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Charlotte Bronte Revisited
Everybody knows Charlotte Bronte. World-famous for her novel Jane Eyre, she's a giant of literature and has been written about in reverential tones in scores of textbooks over the years. But what do we really know about Charlotte?
In this bicentennial year, Charlotte Bronte Revisited looks at Charlotte through 21st-century eyes. Discover her private world of convention, rebellion and imagination, and how they shaped her life, writing and obsessions - including the paranormal, nature, feminism and politics. It's a celebration of all things Charlotte Bronte, and emphatically shows why she's as relevant today as she ever was.
- GenresNonfiction
ebook
Published April 21, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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August 13, 2018For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...
As one of my final stops along the Brontë train, I read Sophie Franklin's Charlotte Brontë Revisited, the companion piece to Dr Claire O'Callaghan's Emily Brontë Reappraised. I do hope that the Saraband press has a plan for an Anne Brontë ... 'reevaluated'? 'Reconsidered'? 'Revealed'? There are many possibilities. As with Reappraised, Franklin's Revisited is a lightweight introduction to Brontëana, giving a general outline of Charlotte's life and works while also considering her posthumous reputation. Franklin acknowledges that Charlotte is her own 'favourite Brontë' and also that this has become the increasingly unpopular choice. Not only is picking Charlotte too 'obvious' given her higher profile in comparison with her sisters, but the trend towards recent revisionist biographies has not been kind to her. Not only has Mrs Gaskell's interpretation of Charlotte as long-suffering saint fallen out of fashion, but Charlotte's own attempts to micro-manage her sisters' reputations has prompted fans of Emily and Anne to turn against her. Can revisiting Charlotte leave a better impression?
Franklin considers Charlotte's 'afterlives' following trends in biography then moves on to Charlotte's relationship with nature before moving on to the strong spiritual element to Charlotte's prose work. Franklin also examines Charlotte from an ideological perspective, looking at both her attitude towards women as well as Charlotte's infamous Tory leanings. Finishing up with a list of Charlotte-related sites of pilgrimage, Charlotte Brontë Revisited is the work of a true fan.
Factionalism is such an unfortunate and prevalent part of being a Brontë fan. Whether you're someone who read Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë and believed every word or if you prefer to follow the word of Judith Barker, there will always be another group of Brontë fans with whom you strongly disagree. It was refreshing therefore to read a book which feels quite free of that. Franklin is not so much mounting a defense of her heroine as she is looking directly at what made Charlotte famous in the first place. It is so easy to complain about Charlotte, it takes a lot more time to go through her many talents.
That being said, this does have more of the feel of a study guide rather than a true biography. I can imagine it being incredibly useful had I ever studied any of Charlotte's novels for A-levels - I wish in some ways that I had, but in other respects I am glad to have rediscovered them independently and as an adult. Franklin's writing is user-friendly and accessible, a wonderful change in pace from other biographers and her enthusiasm and admiration for her subject shines through. Although much of the material which Franklin covers was already familiar to me, I admired how clearly she was able to put it across. Her enthusiasm for her subject shines through and although I doubt that I will ever select Charlotte as my 'favourite sister', it was fascinating to read the words of a twenty-first century Brontë scholar and see how the tide might well be turning back in Charlotte's favour.
As one of my final stops along the Brontë train, I read Sophie Franklin's Charlotte Brontë Revisited, the companion piece to Dr Claire O'Callaghan's Emily Brontë Reappraised. I do hope that the Saraband press has a plan for an Anne Brontë ... 'reevaluated'? 'Reconsidered'? 'Revealed'? There are many possibilities. As with Reappraised, Franklin's Revisited is a lightweight introduction to Brontëana, giving a general outline of Charlotte's life and works while also considering her posthumous reputation. Franklin acknowledges that Charlotte is her own 'favourite Brontë' and also that this has become the increasingly unpopular choice. Not only is picking Charlotte too 'obvious' given her higher profile in comparison with her sisters, but the trend towards recent revisionist biographies has not been kind to her. Not only has Mrs Gaskell's interpretation of Charlotte as long-suffering saint fallen out of fashion, but Charlotte's own attempts to micro-manage her sisters' reputations has prompted fans of Emily and Anne to turn against her. Can revisiting Charlotte leave a better impression?
Franklin considers Charlotte's 'afterlives' following trends in biography then moves on to Charlotte's relationship with nature before moving on to the strong spiritual element to Charlotte's prose work. Franklin also examines Charlotte from an ideological perspective, looking at both her attitude towards women as well as Charlotte's infamous Tory leanings. Finishing up with a list of Charlotte-related sites of pilgrimage, Charlotte Brontë Revisited is the work of a true fan.
Factionalism is such an unfortunate and prevalent part of being a Brontë fan. Whether you're someone who read Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë and believed every word or if you prefer to follow the word of Judith Barker, there will always be another group of Brontë fans with whom you strongly disagree. It was refreshing therefore to read a book which feels quite free of that. Franklin is not so much mounting a defense of her heroine as she is looking directly at what made Charlotte famous in the first place. It is so easy to complain about Charlotte, it takes a lot more time to go through her many talents.
That being said, this does have more of the feel of a study guide rather than a true biography. I can imagine it being incredibly useful had I ever studied any of Charlotte's novels for A-levels - I wish in some ways that I had, but in other respects I am glad to have rediscovered them independently and as an adult. Franklin's writing is user-friendly and accessible, a wonderful change in pace from other biographers and her enthusiasm and admiration for her subject shines through. Although much of the material which Franklin covers was already familiar to me, I admired how clearly she was able to put it across. Her enthusiasm for her subject shines through and although I doubt that I will ever select Charlotte as my 'favourite sister', it was fascinating to read the words of a twenty-first century Brontë scholar and see how the tide might well be turning back in Charlotte's favour.
January 6, 2018
An appealing mix of scholarly and accessible, this is a brief biography that seeks to put Charlotte Bronte in context. There is not a lot of new material here, but it is well-presented and coherent. I found the advice at the end about Bronte-related spots to visit, and things to read while there, particularly valuable.
July 10, 2020
Another excellent, brief Bronte biography, this time of the most famous sister, with a look at her life (including its less sympathetic sides), her work, and her political ideas. As with the other volumes in the set, the author debunks various myths, and focuses on creating a well-rounded picture of someone who was a real, complex person. And I appreciated her commenting on the common obsession with Charlotte's looks!
February 3, 2021
A great overview of all things Charlotte Brontë - life, work, places she visited, her inspirations, etc. Nothing I haven’t seen before (except the list of places connected to the family, which I quite liked!), but it was a quick and easy read. Rejogged my memory and all that.
April 6, 2017
A genuinely fascinating and fresh insight into Charlotte Bronte, and a highly enjoyable read. Offers a critical rethinking of what we think we know about Charlotte, taking into account new research and reappraising old myths. It made me reassess my views of Charlotte, and all the Brontes, and has inspired me to read more of her work and re-read 'Jane Eyre' with these new views in mind. It's a very engaging read, which will interest both academic and non-academic readers alike - and genuinely funny in many places! Overall, a fantastic, enjoyable read offering the reader so much to think about.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews