What do you think?
Rate this book
Вкусът на тъгата
Драма и страст в необикновена семейна история.
Шарлот, Ан и Емили. Драма, страст и една история за тяхната опасна решимост да се изправят срещу порядките, за стремежа им да надмогнат съдбите на родителите си. Всичко започва със смъртта на майка им, сключила договор с Дявола за бъдещето на своите деца. После те преживяват загубата на двете си сестри, брат си и леля си. Въпреки това запазват сърцата си живи... Единственото желание на Емили е да се оттегли в света на въображението си; Ан се задушава от работата си като гувернантка; Шарлот копнее за независимост и любов. Всяка поема по свой творчески път. Това е вкусът на тъгата: необходимото камъче в устата ти, което смучеш, за да не пресъхне.
Те са сестрите БРОНТЕ.
Шарлот, Ан и Емили. Драма, страст и една история за тяхната опасна решимост да се изправят срещу порядките, за стремежа им да надмогнат съдбите на родителите си. Всичко започва със смъртта на майка им, сключила договор с Дявола за бъдещето на своите деца. После те преживяват загубата на двете си сестри, брат си и леля си. Въпреки това запазват сърцата си живи... Единственото желание на Емили е да се оттегли в света на въображението си; Ан се задушава от работата си като гувернантка; Шарлот копнее за независимост и любов. Всяка поема по свой творчески път. Това е вкусът на тъгата: необходимото камъче в устата ти, което смучеш, за да не пресъхне.
Те са сестрите БРОНТЕ.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
45 people are currently reading
2908 people want to read
About the author
Jude Morgan
19 books179 followersJude Morgan was born and brought up in Peterborough on the edge of the Fens and was a student on the University of East Anglia MA Course in Creative Writing under Malcolm Bradbury and Angela Carter.
A pseudonym used by Tim Wilson.
Also wrote under the names T.R. Wilson and Hannah March.
A pseudonym used by Tim Wilson.
Also wrote under the names T.R. Wilson and Hannah March.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
February 27, 2021
La historia novelada de los Brontë. Cruda, dramática y triste.
Si no le doy 5 estrellas es porque creo que la parte central es quizás demasiado extensa y me hubiera gustado saber más de su infancia y de su manera de crear sus mundos e historias, pero aún así, es una novela impresionante que retrata muy bien la vida y pensamiento de estos cuatro hermanos (Bramwell a mi pesar tiene bastante presencia en la historia xD)
Desde luego la figura central es Charlotte, pero todos los personajes tienen mucha fuerza y resultan completamente creíbles, aunque no sabemos hasta qué punto los datos y situaciones son ficción o realidad.
Sea como sea, creo que es un libro imprescindible para todos los que somos fans de las novelas de las Brontë, por lo bien que recrea sus vidas y sus sentimientos y lo que logra que empatices con ellas.
La última parte del libro, a pesar de la tristeza que me transmitió, me pareció perfecta.
Si no le doy 5 estrellas es porque creo que la parte central es quizás demasiado extensa y me hubiera gustado saber más de su infancia y de su manera de crear sus mundos e historias, pero aún así, es una novela impresionante que retrata muy bien la vida y pensamiento de estos cuatro hermanos (Bramwell a mi pesar tiene bastante presencia en la historia xD)
Desde luego la figura central es Charlotte, pero todos los personajes tienen mucha fuerza y resultan completamente creíbles, aunque no sabemos hasta qué punto los datos y situaciones son ficción o realidad.
Sea como sea, creo que es un libro imprescindible para todos los que somos fans de las novelas de las Brontë, por lo bien que recrea sus vidas y sus sentimientos y lo que logra que empatices con ellas.
La última parte del libro, a pesar de la tristeza que me transmitió, me pareció perfecta.
June 18, 2016
This is the real life story of the Brontes
This isn’t some romanticised version of them; this isn’t some fanciful reworking of the backdrop of Wuthering Heights in which the sisters wondered around the moors all day looking forlorn; this isn’t some cultural regurgitation of this overworked schema that has infested our ideas about the sisters: this is an actualised version of the reality of their lives, and it’s rather excellent.
The Taste of Sorrow presents the true, unadulterated, life of the Bronte family. It wasn’t a very nice childhood for the girls. It was full of sickness, death and depravity. What struck me most strongly when reading this, and various academic biographies and theory books I've studied over the last year, is how much the personal experience of the young Charlotte affected her later writing. In Jane Eyre the character of Helen Burns was inspired by her the oldest Bronte sister who died at a similar institute. Similarly, the deplorable Brocklehurst derived from an actual strict school master. In a sense, a part of Charlotte’s novels are semi-autobiographical. Perhaps that’s why she utilises the first person so effectively.
I’m digressing here. But, what I mean to say is that the research carried out shines through this historically rich narrative. Whist it is a work of fiction, it is very strongly based upon facts. The Bronte’s produced such iconic pieces of literature; their legacy speaks for itself, and this is a unique look at the women behind the works; it is a suggestion how they could have felt when writing and undergoing personal turmoil. It is truly surprising that all these works came out one family. It is unusual and brilliant.
“Emily’s world fascinates and disturbs: in it you can touch thick Yorkshire speech, and moorland rain slants across your mind with a smell of mossy limestone and yet you are not at home, you might almost be in Gondal or Angria except the towers and the dungeons are of the spirit, the dungeons especially; and sometimes when Emily reads out in her low, almost guttural voice Charlotte wants to run but can’t think why or where she would run to.”
Personally, Charlotte is my favourite Bronte. I think she had the most talent. And the Charlotte depicted here is a strong one. She outlived all of her siblings, and still carried on with her life; it didn’t prevent her from writing: she transferred her feeling into her writing. Emily was a little bit of an outcast, and naturally, in this novel she is a recluse. Anne was the one who existed most in reality, and actually tried to improve her family before her death rather than lock herself away.
“Anne’s is a world very like this one, and you can move about in it with familiarity - but not freedom: it is a place of rigorous consequence, where the weak have to give way to the strong, where her governess heroine Agnes must walk as best she can in the cold shade of money and masculinity.”
Despite their contrasting personalities each Bronte sister found that they were looked down upon in the role of a governess. After the failures they each had in teaching they began writing. And I couldn’t be thankful enough that their teaching careers were terrible. Can you imagine what the literary world would have missed out on? We never truly would have understood the role of the governess. So this is a rather good historical novel. I thought I’d also take a moment to mention the writing style itself. It is very evocative, effective, and laden with colons! As some of you may have noticed, I rather like colons and semi-colons: I find them most expressive. So when I see them used so wonderfully in a modern novel, I have to mention it. They’re simply not used enough in writing today.
I really do recommend this book to Bronte fans, whether Charlotte, Emily or Anne is your favourite, I think you might enjoy this too.
This isn’t some romanticised version of them; this isn’t some fanciful reworking of the backdrop of Wuthering Heights in which the sisters wondered around the moors all day looking forlorn; this isn’t some cultural regurgitation of this overworked schema that has infested our ideas about the sisters: this is an actualised version of the reality of their lives, and it’s rather excellent.
The Taste of Sorrow presents the true, unadulterated, life of the Bronte family. It wasn’t a very nice childhood for the girls. It was full of sickness, death and depravity. What struck me most strongly when reading this, and various academic biographies and theory books I've studied over the last year, is how much the personal experience of the young Charlotte affected her later writing. In Jane Eyre the character of Helen Burns was inspired by her the oldest Bronte sister who died at a similar institute. Similarly, the deplorable Brocklehurst derived from an actual strict school master. In a sense, a part of Charlotte’s novels are semi-autobiographical. Perhaps that’s why she utilises the first person so effectively.
I’m digressing here. But, what I mean to say is that the research carried out shines through this historically rich narrative. Whist it is a work of fiction, it is very strongly based upon facts. The Bronte’s produced such iconic pieces of literature; their legacy speaks for itself, and this is a unique look at the women behind the works; it is a suggestion how they could have felt when writing and undergoing personal turmoil. It is truly surprising that all these works came out one family. It is unusual and brilliant.
“Emily’s world fascinates and disturbs: in it you can touch thick Yorkshire speech, and moorland rain slants across your mind with a smell of mossy limestone and yet you are not at home, you might almost be in Gondal or Angria except the towers and the dungeons are of the spirit, the dungeons especially; and sometimes when Emily reads out in her low, almost guttural voice Charlotte wants to run but can’t think why or where she would run to.”
Personally, Charlotte is my favourite Bronte. I think she had the most talent. And the Charlotte depicted here is a strong one. She outlived all of her siblings, and still carried on with her life; it didn’t prevent her from writing: she transferred her feeling into her writing. Emily was a little bit of an outcast, and naturally, in this novel she is a recluse. Anne was the one who existed most in reality, and actually tried to improve her family before her death rather than lock herself away.
“Anne’s is a world very like this one, and you can move about in it with familiarity - but not freedom: it is a place of rigorous consequence, where the weak have to give way to the strong, where her governess heroine Agnes must walk as best she can in the cold shade of money and masculinity.”
Despite their contrasting personalities each Bronte sister found that they were looked down upon in the role of a governess. After the failures they each had in teaching they began writing. And I couldn’t be thankful enough that their teaching careers were terrible. Can you imagine what the literary world would have missed out on? We never truly would have understood the role of the governess. So this is a rather good historical novel. I thought I’d also take a moment to mention the writing style itself. It is very evocative, effective, and laden with colons! As some of you may have noticed, I rather like colons and semi-colons: I find them most expressive. So when I see them used so wonderfully in a modern novel, I have to mention it. They’re simply not used enough in writing today.
I really do recommend this book to Bronte fans, whether Charlotte, Emily or Anne is your favourite, I think you might enjoy this too.
February 13, 2019
«...tenía que aprender de nuevo a escribir. Hasta entonces, había sido una actividad compartida: la luz de la lámpara, las lecturas en voz alta, los paseos alrededor de la mesa. Nosotras tres. Ahora era una batalla con dos frentes: el arte y la soledad. A veces, cuando se sentaba a trabajar después de que su padre se retirase a dormir, dejaba la pluma suspendida en el aire y escuchaba. El silencio del comedor estaba tan preñado de presencias, que reclamaba tu atención y te hacía pensar que de ahí tenía que salir algo. Se diría que el aire había retenido sus aromas y sus voces; las sombras de la pared prácticamente se concretaban en la delgadez de Emily, el esbelto perfil de Anne. Una especie de alegría enfermiza la paralizaba y quedaba a la espera, sabiendo que de aquel embarazo nacería un niño muerto, la confirmación de la desolación: el silencio que nunca cesa».
—•—
✍🏻🖤
Jude Morgan o la maestría al combinar ficción y realidad. Empecé 'El sabor de las penas' reticente, casi convencida de que poco podría aportar a mi universo Brontë particular, y...vaya si estaba equivocada. Volver al presbiterio de Haworth y a sus páramos desolados; a las concurridas calles de Londres y Bruselas de la mano del señor Morgan, ha resultado una experiencia maravillosa. He leído 'El sabor de las penas' con el corazón en un puño, conmovida hasta las últimas páginas. Pienso en esa última escena de Charlotte frente al mar y no puedo evitar emocionarme.
—•—
Hay mucha verdad en la reconstrucción de Jude Morgan (si habéis leído biografías y estudios de la familia Brontë, sabréis reconocer muchos acontecimientos, detalles y anécdotas: la caída de Tabby, el incidente de Emily con el perro rabioso, las tarjetas de San Valentín del señor Weightman, Anne y la bahía de Scarborough, el terrible verano de Charlotte en Bruselas...) y, por supuesto, una parte importante de ficción. Pero ésta reconstrucción está tan lograda, que apenas puedes creer que no sea real.
He adorado el retrato que hace de las personalidades de Charlotte, Emily y Anne. Los pensamientos de Charlotte y su incansable lucha por afirmarse; por dejar su huella en el mundo, sin traicionarse a sí misma. El espíritu indomable de Emily, refugiándose en las profundidades de la imaginación y en la naturaleza inhóspita de los páramos. Y, como no, la entereza de Anne; su dulce entrega por el bien de los suyos y su fuerza inquebrantable. Adoré como queda retratada la relación entre hermanas, con sus altos y sus bajos; y, por encima de todo, ser testigo del glorioso proceso de verlas convertirse en escritoras.
Un libro precioso.
—•—
✍🏻🖤
Jude Morgan o la maestría al combinar ficción y realidad. Empecé 'El sabor de las penas' reticente, casi convencida de que poco podría aportar a mi universo Brontë particular, y...vaya si estaba equivocada. Volver al presbiterio de Haworth y a sus páramos desolados; a las concurridas calles de Londres y Bruselas de la mano del señor Morgan, ha resultado una experiencia maravillosa. He leído 'El sabor de las penas' con el corazón en un puño, conmovida hasta las últimas páginas. Pienso en esa última escena de Charlotte frente al mar y no puedo evitar emocionarme.
—•—
Hay mucha verdad en la reconstrucción de Jude Morgan (si habéis leído biografías y estudios de la familia Brontë, sabréis reconocer muchos acontecimientos, detalles y anécdotas: la caída de Tabby, el incidente de Emily con el perro rabioso, las tarjetas de San Valentín del señor Weightman, Anne y la bahía de Scarborough, el terrible verano de Charlotte en Bruselas...) y, por supuesto, una parte importante de ficción. Pero ésta reconstrucción está tan lograda, que apenas puedes creer que no sea real.
He adorado el retrato que hace de las personalidades de Charlotte, Emily y Anne. Los pensamientos de Charlotte y su incansable lucha por afirmarse; por dejar su huella en el mundo, sin traicionarse a sí misma. El espíritu indomable de Emily, refugiándose en las profundidades de la imaginación y en la naturaleza inhóspita de los páramos. Y, como no, la entereza de Anne; su dulce entrega por el bien de los suyos y su fuerza inquebrantable. Adoré como queda retratada la relación entre hermanas, con sus altos y sus bajos; y, por encima de todo, ser testigo del glorioso proceso de verlas convertirse en escritoras.
Un libro precioso.
March 19, 2013
In this novel Mr.Morgan does it again, he achieves sublime precision to what the Brontë sisters' lives might have been, mastering the art of combining fiction with reality. The result: this achingly real tale of sorrow.
Although not a biographical work, it's incredibly easy to believe his version of the facts. Fiction? Maybe. I think some events described must have been invented, but still, Morgan shows his deep understanding of the time, the place and the people which crossed the path of these three unconventional sisters, making the story astonishingly believable.
The book begins with the death of Maria Branwell, mother of the Brontë children, who leaves her severe husband, Patrick Brontë, with 5 girls and an only boy to rise. At first, the story focuses on the surroundings of the famous girls: Charlotte, Emily and Anne, especially in their horrible experience in Cowan Bridge boarding school, where their elder sisters get mortally sick.
After they leave the school for good, we observe little by little the way their strikingly different characters start to develop, even more when their paths are separated by their own experiences working as governesses or teachers.
It's through effort and patience that the sisters manage adulthood, always sacrificing their only passion, writing, for the greater good; which is always in advantage of their brother, Branwell. A man who lives embittered by envy and a coward to face his flaws, he drags all his family down with him.
What I most enjoyed about this book is the possibility it brings to understand what kind of lives lead the Brontë sisters to become what they were and to write the way they did.
Charlotte, the eldest sister, always carrying her responsibility, serious, sharp minded, afraid of showing her thoughts, but daring when she needs to. I was proud of her when she confronts her father about her need to write, although she is dismissed like a kid.
Emily, unearthly, almost inhuman. She needs nothing, she lives through her imaginary worlds, although she understands everything that goes around her and she is the one to give the good advice without expecting gratitude back. She doesn't have expectations, she only needs the moors and quietness to write to feel complete.
Anne, dear, sweet Anne. The little sister, the one left aside, but the one who bears the burdens, the one who sacrifices without complain, the one who makes them a whole being, who keeps them together.
Oh, and the bliss of reading about their creative process, how they come up with the poems with the pseudonym masculine names, how Charlotte finds in her real experiences the Jane Eyre she has been nurturing all along inside her, how she gets inspiration in her apparent dull life. Their father, their brother, the curates...everybody is captured in essence in some of their books.
I was awkwardly moved until the last page, sublime description of the last years of the sisters, magnificent description of Charlotte's feelings. A lesson to be learnt.
Having visited Haworth Parsonage a year ago, and after reading this book, I feel as if the Brontë sisters have become alive, I believe I get the picture, and I understand it. These poor and smart sisters, pitiful and unsocial creatures who seemed to have been born only to suffer, they made their dreams come true, they left their footprint in English Literature.
I only wish they could know what their books have become to lots of us, like me, so that their short lives wouldn't seem wasted.
I have to thank Mr. Morgan for this new feeling, the urge to talk to the authors, Charlotte, Emiliy and Anne, not to the characters, Jane, Cathy or Mrs Graham.
This is his achievement after all.
Will be reading anything written by him!
Although not a biographical work, it's incredibly easy to believe his version of the facts. Fiction? Maybe. I think some events described must have been invented, but still, Morgan shows his deep understanding of the time, the place and the people which crossed the path of these three unconventional sisters, making the story astonishingly believable.
The book begins with the death of Maria Branwell, mother of the Brontë children, who leaves her severe husband, Patrick Brontë, with 5 girls and an only boy to rise. At first, the story focuses on the surroundings of the famous girls: Charlotte, Emily and Anne, especially in their horrible experience in Cowan Bridge boarding school, where their elder sisters get mortally sick.
After they leave the school for good, we observe little by little the way their strikingly different characters start to develop, even more when their paths are separated by their own experiences working as governesses or teachers.
It's through effort and patience that the sisters manage adulthood, always sacrificing their only passion, writing, for the greater good; which is always in advantage of their brother, Branwell. A man who lives embittered by envy and a coward to face his flaws, he drags all his family down with him.
What I most enjoyed about this book is the possibility it brings to understand what kind of lives lead the Brontë sisters to become what they were and to write the way they did.
Charlotte, the eldest sister, always carrying her responsibility, serious, sharp minded, afraid of showing her thoughts, but daring when she needs to. I was proud of her when she confronts her father about her need to write, although she is dismissed like a kid.
