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Emily's Journal
Why did Emily Brontë write Wuthering Heights? Was it purely the product of her juvenile imagination? Or did she experience a profound and tragic relationship in her adolescent years which coloured the rest of her life and was the emotional source for both her one novel and her heartfelt poetry?
Written as if in her own words, "Emily's Journal" explores in minute detail the possibility that "Wuthering Heights" was not entirely 'invented'; it gives the reader a new and exhilarating glimpse into the social circumstances which kept a young woman from the man she loved. Few biographies of Emily Brontë have reached so far into her mind - interrogating census records, parish registers, and wills - and marrying the evidence with the contents of her works. The result is truly remarkable.
"Sarah Fermi's extraordinarily detailed knowledge of the social history of Haworth in the early nineteenth century means that this compelling book is not just another story about the tragic Brontë family. She really does convince us that something like what she describes could have happened, and gives us an intriguing glimpse of what the Bronte family dynamics might actually have been." (Dr Heather Glen, reader in English, Cambridge University, author of "Charlotte Brontë, the Imagination in History", and editor of "The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës.")
Written as if in her own words, "Emily's Journal" explores in minute detail the possibility that "Wuthering Heights" was not entirely 'invented'; it gives the reader a new and exhilarating glimpse into the social circumstances which kept a young woman from the man she loved. Few biographies of Emily Brontë have reached so far into her mind - interrogating census records, parish registers, and wills - and marrying the evidence with the contents of her works. The result is truly remarkable.
"Sarah Fermi's extraordinarily detailed knowledge of the social history of Haworth in the early nineteenth century means that this compelling book is not just another story about the tragic Brontë family. She really does convince us that something like what she describes could have happened, and gives us an intriguing glimpse of what the Bronte family dynamics might actually have been." (Dr Heather Glen, reader in English, Cambridge University, author of "Charlotte Brontë, the Imagination in History", and editor of "The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës.")
- GenresHistorical
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 20, 2017
Emily's Journal is not, in fact, Emily's journal (like I thought). Instead, it is Sarah Fermi adopting the persona of Emily and writing various diary entries from 1831 to 1848. At the end of each entry are comments made by both Anne and Charlotte. Essentially, Fermi is using loose evidence and basic assumptions to try and provide an explanation as to why someone as mundane and ordinary as Emily Brontë could write such an immoral and coarse novel as Wuthering Heights. It didn't work. It wasn't convincing. This was a mistake.
Firstly, Fermi tries to suggest that Emily fell in love with a poor weaver's son named Robert Clayton (who was a real person, living at the time and in the vinicity, but there is no evidence that Emily knew such a boy). They randomly meet on a hill when Anne and herself are acting out Gondal scenes - again, absolutely no evidence for this. This is complete make belief. Following on from this, Fermi uses different narratives points from WH and tries to fit this in with Emily's life. Unsurprisingly, Emily adopts these "real life events" into what we know as Wuthering Heights. Honestly, this just didn't work. It's like me picking out the tiniest, insignificant event in Charlotte's life and creating a whole elaborate tale. I appreciate what Fermi was trying to achieve, and I appreciate the amount to time and research she dedicated to this (15 years to be exact), but it just didn't work (how many times will I say that?).
In addition to this, I HATED the way Fermi portrayed all three sisters. Emily did not have that fire to her which we all know and love. Anne's personality was overshadowed constantly with her religious lifestyle. I get it; she was highly religious, but Fermi tried to make it fit in every single one of her entries. It took away from Anne's character; she had no substance. To an already overshadowed sister, Fermi did not need to encourage this. She should have given Anne more of a voice. What I hated the most about this was Charlotte's portrayal. To put it frank, she was a total bitch. Every opportunity that arose for a harsh comment, Charlotte made one. Every time Charlotte could talk about herself, make the journal about herself rather than Emily, whenever she could criticise Anne, she would. It was completely unnecessary. Considering both Anne and Charlotte's comments were written after Emily's death and whilst Anne was on her deathbed, Fermi did not do Charlotte any justice. I just couldn't handle it. I hated Charlotte (which is not right at all)!!
As I said, this was a mistake.
I really wouldn't recommend this at all. I didn't enjoy reading it. I spent most of the time seeing how many pages I had left before I was finished. I just wish it was Emily's actual journals.
Firstly, Fermi tries to suggest that Emily fell in love with a poor weaver's son named Robert Clayton (who was a real person, living at the time and in the vinicity, but there is no evidence that Emily knew such a boy). They randomly meet on a hill when Anne and herself are acting out Gondal scenes - again, absolutely no evidence for this. This is complete make belief. Following on from this, Fermi uses different narratives points from WH and tries to fit this in with Emily's life. Unsurprisingly, Emily adopts these "real life events" into what we know as Wuthering Heights. Honestly, this just didn't work. It's like me picking out the tiniest, insignificant event in Charlotte's life and creating a whole elaborate tale. I appreciate what Fermi was trying to achieve, and I appreciate the amount to time and research she dedicated to this (15 years to be exact), but it just didn't work (how many times will I say that?).
In addition to this, I HATED the way Fermi portrayed all three sisters. Emily did not have that fire to her which we all know and love. Anne's personality was overshadowed constantly with her religious lifestyle. I get it; she was highly religious, but Fermi tried to make it fit in every single one of her entries. It took away from Anne's character; she had no substance. To an already overshadowed sister, Fermi did not need to encourage this. She should have given Anne more of a voice. What I hated the most about this was Charlotte's portrayal. To put it frank, she was a total bitch. Every opportunity that arose for a harsh comment, Charlotte made one. Every time Charlotte could talk about herself, make the journal about herself rather than Emily, whenever she could criticise Anne, she would. It was completely unnecessary. Considering both Anne and Charlotte's comments were written after Emily's death and whilst Anne was on her deathbed, Fermi did not do Charlotte any justice. I just couldn't handle it. I hated Charlotte (which is not right at all)!!
As I said, this was a mistake.
I really wouldn't recommend this at all. I didn't enjoy reading it. I spent most of the time seeing how many pages I had left before I was finished. I just wish it was Emily's actual journals.
April 25, 2016
Poucas biografias existem de Emily Jane Brontë. Este livro, apesar de vir em forma de diário e ser baseado em algumas suposições, mais ou menos fundamentadas, da autora, é muito bom.
Nele podemos participar das tristezas, ansiedades, desgostos e alegrias (Poucas) de Emily, autora de um único livro "Wuthering Heights" que, só por acaso, é o meu livro favorito em todo o universo literário.
Depois tem as opiniões de Anne Brontë e Charlotte Brontë, suas irmãs, que, depois da morte de Emily lêem e comentam o diário, com a autorização da defunta e com a promessa de depois o destruir.
Claro que a maioria do que é escrito não está provado nem há forma de comprovar. No entanto, foi bom partilhar um bocadinho da vida de Emily e, provavelmente, das situações em que ela se baseou para escrever WH.
Nele podemos participar das tristezas, ansiedades, desgostos e alegrias (Poucas) de Emily, autora de um único livro "Wuthering Heights" que, só por acaso, é o meu livro favorito em todo o universo literário.
Depois tem as opiniões de Anne Brontë e Charlotte Brontë, suas irmãs, que, depois da morte de Emily lêem e comentam o diário, com a autorização da defunta e com a promessa de depois o destruir.
Claro que a maioria do que é escrito não está provado nem há forma de comprovar. No entanto, foi bom partilhar um bocadinho da vida de Emily e, provavelmente, das situações em que ela se baseou para escrever WH.
March 12, 2023
Interessant fictioneel dagboek van Emily Brönte. Stond al eeuwen in mijn boekenkast. Hoop giswerk natuurlijk, maar er ging 15 jaar onderzoek aan vooraf. Woeste Hoogte gaat zo wel weer leven voor mij. Gelezen in het kader van Anjet Daanjes boek Het lied van ooievaar en dromedaris.
August 29, 2019
Loved it. Very interesting read.
November 12, 2022
Awful book. Don't waste your time & money.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews