Customer Reviews

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Penguin Classics)

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Young Helen Lawrence had just come out into society, and unfortunately two of her beaus, older men who, although settled, of good character and wealthy, didn't meet her romantic standards. I can't say that I blame the talented, attractive young woman. I was not particularly turned-on by either of the men, myself. Middle-aged, stodgy and tiresome, they were not the answer to an eighteen year-old's dreams - even a practical eighteen year-old. A third suitor, Arthur Huntington, handsome, charismatic, and known by some to be "destitute of principle and prone to vice," was obviously smitten by Helen, and she was drawn to him also. Her aunt emphasized that the young woman should, above all, look for character in a potential mate. She advised her niece to seek a man of principle, good sense, respectability and moderate wealth. She warned Helen away from Huntington, calling him a reprobate. Helen agreed that she should marry such a one whose character her aunt would approve of, but also argued that love should play a part in her selection. Meanwhile, Huntington, on his best behavior, continued to woo Helen until she finally accepted his proposal, on the condition of her relatives' approval. Helen knew that Arthur was somewhat deficient in sense, scruples and conduct. However, she also truly believed that with her own strong religious convictions and love, she could and would change him for the good. In spite of numerous examples of her beloved's past lechery and excesses, Helen insisted on the match. And so they married.

Within a few months Helen became much more familiar with her husband's character. He had no hobbies nor interests, as she did. She is a gifted painter, loves to read, enjoys the outdoors, and is not easily bored. Arthur demanded all Helen's time and attention, to entertain and pamper him. When he could no longer bear the country solitude, he left for London, to reacquaint himself with his old haunts and bachelor friends. He insisted his wife remain behind, at their estate, Grassdale Manor. Huntington's behavior worsened with time, even after Helen bore him a beautiful son. He brought his debauched friends into his home for months on end, hosting wild drinking orgies and participating in a variety of low behavior extremely insulting to his wife, indeed, even encouraging his friends to mock his spouse. Helen eventually discovered that one of the houseguests, the wife of a friend, was Arthur's longtime mistress. Thus a double adultery was being conducted at Grassdale Manor, while she and her son were in residence, along with excesses of every kind.

It was at this point that Helen, contrary to the customs of her times, locked her bedroom door against her husband. This seems like logical behavior in the 21st century. And many might ask why she did not leave Huntington long before. In the Victorian Age, the law and society defined a married woman as a husband's property. Women were totally dependant upon their mates, and husbands could actually have their wives locked away in asylums at their whim and convenience. There is a scene in the novel where Arthur has all Helen's paints and canvasses destroyed, and takes possession of her jewelry and money, so she cannot leave him. When the profligate begins to manipulate his young son, encouraging the child to drink and curse his mother, Helen does run away with her child.

As the novel opens, we find her living in a few rooms at the remote Wildfell Hall, under the assumed identity of Helen Graham, a widow. Here she earns her living by painting. The neighbors are curious and seek her out, one in particular, Gilbert Markham. However when Helen is not forthcoming about her past, she becomes the object of ugly gossip and jealousy. Much of this compelling story is narrated through a series of letters Markham writes to a friend, and through Helen's own diary entries.

The novel is divided into three sections: Helen's life at Wildfell Hall and her friendship with Gilbert Markham; Helen's diary describing the Huntington marriage; and the events following Markham's reading the diary. Anne Bronte's novel is powerful, haunting and quite disturbing. Miss Bronte, and her brother Branwell, served as governess and tutor to the children of wealthy aristocrats. Some of the behavior described here is apparently taken from events which Anne witnessed, and which marked Branwell severely. Ms. Bronte openly stated that in "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" she, "wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it." This well written, extraordinary tale can most definitely hold its own against the works of Anne's more famous sisters, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, and those of other noted authors of the period.
JANA

Anne is the Bronte we never read in school and most of us don't read afterwards, which is a big loss for those who don't, because she's at least as talented as her two older sisters. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" can hold its own against "Jane Eyre" or "Wuthering Heights" any day in the week, but it was panned in its own time, in large part because of its "unladylike" topic of alcoholism. Anne Bronte knew alcoholism first hand through her brother Bramwell who drank himself to death, and her revulsion of the alcoholic personality is central to this book. The heroine of "Tenant", Helen Graham, is a headstrong and independent young woman, who marries Arthur Huntington against the advice of her family. She is one of those who loves not wisely but too well, because Arthur, a selfish and irresponsible womanizer, cares about nothing but satisfying his own wishes and desires. Helen wants to help Arthur turn his life around, which Arthur couldn't care less about, and his drinking and adultery right under her nose eventually repels her to the point where she despises him as much as she once loved him. It is only when she sees him attempting to influence her young son to become a chip off the old block, that she realizes her responsibility as a mother to save her son from his father trumps her duty as a wife to stand by her husband. With the help of her brother, she runs away with her son to the anonymity of life in a small village. Here she meets Gilbert Markham, who falls in love with her, but realizes that their relationship has no future as long as her husband is alive. Arthur's ultimate death from alcoholism not only frees Helen from an abusive and degrading marriage, it also leaves her free to find happiness with Gilbert. Anne Bronte pulled no punches in writing this book and that is probably what so perturbed readers of her own era; too bad for them, because they were unable to appreciate this book for what it is, one of the unrecognized classics of English literature.

'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.

This must be the most romantic literary classic I've read so far. Neither Charlotte Bronte nor Jane Austen could match Anne Bronte's skills in depicting so well the beauty and heartache that goes with loving another person.

The hero of the story is Gilbert Markham. Gilbert's a gem, a true darling of a guy. He's a farmer - young, handsome, kind, compassionate, passionate and honest. The heroine, Helen marries a brute (the alchoholic and adulterous Arthur Huntingdon) but later manages to escape and free herself from Arthur by fleeing with her young son to her refuge at Wildfell Hall. It is while there that she meets Gilbert and there is an almost instant attraction between these 2 very good individuals. However, as long as Huntingdon is still alive, Gilbert cannot be seen to be courting Helen although he loves her desperately. I'm happy when Anne Bronte decided to get rid of the despicable Huntingdon's character for good... This enables Gilbert and Helen to later reconcile and lead a happy matrimony life together.

This is a very pleasurable read. It is very beautifully written and the people and emotions are very well fleshed out. We don't find many literary classics such as this that explores a man's (eg. Gilbert's) inner feelings and sentiments towards love and relationship, including sharing his anxiety and love-lorn feelings.

I understand that the PBS video is good. But I hope one of the movie studios in Hollywood will consider making a movie adaptation of this classic. I'm sure it'll be a hit like "Emma" was (the one with Gwyneth Paltrow). IMHO, a fresh-faced actress like Liv Tyler would fit the role of Helen perfectly.

Why this book is not as highly acclaimed as Jane Austen's or Charlotte Bronte's classics is truly beyond me.

I highly RECOMMEND it!

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 condemn her for her faults. Instead, she shows how, through conflict and experience, Helen has grown into the "tigress" she is later described as being.

Anne is often criticized for simply retelling the story of her brother Branwell's decline in this novel. Those who have studied Bronte biography and who have read the book, though, would see that such charges are, in a word, ludicrous. Anne is also often criticized for moralizing and writing long religious tracts, instead of proper novels. Again, I feel this charge is patently false, for although she undoubtedly had a moral purpose in mind while penning Wildfell Hall, within the text itself there is very little moralizing. The characters are incredibly well drawn. They are three dimensional beings who evolve throughout the text, and in many instances Bronte uses parallel characters and situations to show that different people react differently to similar things. As for the plot --- while the set-up is a bit slow, once things get going it is an absolute page-turner.

This is a book that any fan of the Bronte sisters should read. Indeed, even if you aren't a fan, give it a try --- several friends of mine, who generally do not read 19th century literature, and who do not formally study literature at all, picked up this, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, recently. Which was the unanimous favourite among them? The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

This is a much more interesting book than I expected it to be. I came to it as almost every reader will come to it: after having read almost everything of her more famous sisters'. I don't know what I was expecting - perhaps something paler or more insipid.

Pale and insipid it is not. Anne Bronte's prose is fully as energetic as the others', and she has a world-view that equally as rich, nuanced and fully realized (how /could/ they have thought so much, and about so much?).

The plot here, as any casual observer knows, revolves around the woman yoked to a loutish husband. Some have perceived this as more original or daring than her sisters' plots, and certainly in her own time, it received a special kind of disapprobation (even Charlotte appears to have thought it cut a bit close to the bone - apparently perceiving that the lout was patterned on their own dear brother). Maybe so, but in another sense, you could say that it is just the mirror image of the Jane Eyre plot. Mr. Rochester has a guilty or scandalous secret about his wife; Mrs. Huntington has the same about her husband - not the same secret, but equally eligible for secrecy. Each has an innocent lover; in each case the point is to disentangle from the guilty and join with the innocent.

The device of the loutish husband is not necessarily all that promising. In the hands of an amateur it is no more than a setup for a tedious account of outraged virtue. Indeed if this were all, we would do well to leave it for the Jerry Springer show. The reason this book works is that it is not just a tale of outraged virtue: Mrs. Huntington makes it clear just how much she was attracted by Mr. Huntington: how she walked into this bog on her own, and against all the entreaties of her nearest and dearest. As if to cap it all, we are treated to the spectacle of an older, more chastened Mrs. Huntington trying to warn a younger companion off from making the same kind of mistake. We readers can make up our own mind as to what the young companion is likely to do.

Unfortunately, after a bit of this, the modality of outraged virtue takes over. Huntington wallows in vice; Mrs. Huntington remains a saint. Even here, the author does not lose us: she is a remarkable dialectician, and I am not sure the case of the woman wronged has ever been put better. What is missing is an important human truth: vice (to use the Victorian term) is catching, and suffering does not purify. Indeed, that is one of the things so dreadful about suffering. You cannot put up with someone like Huntington indefinitely before some of it wears off on you. It beggars all expectation to suppose that Mrs. Huntington could have come through all this without meanness, without spite, without the slightest hint of schadenfreude. Indeed on this point (dare one say it), Jerry Springer just might be a better guide. But life is too short for that. Instead, thank heavens for the Brontes, and what a pleasure to learn that Anne is just as absorbing as the rest.

I actually prefer this novel of Anne Bronte to her sister's "Wuthering Heights." However, having just read the Penguin Classics edition of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" I have to say that the "explanatory" notes were much more than just explanatory. Now, I know that Stevie Davies is a professor herself, but I wish she would leave the interpretation for the reader rather than giving her own in the notes. I've noticed this trend to interpret and analyze rather than just "explain" in recent editions of Penguin and Oxford, but this example struck me particularly. I can see how some might find this helpful, but there were places in the text when I was actually wondering to what the reference might be but found no note explaining it. Rather Davies focuses on Bronte's feminism, which, though potentially helpful, forces a certain interpretation and analysis on the reader that should be left in the introduction and necessarily leaves out other aspects of the text that Davies may or may not find interesting.

I don't disagree with her interpretation; it just took a lot of the fun out of reading the novel when I would turn to the back pages and find the thinking done for me.

"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is wonderful. I had a real sympathy for the characters, all of which were well-drawn; I felt that they could all be real people. I even liked "The Tenant" better than "Jane Eyre", which I realize is probably more popular. I don't want to give anything away, but trust me on this and read "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall".

This is a very different novel from the other of Anne Bronte's that I've read, Agnes Grey. The story is told mostly from the first person viewpoint of Gilbert Markham as he and his fellow villagers meet the mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall, the widowed Mrs. Graham, who has a bit of a mystery about her and her young son.

As feelings grow between the two main characters, the story is shifted to the viewpoint of Mrs. Graham as retold through a diary she wrote, and about her life married to an abusive, unfaithful alcoholic, and her efforts finally to extricate herself from the marriage.

An interesting tale, and I give the author marks for tackling what in her time would have been a most controversial topic (women just did not leave their husbands, no matter what the reason). Some of the melodrama is more than a tad bit over the top, Helen was just too pure and good natured, and having a woman writer write in the first person viewpoint of a man was a bit of a stretch for me. Gilbert was at times too emotional in a womanly sort of way -- I mean throwing himself down on the wet ground and having a good cry over a broken heart was way over the top for me. He was also a bit too brutish and rough at times for my taste, and not always very likeable, but that is the author's choice as to how she wrote her characters.

Other than those quibbles it was a very entertaining read and some very thought provoking topics to take with you when finished with the book.

Anne is not the most well-known of the Brontes, but perhaps she's the most forthright of the three. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the story of an independant woman of infinite strength. A woman who, after making the seemingly fatal mistake of a bad marriage (a mistake that might doom other women of her age to depression and ) manages to set herself free. It is not a haunting story, nor a frightening one but it is one filled with alcolism, abuse and great misery in a marriage, all issues that were (and are in the novel) swept under the carpet, politely ignored. A woman was to be pitied, but not helped. Helen helps herself.

The novel's single confusing and disruptive aspect is the fact that it is in two sections, the beginning and ending the letter Gilbert Markham writes to his friend, and the middle Helen's own diary. Both stories are part of the same narrative; Gilbert's beginning just before Helen's ends, and are inseperable, but this forces the reader to 'begin' again.

The story itself, and the boldness with which Helen's life and Gilbert's careful uncertainty are addressed, is near perfect. A masterpiece, and by no means any less great than Anne's sisters' works.