Emily, unearthly, almost inhuman. She needs nothing, she lives through her imaginary worlds, although she understands everything that goes around her and she is the one to give the good advice without expecting gratitude back. She doesn't have expectations, she only needs the moors and quietness to write to feel complete.
Anne, dear, sweet Anne. The little sister, the one left aside, but the one who bears the burdens, the one who sacrifices without complain, the one who makes them a whole being, who keeps them together.
Oh, and the bliss of reading about their creative process, how they come up with the poems with the pseudonym masculine names, how Charlotte finds in her real experiences the Jane Eyre she has been nurturing all along inside her, how she gets inspiration in her apparent dull life. Their father, their brother, the curates...everybody is captured in essence in some of their books.
I was awkwardly moved until the last page, sublime description of the last years of the sisters, magnificent description of Charlotte's feelings. A lesson to be learnt.
Having visited Haworth Parsonage a year ago, and after reading this book, I feel as if the Brontë sisters have become alive, I believe I get the picture, and I understand it. These poor and smart sisters, pitiful and unsocial creatures who seemed to have been born only to suffer, they made their dreams come true, they left their footprint in English Literature.
I only wish they could know what their books have become to lots of us, like me, so that their short lives wouldn't seem wasted.
I have to thank Mr. Morgan for this new feeling, the urge to talk to the authors, Charlotte, Emiliy and Anne, not to the characters, Jane, Cathy or Mrs Graham.
This is his achievement after all.
Will be reading anything written by him!
December 28, 2009
Some time ago, I read The King's Touch by Jude Morgan (about James, Duke of Monmouth) and loved it, so I'm surprised it took me so long to read Morgan's latest novel, The Taste of Sorrow.
The Taste of Sorrow tells a familiar story, that of the Bronte sisters' childhood, rise to fame, and premature deaths, but Morgan manages to make this oft-told story seem fresh. He doesn't do this by telling his story through an unusual perspective or by adding sensational elements; rather, he accomplishes his task through exquisite writing, a dry wit, and rich characterizations. Though all of the Bronte siblings emerge with distinct personalities, I especially liked the character of Anne, who's given the honor of uttering one of the funniest lines of the book following a particularly spectacular spree by the sisters' wastrel brother, Branwell. Morgan also does a fine job with Patrick Bronte and with the Hegers.
I would have liked it if the novel had devoted a little more time to Charlotte's life after the deaths of her siblings, instead of a single chapter, but that's not so much a criticism as just a wish that this book could have gone on a little longer. As one who enjoys author's notes, I wish Morgan had added one, or at least indicated which sources he found most useful, though it's clear that he's researched the lives of the Brontes and their circle thoroughly.
Familiarity with the Brontes' novels will add to one's enjoyment of Morgan's novel, but it's not a prerequisite, so don't let a lack of such familiarity keep you from reading The Taste of Sorrow. It's one of the best historical novels I've read, this year or any other year.
The Taste of Sorrow tells a familiar story, that of the Bronte sisters' childhood, rise to fame, and premature deaths, but Morgan manages to make this oft-told story seem fresh. He doesn't do this by telling his story through an unusual perspective or by adding sensational elements; rather, he accomplishes his task through exquisite writing, a dry wit, and rich characterizations. Though all of the Bronte siblings emerge with distinct personalities, I especially liked the character of Anne, who's given the honor of uttering one of the funniest lines of the book following a particularly spectacular spree by the sisters' wastrel brother, Branwell. Morgan also does a fine job with Patrick Bronte and with the Hegers.
I would have liked it if the novel had devoted a little more time to Charlotte's life after the deaths of her siblings, instead of a single chapter, but that's not so much a criticism as just a wish that this book could have gone on a little longer. As one who enjoys author's notes, I wish Morgan had added one, or at least indicated which sources he found most useful, though it's clear that he's researched the lives of the Brontes and their circle thoroughly.
Familiarity with the Brontes' novels will add to one's enjoyment of Morgan's novel, but it's not a prerequisite, so don't let a lack of such familiarity keep you from reading The Taste of Sorrow. It's one of the best historical novels I've read, this year or any other year.
July 3, 2022
Wonderful! I loved this book, although I’ve read about the Brontes before this fictional account of their lives was believable and well done. I could imagine each of their characters being just as they’re depicted here. It was hard to put down and I was so emotional when Jane Eyre was published, I had more tears in my eyes than when Anne and Emily died! A treat for a Bronte fan.
May 17, 2016
Historical fiction about the Brontes--Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell. I struggled with this book. A lot. The beginning was engaging and the end was simply on fire. But the middle seemed weighted down with a lot of detail about the girls' times as governesses and teachers and understand quite quickly that was not what they wanted to do. I'm not going to tell any author how to write their book, but that section was heavy and took forever to wade through. I get the point: Jane Eyre is Charlotte, but I didn't need 200 pages of it. The writing was gorgeous; I wish that had been enough to keep the midsection, well, interesting. The last 70 pages of the book is the chunk that we all want to know about; the writers creating their famous books, what inspired them how they worked together. How they revealed themselves after writing under pseudonyms. This was the nut of the book, and I wish it had been longer. For the start and the end, I gave four stars because they were both that good--but if you skim in the middle, you're not at a loss for it.
December 6, 2017
Cuando la editorial Alianza anunció la reedición de las tres novelas más conocidas de las hermanas Brontë vi que incluían un libro que hacía referencia a ellas. El sabor de las penas, una novela acerca de sus vidas, una novela, no una biografía. Así y todo, me interesaba, igual que me interesa todo lo que tenga que ver con ellas y era un libro del que no había tenido noticia hasta ahora. No es de extrañar que quisiera leerlo y no voy a negar que estaba un pelín pletórica después de leer la joya de Jane Austen en la intimidad. Sabía que no sería igual, pero esperaba que me gustase, de todos modos.
Esta novela de Jude Morgan es arriesgada, se arriesgó al publicarla, ya no diré al escribirla, porque ya sabéis que las Brontë tienen muchos fans y novelar su vida requiere decantase por una versión de esta, darles personalidad y seguramente mucho de lo que pongas sea tu visión y no la de todas las demás personas que las admiran. Igualmente entras en el mundo de la ficción e imagino que Morgan tuvo que inventar, lo cual muchos fans tampoco suelen tomarse bien. Con todo esto, lo que quiero decir es que es bueno acercarse a estos libros como algo curioso, como algo más sobre las autoras que tanto inspiran y ya está. Es una novela, no una biografía que espera ser recta y fiable. Por eso creo que hay que ir con esa idea en la cabeza y si sois muy sensibles respecto a este tema, diría que sería difícil que pudieseis disfrutar de este tipo de trabajos.
Mi primera impresión cuando empecé a leer fue de confusión. Jude Morgan emplea aquí un estilo que no es tan directo como me gusta a mí, está en presente, cambia a veces la persona verbal y las elipsis no están muy marcadas. A veces empiezo un nuevo párrafo y me cuesta un tiempo darme cuenta de que han pasado años. Para mí, no es el mejor estilo que habría podido emplear.
Y luego me sorprendió el tono, que tampoco era el que esperaba. Siempre se ha hablado de la vida de Charlotte, Emily y Anne como una sucesión de desgracias, y es verdad que tuvieron más que muchas otras personas en toda su vida, pero, aunque todos sabemos lo que es pasar por malos momentos, me cuesta creer que nunca tuviesen un momento de alegría y felicidad en sus vidas. El tono de la historia es bastante lúgubre y se apoya en esa visión oscura de la vida de las tres hermanas, por lo que todo es sufrimiento casi. Triste, oscuro, frío. Y eso no nos deja con un regusto amargo cada vez que dejamos de leer, que no es lo que yo suelo buscar en mis lecturas.
No voy a decir que no me haya gustado la novela, porque sí la he disfrutado, puede que no tanto como creía al principio que haría, pero aun así es un buen repaso de la vida de las hermanas, en especial de la de Charlotte, lo cual tiene sentido porque es de la que más datos se conocen y se conservan, es la que vivió más y estuvo más expuesta al público durante su trayectoria como escritora de éxito. También he conocido detalles sobre sus vidas que desconocía porque si os movéis un poco por el mundo de sus biografías, cada una dice cosas diferentes y también se especula mucho. He llegado a leer que Emily y Branwell tenían una relación incestuosa, que Branwell en realidad era homosexual y no había cometido adulterio con la mujer de su jefe, sino con su jefe en realidad, etc.
De todas maneras, es una buena manera de conocer sus vidas y la parte que más me ha gustado es la que se refiere a la emoción que viven al escribir, al publicar, al conocer las opiniones de sus escritos… Se hacen famosas y no se lo creen, han publicado con pseudónimos y su vida sigue en Haworth sin ser nada especial, pero media Inglaterra se pregunta quienes son los hermanos Bell.
Para darles personalidad a las autoras la novela se sostiene en lo que se ha contado. Que Anne era la pequeña y la más cuidada y que tenía una fuerte influencia de su tía Branwell; que Emily era solitaria, misántropa y con un carácter difícil, muy difícil; que Branwell era un fracaso; que el señor Brontë era un tanto rígido y que Charlotte era insegura con su aspecto, pequeña pero valiente y que las tres hermanas prácticamente nunca fueron muy felices. Esto es lo que nos puede llegar a día de hoy, pero ¿eran así realmente? Eso nunca lo sabremos, no podremos conocerlas y a mí no me gusta creer a pie juntillas lo que digan sus biógrafos, tampoco me gusta pensar que fuesen siempre tan infelices… pero eso ya es cosa mía.
La novela ofrece una versión y aunque sí que inventa, por decirlo de alguna manera, está muy asentada en los datos biográficos que se conservan de ellas, tanto por la biografía que hizo la escritora Elizabeth Gaskell, contemporánea de las Brontë y amiga de Charlotte, como en las posteriores.
He disfrutado conocer todo esto poco a poco, adentrarme en la vida de la rectoría, pero como digo, el tono tan lúgubre hace que me cueste un poco conseguirlo. Y luego hay un aspecto que sí que no me ha gustado nada de nada. Hay un tratamiento del sexo que me parece horrible, aunque puede que yo no haya entendido bien lo que la autora quería expresar. Todas las mujeres en la novela, empezando por la madre, la señora Brontë, ven el sexo como algo más bien desagradable. Algo que les gusta a los hombres y no pueden entender por qué. Los hombres también muestran una imagen perturbadora del tema, al principio el señor Brontë, pero también el director de Cowan Bridge tiene un tono similar. También está lo que cuenta una niña del mismo colegio y la desinformación con la que viven las hermanas. En toda la novela, puede que menos hacia el final, el sexo se ha visto como algo malo, negativo, algo que deben soportar y que toma un tono bastante perturbador en los personajes masculinos. Que se sexualizase tanto algunos aspectos y con este cariz a lo largo de toda la novela no me ha gustado mucho, creo que sobra.
La edición forma parte de la colección que Alianza ha sacado de estas reediciones de las tres obras mas conocidas de las hermanas, aunque he visto que La inquilina de Wildfell Hall empieza a ser ahora con más fuerza la obra de referencia de Anne Brontë y por lo que me han contado es mucho mejor que Agnes Gray. Yo solo he leído la de la Inquilina y me fascinó, a ver si pronto leo su primera novela y puedo comparar yo misma.
Aun así, es una colección muy bonita y práctica, en tapa dura y tienen diseños relacionados. El sabor de las penas, como las demás, tiene una sobrecubierta y un interior sencillo, me hubiera gustado que además de la historia en sí incluyese una introducción o alguna nota de la autora.
En conclusión, puedo decir que ha sido una experiencia interesante. A medida que avanza en la lectura me he ido acostumbrado al estilo, un tanto peculiar, y creo que hace un buen trabajo asentándose en lo que se transmite de las Brontë en las biografías que hay publicadas. No se va por teorías, sino que sigue la historia oficial y en base a esos datos recrea la personalidad de las tres hermanas escritoras y la de su padre.
Como he dicho al principio, no tengo problema con este tipo de lecturas porque soy capaz de ir con la mente abierta, pero sé que hay personas a las que les cuesta o que son muy sensibles a este tipo de proyectos. Es una lectura interesante, sobre todo si sois fans de las autoras y puesto que su vida fue tan fascinante, es lógico que la mayoría de sus lectoras queramos saber más como era, por eso las novelas que surgen son una forma de aliviar esa curiosidad. Hay que tener siempre presente eso, que son novelas y que no hay manera de saber lo cerca o lo lejos que están de lo que fue la realidad de sus vidas, pero son lecturas curiosas, interesantes y yo disfruto de este tipo de lecturas. Si os llama la atención, os animo desde aquí a darle una oportunidad.
Esta novela de Jude Morgan es arriesgada, se arriesgó al publicarla, ya no diré al escribirla, porque ya sabéis que las Brontë tienen muchos fans y novelar su vida requiere decantase por una versión de esta, darles personalidad y seguramente mucho de lo que pongas sea tu visión y no la de todas las demás personas que las admiran. Igualmente entras en el mundo de la ficción e imagino que Morgan tuvo que inventar, lo cual muchos fans tampoco suelen tomarse bien. Con todo esto, lo que quiero decir es que es bueno acercarse a estos libros como algo curioso, como algo más sobre las autoras que tanto inspiran y ya está. Es una novela, no una biografía que espera ser recta y fiable. Por eso creo que hay que ir con esa idea en la cabeza y si sois muy sensibles respecto a este tema, diría que sería difícil que pudieseis disfrutar de este tipo de trabajos.
Mi primera impresión cuando empecé a leer fue de confusión. Jude Morgan emplea aquí un estilo que no es tan directo como me gusta a mí, está en presente, cambia a veces la persona verbal y las elipsis no están muy marcadas. A veces empiezo un nuevo párrafo y me cuesta un tiempo darme cuenta de que han pasado años. Para mí, no es el mejor estilo que habría podido emplear.
Y luego me sorprendió el tono, que tampoco era el que esperaba. Siempre se ha hablado de la vida de Charlotte, Emily y Anne como una sucesión de desgracias, y es verdad que tuvieron más que muchas otras personas en toda su vida, pero, aunque todos sabemos lo que es pasar por malos momentos, me cuesta creer que nunca tuviesen un momento de alegría y felicidad en sus vidas. El tono de la historia es bastante lúgubre y se apoya en esa visión oscura de la vida de las tres hermanas, por lo que todo es sufrimiento casi. Triste, oscuro, frío. Y eso no nos deja con un regusto amargo cada vez que dejamos de leer, que no es lo que yo suelo buscar en mis lecturas.
No voy a decir que no me haya gustado la novela, porque sí la he disfrutado, puede que no tanto como creía al principio que haría, pero aun así es un buen repaso de la vida de las hermanas, en especial de la de Charlotte, lo cual tiene sentido porque es de la que más datos se conocen y se conservan, es la que vivió más y estuvo más expuesta al público durante su trayectoria como escritora de éxito. También he conocido detalles sobre sus vidas que desconocía porque si os movéis un poco por el mundo de sus biografías, cada una dice cosas diferentes y también se especula mucho. He llegado a leer que Emily y Branwell tenían una relación incestuosa, que Branwell en realidad era homosexual y no había cometido adulterio con la mujer de su jefe, sino con su jefe en realidad, etc.
De todas maneras, es una buena manera de conocer sus vidas y la parte que más me ha gustado es la que se refiere a la emoción que viven al escribir, al publicar, al conocer las opiniones de sus escritos… Se hacen famosas y no se lo creen, han publicado con pseudónimos y su vida sigue en Haworth sin ser nada especial, pero media Inglaterra se pregunta quienes son los hermanos Bell.
Para darles personalidad a las autoras la novela se sostiene en lo que se ha contado. Que Anne era la pequeña y la más cuidada y que tenía una fuerte influencia de su tía Branwell; que Emily era solitaria, misántropa y con un carácter difícil, muy difícil; que Branwell era un fracaso; que el señor Brontë era un tanto rígido y que Charlotte era insegura con su aspecto, pequeña pero valiente y que las tres hermanas prácticamente nunca fueron muy felices. Esto es lo que nos puede llegar a día de hoy, pero ¿eran así realmente? Eso nunca lo sabremos, no podremos conocerlas y a mí no me gusta creer a pie juntillas lo que digan sus biógrafos, tampoco me gusta pensar que fuesen siempre tan infelices… pero eso ya es cosa mía.
La novela ofrece una versión y aunque sí que inventa, por decirlo de alguna manera, está muy asentada en los datos biográficos que se conservan de ellas, tanto por la biografía que hizo la escritora Elizabeth Gaskell, contemporánea de las Brontë y amiga de Charlotte, como en las posteriores.
He disfrutado conocer todo esto poco a poco, adentrarme en la vida de la rectoría, pero como digo, el tono tan lúgubre hace que me cueste un poco conseguirlo. Y luego hay un aspecto que sí que no me ha gustado nada de nada. Hay un tratamiento del sexo que me parece horrible, aunque puede que yo no haya entendido bien lo que la autora quería expresar. Todas las mujeres en la novela, empezando por la madre, la señora Brontë, ven el sexo como algo más bien desagradable. Algo que les gusta a los hombres y no pueden entender por qué. Los hombres también muestran una imagen perturbadora del tema, al principio el señor Brontë, pero también el director de Cowan Bridge tiene un tono similar. También está lo que cuenta una niña del mismo colegio y la desinformación con la que viven las hermanas. En toda la novela, puede que menos hacia el final, el sexo se ha visto como algo malo, negativo, algo que deben soportar y que toma un tono bastante perturbador en los personajes masculinos. Que se sexualizase tanto algunos aspectos y con este cariz a lo largo de toda la novela no me ha gustado mucho, creo que sobra.
La edición forma parte de la colección que Alianza ha sacado de estas reediciones de las tres obras mas conocidas de las hermanas, aunque he visto que La inquilina de Wildfell Hall empieza a ser ahora con más fuerza la obra de referencia de Anne Brontë y por lo que me han contado es mucho mejor que Agnes Gray. Yo solo he leído la de la Inquilina y me fascinó, a ver si pronto leo su primera novela y puedo comparar yo misma.
Aun así, es una colección muy bonita y práctica, en tapa dura y tienen diseños relacionados. El sabor de las penas, como las demás, tiene una sobrecubierta y un interior sencillo, me hubiera gustado que además de la historia en sí incluyese una introducción o alguna nota de la autora.
En conclusión, puedo decir que ha sido una experiencia interesante. A medida que avanza en la lectura me he ido acostumbrado al estilo, un tanto peculiar, y creo que hace un buen trabajo asentándose en lo que se transmite de las Brontë en las biografías que hay publicadas. No se va por teorías, sino que sigue la historia oficial y en base a esos datos recrea la personalidad de las tres hermanas escritoras y la de su padre.
Como he dicho al principio, no tengo problema con este tipo de lecturas porque soy capaz de ir con la mente abierta, pero sé que hay personas a las que les cuesta o que son muy sensibles a este tipo de proyectos. Es una lectura interesante, sobre todo si sois fans de las autoras y puesto que su vida fue tan fascinante, es lógico que la mayoría de sus lectoras queramos saber más como era, por eso las novelas que surgen son una forma de aliviar esa curiosidad. Hay que tener siempre presente eso, que son novelas y que no hay manera de saber lo cerca o lo lejos que están de lo que fue la realidad de sus vidas, pero son lecturas curiosas, interesantes y yo disfruto de este tipo de lecturas. Si os llama la atención, os animo desde aquí a darle una oportunidad.
August 2, 2011
This is a book about the Brontë family and not just of the three girls turned writers - Anne, Charlotte and Emily - but also of their household. Their brother Branwell has a prominent place and a big influence on his sisters. The book is quite inventive and can be read as fiction due to the long dialogues that are by necessity imagined. However, the facts themselves are stark and shocking. Poor Mr. Brontë, the father - his wife and all his children died before him! The author makes some keen obervations on human nature and all-in-all, this is a highly recommendable book.
June 12, 2010
Confession time again - I can't claim to have read everything written by the Brontes but I will admit to having a special place in my heart for this Yorkshire family. "Jane Eyre" is my all time favourite novel and a couple of years ago I had the honour of visiting Haworth Parsonage, staying a couple of nights in the village and supping a few beers (no laudanum though!). One might labour under the misapprehension that it's an easy thing to do - to captivate readers with such fascinating subject matter - but I can't think of a more daunting task for an author to take on than to revitalise a story which is so well known without taking liberties!
Well, I'm very pleased to report that Mr Morgan has done a splendid job. I do think it helps to have some pre-existing knowledge of the Brontes in order to fully embrace this fictionalised account of their lives. So how does the author breathe life into this tale? Firstly, I think the use of the present tense is an excellent tool as it succeeds in immediately drawing us into the claustraphobic corners of the parsonage and the intellectual intensity of the sisters. Admittedly the style takes a bit of effort on the reader's part at first as it's in the third person and it does tend to flit about a lot between the siblings - something which, I feel, complements the darting, birdlike movement of their creativity and imagination and heightens the drama of their story.
The novel opens with the death of their mother and concludes as Charlotte embarks on a new life, married to Reverend Nicholls. There are those who would have preferred the story to continue to include Charlotte's death one year later but I actually found it quite refreshing for it to end on a note of optimism. Other books about the Brontes have focussed on Charlotte but I found this novel gives us more insight into Emily and Anne and even Maria and Elizabeth who are so often overlooked. Personally, I find absolutely no redeeming qualities in Branwell who was a selfish boor with no consideration for his siblings but Mr Morgan is slightly more gentle in his portrayal of the only son who is always misunderstood.
The cloistered ambiance of the parsonage, the wildness of the moors and the social isolation of these three exceptionally talented women is evident throughout the novel. I firmly believe that it takes a very talented writer to tell a well worn story and still manage to move the reader emotionally without resorting to mawkishness. Even if you never have the opportunity to visit Haworth, reading this novel will make you feel like you're actually there. You will feel the despair and deprivation of Cowan Bridge as well as the heartache of Charlotte in Brussels and have a much clearer perception of how life events influenced the Brontes' novels. Yes, it's an intense read but well worth the effort!
PS. I would also highly recommend Lynne Reid Banks' excellent fictionalised accounts of the Brontes - "Dark Quartet" and "Path to the Silent Country" although I fear that they might be out of print (second hand anyone?).
Well, I'm very pleased to report that Mr Morgan has done a splendid job. I do think it helps to have some pre-existing knowledge of the Brontes in order to fully embrace this fictionalised account of their lives. So how does the author breathe life into this tale? Firstly, I think the use of the present tense is an excellent tool as it succeeds in immediately drawing us into the claustraphobic corners of the parsonage and the intellectual intensity of the sisters. Admittedly the style takes a bit of effort on the reader's part at first as it's in the third person and it does tend to flit about a lot between the siblings - something which, I feel, complements the darting, birdlike movement of their creativity and imagination and heightens the drama of their story.
The novel opens with the death of their mother and concludes as Charlotte embarks on a new life, married to Reverend Nicholls. There are those who would have preferred the story to continue to include Charlotte's death one year later but I actually found it quite refreshing for it to end on a note of optimism. Other books about the Brontes have focussed on Charlotte but I found this novel gives us more insight into Emily and Anne and even Maria and Elizabeth who are so often overlooked. Personally, I find absolutely no redeeming qualities in Branwell who was a selfish boor with no consideration for his siblings but Mr Morgan is slightly more gentle in his portrayal of the only son who is always misunderstood.
The cloistered ambiance of the parsonage, the wildness of the moors and the social isolation of these three exceptionally talented women is evident throughout the novel. I firmly believe that it takes a very talented writer to tell a well worn story and still manage to move the reader emotionally without resorting to mawkishness. Even if you never have the opportunity to visit Haworth, reading this novel will make you feel like you're actually there. You will feel the despair and deprivation of Cowan Bridge as well as the heartache of Charlotte in Brussels and have a much clearer perception of how life events influenced the Brontes' novels. Yes, it's an intense read but well worth the effort!
PS. I would also highly recommend Lynne Reid Banks' excellent fictionalised accounts of the Brontes - "Dark Quartet" and "Path to the Silent Country" although I fear that they might be out of print (second hand anyone?).
November 29, 2012
Although much is known about the Bronte sisters and their shared passion for writing (it’s difficult to make it through high school without reading one or both of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights) Morgan’s exploration of the Bronte family, their struggles, and the early losses that shaped their writing is so fresh it makes you want to read their work all over again. The author effortlessly draws you into the Bronte’s world, their lonely isolation, the constant struggle for money, and the profound closeness of the family relationships.
The insular nature of the Bronte’s life meant that they were largely cut off from any kind of society. Writing was a means of both escape and entertainment. They wrote constantly, sharing their work with one another and eventually drawing on one another’s support to embark on the daring path towards publication, something almost unheard of at the time. Morgan’s depiction of the challenges faced by the sisters’ in their attempts to pursue their writing dream is a moving testament to the almost inhuman status afforded to women at this time. After accepting a job as a governess Charlotte “feels her existence pared to the merest sliver. An apple-peel or rind, bound for the pig bin.”
The most memorable aspect of this book for me was the vivid character descriptions of the three sisters – how their different desires and sensibilities shaped their poems and stories. Emily, the recognized genius in the family, couldn’t bear the thought of leaving home, while Charlotte hungered for a larger life where she might experience recognition for her work, and perhaps even romantic love. Despite their differences the sisters were devoted to one another. The family bond was the most important aspect of all of their lives.
I don’t think you need to be a fan of the Bronte sisters’ novels to enjoy this book. It transcends the limitations of literary history by providing a fascinating exploration of the artist’s life and the inspiration that drives her to create. On another level, this book is an engrossing story about an exceptionally talented family bound together by hardship and a passion for words.
The insular nature of the Bronte’s life meant that they were largely cut off from any kind of society. Writing was a means of both escape and entertainment. They wrote constantly, sharing their work with one another and eventually drawing on one another’s support to embark on the daring path towards publication, something almost unheard of at the time. Morgan’s depiction of the challenges faced by the sisters’ in their attempts to pursue their writing dream is a moving testament to the almost inhuman status afforded to women at this time. After accepting a job as a governess Charlotte “feels her existence pared to the merest sliver. An apple-peel or rind, bound for the pig bin.”
The most memorable aspect of this book for me was the vivid character descriptions of the three sisters – how their different desires and sensibilities shaped their poems and stories. Emily, the recognized genius in the family, couldn’t bear the thought of leaving home, while Charlotte hungered for a larger life where she might experience recognition for her work, and perhaps even romantic love. Despite their differences the sisters were devoted to one another. The family bond was the most important aspect of all of their lives.
I don’t think you need to be a fan of the Bronte sisters’ novels to enjoy this book. It transcends the limitations of literary history by providing a fascinating exploration of the artist’s life and the inspiration that drives her to create. On another level, this book is an engrossing story about an exceptionally talented family bound together by hardship and a passion for words.
April 27, 2011
Charlotte and Emily (originally published as The Taste Sorrow) was a brilliant and beautiful novel. I am on such a Brontë high after finishing it.
The novel opens with the death of the mother Maria Brontë in 1821 and ends with Charlotte's marriage to Arthur Nicholls in 1854. I'm thankful that the book ended before her death because, frankly, I had had enough of death at that point.
I'm not going to go into detail about the lives of the Brontës. A simple Google search can fill you in there, so I won't bore you.
The writing was just beautiful and I felt that Morgan totally got it. From what I've gathered, the personalities of Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne were written spot-on. I felt the sadness and the loneliness; the heartbreak and the disappointment; and finally, success.
I loved the scenes of the three sisters sitting around the table at night writing their novels. It was almost as though I was there with them, holding my breath, afraid of disturbing them.
As an avid fan of all things Brontë, I was not disappointed in this novel at all. It completely passed my expectations, above and beyond. I feel as though I know them intimately now. The only thing I was disappointed with was the title. I hate how it was changed for the American edition, because the story was more than just Charlotte and Emily. The title The Taste of Sorrow is much more suitable.
This is definitely a keeper.
The novel opens with the death of the mother Maria Brontë in 1821 and ends with Charlotte's marriage to Arthur Nicholls in 1854. I'm thankful that the book ended before her death because, frankly, I had had enough of death at that point.
I'm not going to go into detail about the lives of the Brontës. A simple Google search can fill you in there, so I won't bore you.
The writing was just beautiful and I felt that Morgan totally got it. From what I've gathered, the personalities of Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne were written spot-on. I felt the sadness and the loneliness; the heartbreak and the disappointment; and finally, success.
I loved the scenes of the three sisters sitting around the table at night writing their novels. It was almost as though I was there with them, holding my breath, afraid of disturbing them.
As an avid fan of all things Brontë, I was not disappointed in this novel at all. It completely passed my expectations, above and beyond. I feel as though I know them intimately now. The only thing I was disappointed with was the title. I hate how it was changed for the American edition, because the story was more than just Charlotte and Emily. The title The Taste of Sorrow is much more suitable.
This is definitely a keeper.
July 3, 2015
This is my second historical fiction novel by Jude Morgan, and I am officially a fan. The Brontes provide amazing fodder for any author, but Morgan is skilled enough to bring them to complex, breathing life.
Wuthering Heights is one of my very favorite books, and Emily (and all the Brontes) fascinates me. When I was twenty and studying abroad in England, I made a pilgrimage of sorts (that involved two trains and three busses, the last of which was a rickety local on which my only companions were a handful of friendly Yorkshire farmers' wives) to Haworth and the Bronte Museum. It was one of my favorite experiences in England, and I spent hours walking alone on the windswept moors. I could vividly imagine how such a setting produced a brilliant, creative, lonely introvert like Emily. Morgan captures her and her siblings beautifully, and they are all just as I envision them. From their reclusive, fascinating childhood (the four siblings withdrew from a world of loss and tragedy to create an entire fictional world populated by exotic characters loosely inspired by the brother's toy figurines) to their attempt to navigate the "real" world so much less real to them, their development as writers, and tragic early deaths.
I would recommend this book not only to Bronte fans but to any lovers of Historical Fiction (or any introvert familiar with the vivid, internal world of the mind, and its siren call away from the pale rigidity of daily life).
Wuthering Heights is one of my very favorite books, and Emily (and all the Brontes) fascinates me. When I was twenty and studying abroad in England, I made a pilgrimage of sorts (that involved two trains and three busses, the last of which was a rickety local on which my only companions were a handful of friendly Yorkshire farmers' wives) to Haworth and the Bronte Museum. It was one of my favorite experiences in England, and I spent hours walking alone on the windswept moors. I could vividly imagine how such a setting produced a brilliant, creative, lonely introvert like Emily. Morgan captures her and her siblings beautifully, and they are all just as I envision them. From their reclusive, fascinating childhood (the four siblings withdrew from a world of loss and tragedy to create an entire fictional world populated by exotic characters loosely inspired by the brother's toy figurines) to their attempt to navigate the "real" world so much less real to them, their development as writers, and tragic early deaths.
I would recommend this book not only to Bronte fans but to any lovers of Historical Fiction (or any introvert familiar with the vivid, internal world of the mind, and its siren call away from the pale rigidity of daily life).
April 15, 2010
Jude Morgan is an intensely expressive writer, the Brontës are underserved by fiction, and yet... I never really believed this novel was about them. Morgan's writing style is too purple prosey for the stark Brontës, and he seemed to flit from one character to another just as, I felt, we were on the edge of real revelation. The best portrayal is that of Emily, blunt and disengaged - she is genuinely funny as a creation, but Morgan never gets behind her oddness, which surely should be the point of a biofic. Branwell is a caricature, there is no deep portrayal of the Yorkshire setting despite all the pretty metaphors, and there is an almost willful ignoring of the Brontës reading life, so vitally important to any writer. It's nice enough historical fiction, but doesn't get under the skin of his subjects the way Colm Toibin managed in The Master, for instance. If you want to know about the Brontës, skip this and read their novels, poetry and Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea.
June 29, 2017
"It’s because I’m all wrong that I have to find something right. And I found it here, in this room. We all did, didn’t we? We found something that alters the conditions of life. You write. You write yourself out of it, you write it out, you write it right.” ( p. 258)
Like many other readers, I suspect, I first read the books by the Brontes in young adulthood, and I’ve returned to them from time to time, with fresh eyes, over the years. While I’ve never read a formal biography of any of the sisters, I know a few basic details about each of them. Given their talent and the seemingly endless tragedies in their lives, including the fact that not one of the six Bronte children made it to the age of forty, I’m not surprised that a mythology has arisen around them, as it tends to do around gifted, heroic, or beautiful people who are cut down before their time. With the Brontes, you can't help but wonder: what if fate had been kinder?
In The Taste of Sorrow, Jude Morgan has written a moving biographical novel about this iconic, literary family. It is a sort of ensemble piece that begins with the harrowing death of their mother when the eldest of the six children is less than ten years of age; it follows their story (or stories, more precisely) through to the time of Charlotte’s marriage. Morgan writes in the present tense and flexibly shifts point of view between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—mostly keeping to the third person, but sometimes relating characters' innermost thoughts using the first person point of view. Their brother, Branwell, and father, Patrick, figure prominently in the narrative, but they are always presented from the outside, through the eyes of one of the three sisters.
Morgan’s fine writing (which does not adhere strictly to 19th-century style, rhythm, or idiom) and considerable descriptive powers transport the reader back in time. Because this is a fairly big book, which I read over several days, I had a sense of being with the characters, knowing them in a way I hadn’t before, and even of grieving with and for them.
Since I haven't read any scholarly biographies of the Brontes, I am unable to comment on the liberties Morgan may have taken with the biographical material. His characterization of the three sisters--the serious, self-conscious, approval-seeking Charlotte; the taciturn, fierce, elemental Emily; and the gentle, temperate, slightly bland Anne--is fairly consistent with my previously formed impressions of them. Even though there were no particular surprises in the book (aside from some information about Charlotte's husband), reading it was a rewarding experience, both intellectually and emotionally.
Many thanks to my Goodreads friend, Mandy, for bringing this wonderful novel to my attention.
Like many other readers, I suspect, I first read the books by the Brontes in young adulthood, and I’ve returned to them from time to time, with fresh eyes, over the years. While I’ve never read a formal biography of any of the sisters, I know a few basic details about each of them. Given their talent and the seemingly endless tragedies in their lives, including the fact that not one of the six Bronte children made it to the age of forty, I’m not surprised that a mythology has arisen around them, as it tends to do around gifted, heroic, or beautiful people who are cut down before their time. With the Brontes, you can't help but wonder: what if fate had been kinder?
In The Taste of Sorrow, Jude Morgan has written a moving biographical novel about this iconic, literary family. It is a sort of ensemble piece that begins with the harrowing death of their mother when the eldest of the six children is less than ten years of age; it follows their story (or stories, more precisely) through to the time of Charlotte’s marriage. Morgan writes in the present tense and flexibly shifts point of view between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—mostly keeping to the third person, but sometimes relating characters' innermost thoughts using the first person point of view. Their brother, Branwell, and father, Patrick, figure prominently in the narrative, but they are always presented from the outside, through the eyes of one of the three sisters.
Morgan’s fine writing (which does not adhere strictly to 19th-century style, rhythm, or idiom) and considerable descriptive powers transport the reader back in time. Because this is a fairly big book, which I read over several days, I had a sense of being with the characters, knowing them in a way I hadn’t before, and even of grieving with and for them.
Since I haven't read any scholarly biographies of the Brontes, I am unable to comment on the liberties Morgan may have taken with the biographical material. His characterization of the three sisters--the serious, self-conscious, approval-seeking Charlotte; the taciturn, fierce, elemental Emily; and the gentle, temperate, slightly bland Anne--is fairly consistent with my previously formed impressions of them. Even though there were no particular surprises in the book (aside from some information about Charlotte's husband), reading it was a rewarding experience, both intellectually and emotionally.
Many thanks to my Goodreads friend, Mandy, for bringing this wonderful novel to my attention.
December 14, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho conocer la historia de las hermanas Bronte a través de esta biografía novelada. En realidad sólo ellas podrían decirnos hasta que punto es fiel o no a la realidad y a buen seguro tendrían muchas matizaciones que hacer pero a mí desde el desconocimiento de los detalles de sus vidas, me ha parecido que es un libro bastante bien documentado que me ha dado ganas de seguir leyendo a las Bronte y de releer "cumbres borrascosas".
El único pero que le encuentro es que algunas frases se me hacían extrañas y no sé muy bien sí esa extrañeza obedece a la traducción o al estilo del autor.
En todo caso, creo que es una novela muy aconsejable para todos los admiradores de las hermanas Bronte.
El único pero que le encuentro es que algunas frases se me hacían extrañas y no sé muy bien sí esa extrañeza obedece a la traducción o al estilo del autor.
En todo caso, creo que es una novela muy aconsejable para todos los admiradores de las hermanas Bronte.
February 21, 2024
‘The page is where you should live, not die.’
In this wonderful novel, Jude Morgan writes about the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. Charlotte, Emily and Anne are no strangers to sorrow: the book opens with the death of their mother and during the course of it they experienced the loss of two sisters, their aunt and then their brother.
‘That is the taste of sorrow: the hard necessary pebble in your mouth.’
As small children, the sisters and their brother Branwell, are able to escape into their imaginations and create fictional worlds of intricate detail. As they grow older, Charlotte, Emily and Anne’s involvement in the world impacts on them in very different ways. Emily wishes largely to withdraw from the world outside her imagination; Anne is stifled by her experiences as a governess; and Charlotte longs for independence and love.
The characters as depicted by Mr Morgan are in alignment with what we know of their lives. More importantly, to me, the characters are largely consistent with how I would imagine them to be. As a biographical historical fiction, this novel works for me. The depiction of their lives and times, the events which were influences and the people who (probably) provided inspiration for at least some of the characters in their novels: it all makes for a compelling novel.
I think that this novel will be best enjoyed by those who have read all (or some) of the novels written by the sisters. But a reader does not have to know the works of the Brontës in order to read and appreciate this novel: it stands alone.
The tragically short but incredibly creative lives of the Brontë sisters: ‘Ah, but who will remember us?’ Once read, who can forget them?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this wonderful novel, Jude Morgan writes about the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. Charlotte, Emily and Anne are no strangers to sorrow: the book opens with the death of their mother and during the course of it they experienced the loss of two sisters, their aunt and then their brother.
‘That is the taste of sorrow: the hard necessary pebble in your mouth.’
As small children, the sisters and their brother Branwell, are able to escape into their imaginations and create fictional worlds of intricate detail. As they grow older, Charlotte, Emily and Anne’s involvement in the world impacts on them in very different ways. Emily wishes largely to withdraw from the world outside her imagination; Anne is stifled by her experiences as a governess; and Charlotte longs for independence and love.
The characters as depicted by Mr Morgan are in alignment with what we know of their lives. More importantly, to me, the characters are largely consistent with how I would imagine them to be. As a biographical historical fiction, this novel works for me. The depiction of their lives and times, the events which were influences and the people who (probably) provided inspiration for at least some of the characters in their novels: it all makes for a compelling novel.
I think that this novel will be best enjoyed by those who have read all (or some) of the novels written by the sisters. But a reader does not have to know the works of the Brontës in order to read and appreciate this novel: it stands alone.
The tragically short but incredibly creative lives of the Brontë sisters: ‘Ah, but who will remember us?’ Once read, who can forget them?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 11, 2013
This is simply the best novel I've read/listened to for a long while. It is superbly written, highly poignant and gives a convincing portrayal of the Brontes and their world; one feels as if one is actually there, with these people, feeling their joys and sorrows, their conflict, but most of all their terrible losses, their pain. The scenes at Cowanbridge are particularly affecting, and Morgan draws the character of Branwell Bronte so brilliantly; his negative sides and his disruptive influence are made clear but so is also his essential vulnerability. At the centre of it all stands Charlotte, who is really the main focus of the narrative, a fascinating character.
A highly recommended read!
A highly recommended read!
July 7, 2019
”A dark lake of future, and sailing we cannot see the banks.” That is what lies ahead for the Brontë family when their mother (Maria Branwell, 1783-1821) passes away in the opening chapter of this biographical novel. Widower Patrick Brontë now has six children - Maria (1813-1825), Elizabeth (1814-1825), Charlotte (1816-1855), Branwell (1817-1848), Emily (1818-1848) and Anne (1820-1849) - to care for, albeit with the help of their maternal aunt. Aunt, whose philosophy is “‘It is better to be good than to be clever’”, which is rather odd to Charlotte as sister Maria is both. Soon school is discussed for the older girls, and Aunt recommends a school without “fripperies” as ”‘I am thinking of their welfare, of course. For the worst thing, you’ll agree, Mr Brontë, the very worst thing, would be for those girls to grow up thinking themselves in any way exceptional.’”
Except for the brief introductory sample above, I don’t intend to relate the story of the Brontës, as most of my GR friends are no doubt already familiar with it, and I don’t want to spoil it for readers who don’t know the history of the Brontës. Reading this novel is in fact an excellent way to learn about the Brontë family, and the writing is beautiful. Jude Morgan (a pseudonym for Tim Wilson) does a very credible job of fleshing out the characters. The individuals all have their flaws and idiosyncrasies, the siblings have their tiffs, and as such their portrayal is so much more believable. But the siblings also have a wonderful bond.
As evidenced by the dates given above, none of the Brontë children lived very long. The chapter on the deaths of the two eldest girls, Maria and Elizabeth, is very poignant and it includes a few relevant details of the other children in the school who perished at that time. The manner in which this chapter is written made me think of a gong which sounds the death knell of each little girl. As Maria and Elizabeth died so young, there is not much character development; we just have a brief glimpse of their brief lives.
The cheeky, playful little boy Banny (Branwell) grows up to be an optimistic youth, keen to be an artist. We see him become cynical and we witness his decline in a laudanum fog and an alcoholic haze.
The children retreat to an imaginary world whenever they can; a richly creative imaginary world. ”What goes on: the imaginary world goes on, at such a pace there is hardly enough time in the day to record it all. (Or imagine it all? No, there is always enough time for that, somehow.) As for the little books, they would fill shelf upon shelf if they were real – or, rather, of real dimensions." "Hover above the four bent heads, then over Charlotte’s scribble-tense shoulder. See the lines of fly-speck script; squeeze through them; fall gently out of the world and into the world within.” This mental life sustains them, and is a refuge from the harsh realities of life. To Charlotte, Emily and Anne creativity is as important as breathing. The final quarter of the novel deals with their mature writing years, and is a delight to read. Here we follow the creative processes and take part in the birth of ‘Jane Eyre’ (Charlotte), ‘Wuthering Heights’ (Emily) and ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall’ (Anne) as well as their other works. “Struggling, wrangling, falling silent, walking round and round the table, they forge through the lamplit evenings, pages written, read, discarded. Getting nowhere. Until you lift your head and find that you are getting somewhere, even if the place is unfamiliar, alarming." "And this was what writers did – the paper, the pen, the ink, the troubled look over the milling herd of ideas, most of them sickly and needing culling.”
Of course the novel doesn’t only detail their creative writing, but includes all the important aspects of their lives, and much sorrow there is. Charlotte, the most long-lived of the siblings, gets the lion’s share of the story but Emily is very well portrayed as someone who doesn’t waste words by talking a lot; when she speaks she is very forthright. And Anne? “But Anne was also observant, highly sensitive, sharply honest.” There is a lot of word-play and much to enjoy in their dialogue, thoughts and opinions. Sometimes their thoughts are interwoven in the text. For example, there is a paragraph in which they each ponder the word ‘alone’, and the author doesn’t clearly state which one is thinking what, but it is clearly evident who is thinking what from their character portrayal in the rest of the novel. This reminded me of a quartet being sung in an opera where each one is expressing their own thoughts on a subject.
And last but not least, kudos to Mr Morgan for his impeccable research.
Quotes
Except for the brief introductory sample above, I don’t intend to relate the story of the Brontës, as most of my GR friends are no doubt already familiar with it, and I don’t want to spoil it for readers who don’t know the history of the Brontës. Reading this novel is in fact an excellent way to learn about the Brontë family, and the writing is beautiful. Jude Morgan (a pseudonym for Tim Wilson) does a very credible job of fleshing out the characters. The individuals all have their flaws and idiosyncrasies, the siblings have their tiffs, and as such their portrayal is so much more believable. But the siblings also have a wonderful bond.
As evidenced by the dates given above, none of the Brontë children lived very long. The chapter on the deaths of the two eldest girls, Maria and Elizabeth, is very poignant and it includes a few relevant details of the other children in the school who perished at that time. The manner in which this chapter is written made me think of a gong which sounds the death knell of each little girl. As Maria and Elizabeth died so young, there is not much character development; we just have a brief glimpse of their brief lives.
The cheeky, playful little boy Banny (Branwell) grows up to be an optimistic youth, keen to be an artist. We see him become cynical and we witness his decline in a laudanum fog and an alcoholic haze.
The children retreat to an imaginary world whenever they can; a richly creative imaginary world. ”What goes on: the imaginary world goes on, at such a pace there is hardly enough time in the day to record it all. (Or imagine it all? No, there is always enough time for that, somehow.) As for the little books, they would fill shelf upon shelf if they were real – or, rather, of real dimensions." "Hover above the four bent heads, then over Charlotte’s scribble-tense shoulder. See the lines of fly-speck script; squeeze through them; fall gently out of the world and into the world within.” This mental life sustains them, and is a refuge from the harsh realities of life. To Charlotte, Emily and Anne creativity is as important as breathing. The final quarter of the novel deals with their mature writing years, and is a delight to read. Here we follow the creative processes and take part in the birth of ‘Jane Eyre’ (Charlotte), ‘Wuthering Heights’ (Emily) and ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall’ (Anne) as well as their other works. “Struggling, wrangling, falling silent, walking round and round the table, they forge through the lamplit evenings, pages written, read, discarded. Getting nowhere. Until you lift your head and find that you are getting somewhere, even if the place is unfamiliar, alarming." "And this was what writers did – the paper, the pen, the ink, the troubled look over the milling herd of ideas, most of them sickly and needing culling.”
Of course the novel doesn’t only detail their creative writing, but includes all the important aspects of their lives, and much sorrow there is. Charlotte, the most long-lived of the siblings, gets the lion’s share of the story but Emily is very well portrayed as someone who doesn’t waste words by talking a lot; when she speaks she is very forthright. And Anne? “But Anne was also observant, highly sensitive, sharply honest.” There is a lot of word-play and much to enjoy in their dialogue, thoughts and opinions. Sometimes their thoughts are interwoven in the text. For example, there is a paragraph in which they each ponder the word ‘alone’, and the author doesn’t clearly state which one is thinking what, but it is clearly evident who is thinking what from their character portrayal in the rest of the novel. This reminded me of a quartet being sung in an opera where each one is expressing their own thoughts on a subject.
And last but not least, kudos to Mr Morgan for his impeccable research.
Quotes
May 6, 2010
Brilliant. Wonderfully written, totally believable, heartbreaking. Like Passion, Jude Morgan's book about the women of Byron and Shelley's circle, I found myself reading and thinking this is how it was; this is the truth. I can't honestly think of a more beautifully imagined telling of the Bronte siblings. I can't recommend this strongly enough.
April 10, 2023
Wow, wow, wow, if you are a fan of the Brontes, this is a MUST read! Absolutely heartbreaking all the way to the end and beautifully written! Hats off to Jude Morgan, I really feel like he understood the Brontes while still putting a creative or new spin on their story.
There were two parts of the story where the writing made me stop and just take a moment to appreciate the genius:
1) Maria and Elizabeth's death--he peppers in the writing of how Elizabeth passes away with factual statements about the other girls who attended Cowan Bridge school who also passed away due to the horrible conditions of the school. I thought it was a nice melding of fiction and fact and also a way to amplify these other girl's stories. Very powerful.
2) Madame Heger's realization that Charlotte was in love with Monsieur Heger: Instead of just writing that simple statement, Morgan goes into her whole back story and how she understands human nature--it's just brilliant.
Thoughts about the Brontes:
1) Someone just let these girls WRITE!!!! That was all they wanted in life and rigid Victorian gender roles and social structure (poverty, religion) just held them back so much, it was so heartbreaking to see. Made me angry!!
2) Charlotte really felt things super deeply and that came across really well in this book. The intensity of her feelings were hugely affecting.
3) Anne is kind of low-key my fave, she had a really strong sense of self though she was quiet and humble. I think her quietness and reserve might have made her seem child-like but she was actually very aware of how terrible the world is.
Loved it!
There were two parts of the story where the writing made me stop and just take a moment to appreciate the genius:
1) Maria and Elizabeth's death--he peppers in the writing of how Elizabeth passes away with factual statements about the other girls who attended Cowan Bridge school who also passed away due to the horrible conditions of the school. I thought it was a nice melding of fiction and fact and also a way to amplify these other girl's stories. Very powerful.
2) Madame Heger's realization that Charlotte was in love with Monsieur Heger: Instead of just writing that simple statement, Morgan goes into her whole back story and how she understands human nature--it's just brilliant.
Thoughts about the Brontes:
1) Someone just let these girls WRITE!!!! That was all they wanted in life and rigid Victorian gender roles and social structure (poverty, religion) just held them back so much, it was so heartbreaking to see. Made me angry!!
2) Charlotte really felt things super deeply and that came across really well in this book. The intensity of her feelings were hugely affecting.
3) Anne is kind of low-key my fave, she had a really strong sense of self though she was quiet and humble. I think her quietness and reserve might have made her seem child-like but she was actually very aware of how terrible the world is.
Loved it!
December 2, 2024
You kept adding on experiences, but they never added up.
I am a big fan of Jude Morgan. I love his style, point of view, and historical accuracy. Yet, this time, I couldn't get into the story at first. For almost half of the book, I struggled with attention and interest. Probably it was a problem on my side. Fortunately, the second part of the novel gripped me (I read the second part after a month of break).
'Self-torture is one of life's few inexpensive luxuries,'
[As a kind of averaging my enjoyment from the first and the second part - 3.5 stars]
September 28, 2022
I'm fascinated by all things Bronte, but this one was underwhelming. Its a thick book which I was excited about, but inside was a slog to get through. I found the characterizations of the famous family cold and uninspiring. I've read better fictional and non-fictional accounts of the Brontes. Disappointing.
March 28, 2010
Charlotte's Bronte's books were formative ones for me as a reader. I remember reading Jane Eyre and Villette as an 18 year old ( a bookish provincial one no less), about to leave my country town for university. I think what touched me about these books was the transformative power of the writer's life so I was interesting to read Jude Morgan's book about Charlotte and her family. It was an odd experience reading the book, seeing Charlotte, Emily and Anne suffering the vagaries of earning a living and intensely felt crushes , to know the plot and wait for it to reveal itself. When are the going to write the books? This question kept me reading. Its a very modern book. Although Charlotte emerges as the novel's main character - simply by longevity, her siblings fall one-by-one to consumption - the novel is very equally weighted; Jude Morgan moves easily between the characters and their consciousness. the novel ends with Charlotte's voyage to the sea "the real sea The Atlantic" and some comfort in her marriage.
October 19, 2010
At a young age, the Bronte children discover the shocking impact of sober adulthood. As a balance, the siblings retreat to a the world of words, one that sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne return to when their professions, their expectations of their brother Branwell, and their endurance, fails them. The story of how the most celebrated sisters in literature gathered their dark stories throughout their life.
No words can explain how overwhelmed I was after reading this. Even though I've read some of the Bronte sisters' novels, this books offers a sight of them I've never seen before. It's beautifully written, with some hints of vulgarity in between, but too much to disrupt the flow of writing. It's a wonderful example of how a writer can make historical figures THEIR characters. Simply beautiful.
No words can explain how overwhelmed I was after reading this. Even though I've read some of the Bronte sisters' novels, this books offers a sight of them I've never seen before. It's beautifully written, with some hints of vulgarity in between, but too much to disrupt the flow of writing. It's a wonderful example of how a writer can make historical figures THEIR characters. Simply beautiful.
January 14, 2015
Although I read the American version entitled "Charlotte and Emily: A Novel of the Brontës," I felt as cold, as near-death, as invisible, as creative (well, maybe not as creative) as the three Brontë sisters. Jude Morgan (Tim Wilson) writes beautiful prose, like this metaphor describing the pain in Charlotte's life: "And if come evening, when the other girls [at the miserable boarding school] grouped and fizzed and chattered, [Charlotte] preferred to hide herself behind the schoolroom curtain, hug the fox, perhaps silently weep a little at the sharpness of its teeth, that was her own business. She certainly did not want anyone to draw back that curtain." Nice, huh? If you love "Jane Eyre" and/or "Wuthering Heights," I believe you will relish this take on what may have been the matrix for their creative work. BUT! Jude Morgan desperately needs an editor.
February 22, 2016
Не бях чела скоро толкова хубав биографичен роман! Авторът влиза сякаш "под кожата" на сестрите Бронте, без да изпуска нито едно от основните събития в живота на семейството. Мислите им текат като по оголени нерви, вътрешният им свят е наелектризиран, изпълнен с "къси съединения". Разочарованията дълбаят душите ми, но и ги карат да израстват по своеобразен начин - "навътре". Борбата с очакванията на баща им, с неувереността в творческите си способности, с предразсъдъците спрямо жените - тежка и неравна битка, в която обаче времето ги удостоява с безсмъртна победа.
February 8, 2015
(The title of the book is misleading as the novel focuses on the entire Bronte family.) Very good historical fiction - a glimpse into how Charlotte, Emily and Anne's life experiences were reflected in their works. Each had a hard and dreary life with little prospects but they did have determination. The author brought the Bronte family to life warts and all.
March 19, 2020
"Se centra mucho en la relación entre las hermanas, en como se quieren, se apoyan, tienen sus diferencias... Y que en cierto modo, en las personalidades y los caracteres de ellas, e incluso en ciertas situaciones, parece que hace un guiño o homenaje a esas protagonistas, otorgándoles un poco la personalidad de sus heroínas."
FRAGMENTO DE MI BLOG
FRAGMENTO DE MI BLOG
September 13, 2010
Gave up reading this, can't get into it.
Too slow and plodding.
Too slow and plodding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews