reports. Attractive full-color and black-and-white photos and reproductions greatly enhance this fully drawn portrait of this British writer.AElizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 8^-12. Published to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Jane Eyre, this sophisticated, profusely illustrated biography of the author will appeal to the legion of YAs who love the novel. Sellars writes with authority as director of the BronteMuseum in Haworth, Yorkshire, where she has access to great primary-source materials, many of which are beautifully reproduced here, including letters, family portraits, and original manuscripts, with all their deletions and commentary. Most fascinating are the connections between Bronte's life and her novel about a woman who lacks beauty and money and who struggles with the plight of being a governess. Sellars rescues Brontefrom her reputation as sanctified victim and reveals that she was an intellectual, a rebel, and even, at times, a cynical manipulator. Part of the British Library Writers' Lives series, this includes a chronology and many museum sources, but only the briefest bibliography, with no reference to the fine recent biographies available in this country for those who want to know more about the writer and her legendary family. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Trade edition (September 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195216539
• ISBN-13: 978-0195216530
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,120,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Volume, August 13, 2000

By 

Kelley Hunt (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charlotte Bronte (British Library Writers' Lives) (Paperback)

In this book the author intends to dispel the myth that Charlotte Bronte was the "unhappy victim of a tragic life", as other writers have attempted to portray her. Sellars provides evidence for Charlotte instead as "the intellectual, the independent spirit, the manipulative sister, and the cynical commentator." This book is filled with illustrations of the people in Bronte's life, her places of residence & employment, articles of clothing, her letters, manuscripts & artwork, and even a lock of her hair. Although it is a short book, Seller's skillful writing makes every word count and the reader comes away with a good understanding of Charlotte Bronte's life and times.