Emily Brontë

by Robert Barnard

This illustrated biography examines the life and legacy of Emily Brontë. The enigma that a young woman from such a closed and protected environment as a Yorkshire rectory could write the wildly romantic and complex "Wuthering Heights" has long been a source of fascination. Largely self-educated, Emily spent most of her life at the rectory in Haworth. Her solitary instincts are well-known, and the biographer's task has been made no easier by her refusal to give anything of herself away to anyone during her lifetime. Robert Barnard examines her insulated childhood, and the stories of Gondal and Angria, leading to the lyrical poems of her twenties which prefigure the raw intensity of "Wuthering Heights". He demonstrates that many aspects of "Wuthering Heights" were shaped or stimulated by her own experiences, many of which can be traced to real examples. He also refers extensively to other critical sources, from early reviews of "Wuthering Heights" to Mrs. Gaskell's appraisal of Emily's "stern selfishness", to Juliet Barker's recent biography of the Bronte family.

Genres: Biography

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Moira]

A short, distinguished, surprisingly worthwhile biography of Emily Bronte which not only refrains from making her into some kind of half-mad half-ghost, but also situates her firmly both in the context of her family life, and that family's later international fame. The book is lavishly illustrated, with some new items of interest such as the rediscovered photograph of Branwell's "gun group" portrait, but not puffed-up; the paintings, photographs and illustrations seem chosen with care to present the Brontes and their world as closely to their own time as possible. Barnard's prose is simple and clear without being dull or flat, and while he obviously greatly admires Emily (he calls her novel the only one in English that can compare to the great plays of Shakespeare), he does not gloss over (or exaggerate) her faults, or even the more unpleasant parts of her personality. Barnard also heroically refrains from the wild speculation that colours most Bronte biographies, especially Emily's -- he is only human and can't resist some guesswork, but even here his work yields more interesting results than usual, particularly on Emily's return from Roe Head and her voyage to Brussels with Charlotte. He is clear-eyed about how little we truly know about Emily from her two letters, scraps of diary papers and devoirs, and evaluates contemporary evidence like John Greenwood's story of Patrick Bronte teaching his daughter to shoot with reasonable good humour. While perhaps not meant for someone who has read a great deal about the Brontes (although even for an aficionado it contains worthwhile surprises), the glossy hardback edition would make a fine holiday present for one, or could be an excellent start for someone eager to learn about the family.

[Kyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible romance and story of revenge. Heartbreaking at the end!