Brontë

by Glyn Hughes

Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, the four prodigiously gifted Bronte children, grew up in a world circumscribed by their father's dank, claustrophobic parsonage at Haworth in Yorkshire.  Here their lively imaginations fed upon each other's childhood fantasies.  They invented their own fictional world of romance and adventure which led to the great novels of the three girls' maturity.  Branwell, the only son, of whom so much was expected, had his talent destroyed by wildness and alcohol, while only Charlotte among the three sisters lived barely long enough to enjoy her writing career.

The story of the Bronte family is not, however, one of unrelieved tragedy.  They knew love and friendship, they found success in their writings, and above all they exalted in the glories of the wild Yorkshire countryside, the moors of Wuthering Heights.  Using the freedom of a novelist and his own richly imaginative insights, Glyn Hughes brings the creative and dramatic world of the Bronte family triumphantly to life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, British Literature, Novels, Historical

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Glyn Hughes has won national prizes and awards for his poetry collections. His first book, Neighbours, was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and won the Welsh Arts Council Poet’s Prize.

He was awarded the Guardian Fiction Prize as well as the David Higham Prize for his first novel, Where I Used To Play On The Green. He was short-listed for The Whitbread Novel of the Year for The Antique Collector, also for the James Tait Black Prize, and the Portico Prize.

Reviews

[Ladan F · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel based on the lives of the Bronte family. Patrick Bronte, an Irish -born parson, was to outlive all his six children. Branwell, the only son, was destroyed by wildness and alcohol while Charlotte, Emily and Anne did not live long enough to enjoy their writing careers.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of research went into this book. Took me back to Howarth and 2 amazing holidays in the area.

[Vena {Deceased} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glyn Hughes certainly knows the biographies of the Brontes thoroughly. In this novel he managed to weave the various famous anecdotes, and what is known of all the family members and the people in their lives, into a narrative context of 'how things might have come about'. Sometimes his research is a little too obvious, in my opinion, because he tried to include so much. It surprised me when he did not include something.

I think Hughes's use of foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed, but perhaps that's because I, too, am so familiar with the Brontes' story. Still, about the third time, say, Aunt Branwell's bowel problems -- or Anne's asthma, among others -- was mentioned, I thought enough already: I get the warning.

I will give Hughes credit for trying to include all the Bronte children into his story, even the little-known, second-oldest Bronte sister, Elizabeth. But naturally enough it is Charlotte's perspective that Hughes relies on most. He seldom gets wildly speculative, trying to stay true to what is known, but unfortunately I think it makes for a rather staid treatment. If I wanted to read a straight biography, I would have done so; but with fiction I think he could have been a little more imaginative.

It's the nature of the beast of biographical fiction, I'm afraid, that writers either treat their subjects a little too gingerly -- becoming pedantic in the process -- or, at the other extreme, they reinterpret and project too much onto their historical subjects of what they, themselves, wish these people had been; thus making the story unbelievable. I think Hughes walked a fine line and chose to remain safe, if a bit dull. However, Hughes's writing did maintain my interest throughout, and I wound up enjoying the retelling of the Brontes' lives.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should get an award for finishing this book. I can summarize it in one sentence: A family is perpetually sick, they write some stuff, and then they die. But seriously, I might've enjoyed it had it been half as long.

[Carfig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very odd mix of novel form and biography. I kept thinking of it as a biography, but it was missing a lot of details, like dates. It is considered a novel, but it is too rigid to read well. It didn't bode well when one of the first pages had the date wrong for Bronwell's death.

[Carol Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like it, and it was quite interesting to see how they would have lived and developed in their time. I did get a bit bored with it about halfway through and rushed the rest, but it has inspired me to go back and re-read their novels!

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, a slow read and a bit too long. Still, it is a wonderful historical fiction novel.

[Glinda Swaner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was based on the Brontë family. I’m a big fan of the Brontë novels, so it was very interesting to learn more about their lives. What a great book.

[Methuselah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published some years ago, this is one of the better Bronte fictions, and is definitely worth reading.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a fictionalized biography and I couldn't put it down. The Bronte family from before Patrick married and had kids, until his death, so many years later. Patrick, the father, stood out to me as the most different from the biographies I've read of the family. In this book he is warm and friendly and a good father, not the forbidding figure who stayed in his study while his family lived their lives outside his closed door. Branwell, the one brother, the one man who so many hopes were pinned on is a tragic figure, drinking and drugging himself to death, and the mother and two older sisters dying so young. Then Anne and Emily, then Charlotte. Everyone dying, but doing some incredible things first. I'm glad I read this, another interpertation of this amazing family.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boy this was a slow read. And he skipped big pieces of what seemed important to me. I did like his portrayal of the father as NOT a tyrant but someone who was very much loved by his family. I enjoyed it overall but it was tough going at times with all the minutiae.

Essex Library book sale March 2011

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm relieved to be finished with this tedious book. A biographical novel is the worst of both worlds: it lacks the entertainment value of a novel and the educational value of a biography. An outrageous liar is good for a laugh, a truthful man provides good information, but why listen to one who tells half-truths? You don't know which parts to believe. That's how I felt reading "Bronte."

[PAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with the same impressions I had the first time I read Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. They are very dark and gloomy novels, but very hard to put down. I very much appreciate the extensive research efforts of Glyn Hughes in writing this book. I would recommend this lovely, however, tragic story of the Bronte family.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book cover to cover. I thought the writing was well done, so well done, in fact, that I found the book very depressing. But what stopped me from reading it were the assumptions the author made about the Brontes' private and intimate lives. I wish to learn more about what is known about them before I pursue a fictional reading of their lives.

[Kathy Kattenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few families -- publicly known ones, at least -- can have been as filled with tragedy as the Bronte family. This fictionalized biography (but the important historical facts and events are all supported by ample research) is heartbreaking, to the point of feeling unbearable at times -- I had to take breaks from it. It's painful to read, but well worth it.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not know much about the Brontes so had to do some research after reading this to find out how close it was to the actual fact. Very close.
Not a light hearted read (guess, just like the Brontes) and a bit repetitious in phraseology but enjoyable enough.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable retelling of the lives of all the Brontes, rich in detail and sense if place.. A bit laboured at times, but still engrossing, especially if you know and love the areas talked about..i learnt alot....

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fictional bio of the Brontes; what a strange, unhealthy family life they had. No wonder their books are rather dark!

[Ngdecker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. I have read other books on the Brontes and have been fascinated by them, but this was totally dreary and depressing.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, I like this book. It is a bit dark, but living near the Yorkshire moors is dark and lonely and wet with much rain.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this as a ARC a couple years ago, must have never entered it here. Very detailed, gives a great feeling for living in that time.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books about the Brontes I have read.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about the authors but a lot of parts were SO slow. It was a real chore to finish this book.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

sublime

[S.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind bending.