Branwell

by Douglas A. Martin

A gifted artist and writer, Branwell Bronte, an only son, is expected to make the family fortune and distinguish the Bronte name. Instead, he dies at 31 from alcohol and opium abuse. Painstakingly tutored at home by his father, Branwell and his sisters write endless stories about imaginary worlds far from their bleak parsonage home. As his sisters spin the stories that will immortalize them, Branwell sinks under the weight of great expectations. With language as rich and dark as the moors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, Douglas A. Martin probes the locus where history and myth collide, and uncovers Branwell’s lost loves, thwarted talent, and possible homosexuality. Maintaining the haunting quality of childhood memory throughout, Bronte Boy is a genre-bending exploration of the tragic figure of Branwell Bronte and the dismal, dazzling landscape that inspired his sisters to greatness.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Novels

232 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only time in my life I wanted to burn a book. Makes me wonder what people really think of the Brontes ... according to this book, Bramwell was not only gay (and he WASN'T -- know your facts), but he was discharged from his post for violating his young pupil. (Bramwell was discharged for having an affair with the Mistress of the house!!) THIS mess has Bramwell violating his student (Anne witnesses it), passes around the boy to the stable hands, and if I remember correctly (and, personally, I would like to wipe my memory of this book) the stable animals are violated by Bramwell and company ...

I threw the book away rather than donating to a library as I wanted there to be at least one less copy of this book on the planet. REALLY wish I had access to a furnace or fireplace.

Never finished it; felt violated having even touched it.

[Matthew Gallaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic/beautiful story of Branwell Bronte, a lost but artistic (and probably nonheterosexual) soul who flails through life with passion and despair before basically drinking himself to death at a young age...Martin perfectly captures the ambiguity and mystery surrounding Branwell and his extraordinary sisters, an ambiguity that extends into the shifting perspectives of the prose and even the punctuation itself (for example: Martin never uses question marks).

[Richard]

Branwell traces the life of Branwell Bronte, the sole brother of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte, from childhood to his alcohol and opium induced death at the age of 31. As the only son, Branwell is expected to make the fortune for the family, and immortalize the Bronte name. He is given no formal education, but is painstakingly tutored by his father, and writes endless stories and poems with his sisters in their small parsonage home.
Haunted by the early deaths of his mother and sister, both named Maria, and the imaginary worlds Angria and Gondal he and his sisters create as children, Branwell is unable to touch his heart's desire: to be a great artist. Forever discontent, he roams from job to job, as painter, railway man, and tutor, constantly writing and sketching. He sinks further into his own disappointment at great expectations, as his sisters spin and fume on the dark moor with the stories that will immortalize them.
Douglas A. Martin probes the locus where history and myth collide, and with language as rich and dark as the windswept, rainy moors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, gracefully uncovers Branwell Bronte's almost forgotten lost loves and thwarted talent, while circling around his nameless sexuality. Maintaining the haunting quality of childhood memory throughout, Branwell is a genre bending exploration of the tragic figure of Branwell Bronte and the dismal, dazzling landscape that inspired his sisters to greatness.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spare, compelling writing about historical figures I didn't care about until now. Now I think they're fascinating. I'm anxious to read more by Douglas A. Martin.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. Ho-hum. Here goes the salmon swimming against the tide again.
This is the first book by Douglas A. Martin that I have read so I don't know his style. If he wrote short declarative sentences on purpose to fit the mood of Branwell, then I think there was some success in that. If this is his style, it is like riding a cog railway up an alp.
Let us assume he wrote these choppy sentences to show the nervous energy and confusion of Branwell. I didn't feel that he wrote in enough depth and something is missing. I haven't been able to put my finger on what that 'something' is.
Years ago, I read Daphne DuMaurier's "The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte" and, if anyone is interested in the Bronte brother, I would recommend her book.
I found the facts there in Martin's book, but the writing was distracting.

[Russell Ricard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas A. Martin’s Branwell: A Novel of the Bronte Brother moves like a reverie, a long-form narrative poem through your soul. Taps into the childhood, coming of age, and family dynamics of Branwell, and his very famous literary sisters. Pointedly, Martin explores the psychology of gender, and its impact on Branwell (the only boy among his siblings) and him navigating 1800s UK life as, what today we know as, a gay man. Utterly fascinating, including Darcey Steinke’s Introduction for this 2020 edition which effectively sets the stage for backstory that leads to Martin’s front story. I’m intrigued, now, to reinvest in the Bronte sister’s novels; seemingly, elements of their brother’s complex life figured prominently into their worldview, stories and characters they created.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

i cried.

[Nancy Carbajal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Branwell...a lot is expected of him. But life starts out with not one loss but two. Not only his Mother, but the oldest Bronte sister Maria who was like a mother to him. Followed by yet another sister....this is what I believe dooms Branwell from the very start. Though the story is a fictionalized account of the Brontes, it is known that Charlotte destroyed much of her families paperwork and diaries, leaving much speculation about the Brontes.
This is one account of a much beloved and much wished for son. A Father that expects much but is often absent. An Aunt that is a Mother substitute, loved and also to dies. An older sister named Charlotte who eventually gives up on the brother. Emily, who understands and uses his example as the troubled men in her stories and Anne, the baby who tries but in the end, what can she do when Charlotte proclaims that it's just the three women who must be strong for their father's sake. Who will take care of him since Branwell cannot take care of himself.
And Branwell, who cannot find himself and only truly feels right in the world of men as long as he is inebriated. Belonging not in the world of the haves, but living in the have nots and very educated. Doomed to never really knowing who he is and what he may become because someone is missing and calling out to him in the moors.

[Julie-Anne Borgias · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started well with an interesting style using a third person personal narritive but quickly went off descending into less than pallatable suggestions of closet homosexuality and paedophilia which seemed unnecessary given the established drug and alcohol addictions alongside mental illness that the historical Bramwell is remebered for. This, combined with the style and bleak material quickly descended into a nightmarish quality which I am not sure was a deliberate trick to represent the spiralling depression and drug dependency but perhaps it was intended. Seriously though, its neither a cheerful or tragically endearing read.

[Ley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a deeply perplexing book. On one hand I found myself engrossed by the spiraling decline of Branwell and his constant self-assurances regarding his abilities. On the other I needed to take breaks during some very unsettling plot moments.

I enjoyed the prose, but sometimes it became needlessly dense. The Charlotte moments were frustrating, her ownership over her sisters cruel.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book. It has its flaws. Maybe it's just me not comprehending but there were more than a few times where the prose was confusing. Timelines on deaths were jumpy at times in that a character is said to have died months to years later but would still be mentioned as living in the next paragraph.

I suppose this is another book in which I loved the promise of the premise more than I did the actual book.

[Laurie McKane]

DNF @ 16%

The prose itself suffers at the hands of the writing style, which is fragmented and repetitive and renders the reading experience frustrating.

Add to this that I’ve seen reviews make reference to the wholly inventive - and utterly distasteful - speculative nature of the narrative and I’m dissuaded from continuing.

[Fiona Woolford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interim read so there for start and finish dates are incorrect.
A nice easy read.didnt read much I didn’t already know, however him being gay is up for a very serious debate !

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book but I have never been a Brontë affectionado - Bramwell was a damaged creature but if you are not swept up in his sister's lives and world then you may feel some disengaged from the story. I only read this because I had read and loved Martin's previous novels. As a stylistic tour de force I am happy to recommend the novel, but if,like me, the Brontes don't rockyour world then this ay not be for you.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting approach to bringing the character of Branwell to life. The crux of his dissipation in this story seems to lean heavily on his sexual ecapades. They are alluded to and infect his sisters' journey into writing, which was a different perspective on their writing. I think it would be helpful to have some knowledge of Bronte history as it is not biographically detailed as it is beautifully written. The prose is lyrical in its measure. Made me want to go back and read Anne's works, the often overlooked of the sisters. Also, I didn't reallize their was so much on Branwell until I did a search on his story.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loathed this book. From the way Martin styled it, to the subject matter. I've done a little research and further expect this book is a lot of made up whooplah. I'm all for a little historical fiction, but taking someone so well known as the Bronte's and having better information out there, this story line was just self defeating toward the end. The further I read, the further I disliked it. If this is any indication of Martin's style, I'll gladly never read another novel of his :P

[Bess]

It was hard to get into because of the very unlikable antihero--he was not even charming--and the lack of dialogue. The complete lack of dialogue. But it was interesting stylistically and experimental, and honestly it made me want to read a biography of the Bronte sisters, who came out more likable than the brother.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fictitious with streams of fact. The story is a bit choppy, with parts repeated, and many parts not clear. Knowing the Bronte family well I could deduct more than a casual reader, but was still not impressed with the formatting of the actual story. Read with caution.

[Larissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't love this, but the idea is fascinating and it was written in an interesting unique style. I'd say, read it if you are a huge Bronte fan and want to know more about what they *might have been like.

[Laura Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bronte brother, wild, drunken, druggy. Off beat style of writing but I liked it.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poetically written, but the author took some fantastic liberties in this reimagining of Branwell's life.