The Illustrated Letters of the Brontes

The Illustrated Letters

by Juliet Gardiner (Compiler)

The story both of the real world of the Brontës at Haworth Parsonage, their home on the edge of the lonely Yorkshire moors, and of the imaginary worlds they spun for themselves in their novels and poetry.

Wherever possible, their story is told using their own words – the letters they wrote to each other, Emily and Anne's secret diaries, and Charlotte's exchanges with luminaries of literary England – or those closest to them, such as their brother Branwell, their father Patrick Brontë, and their novelist friend Mrs Gaskell.

The Brontës sketched and painted their worlds too, in delicate ink washes and watercolours of family and friends, animals and the English moors. These pictures illuminate the text as do the tiny drawings the Brontë children made to illustrate their imaginary worlds. In addition, there are facsimiles of their letters and diaries, paintings by artists of the day, and pictures of household life.

This beautifully illustrated book offers a unique and privileged view of the real lives of three women, writers and sisters.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics

160 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Emma.catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book that gives us a real, unique and privileged insight into the real world of these three women. Not only as writers but as sisters.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

FULL REVIEW 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

A MUST read for any Bronte fan

This is more than *just* a book…this is an experience, a treasure to handle with great care and will fill you with immense joy and comfort. it is a beautifully crafted and incredibly well illustrated piece of art that should be cherished.

If you want a real insight into the Brontes’ lives then this is it. Through letter, diary entries, photographs and writing from the Bronte sisters themselves we learn what it was like to live in the 1800’s through their eyes.

We read of both their real lives living on the Yorkshire moors, but also the imaginary worlds they create for themselves through their novels and poetry.

Alongside their own stories, experiences and simple communication between friends, we are gifted with watercolour paintings and ink washes of family, friends, animals and their surrounding countryside.

I can never get enough of the Brontes’. They fascinate me intensely, so to read this book was a great honour. I felt closer to them than ever before; as if I knew them. These women are of strong character and soul, leading individually fascinating lives yet learn and lean on each other. Sadly their lives are cut too short with Charlotte being the last of the sisters to perish. Interestingly, Reverend Patrick Bronte, their father, lived to age 84, the longest living of all the family; ‘still ever near but ever separate’. He died in 1861, 6 years after Charlotte.

I would highly recommend getting your hands on this piece of art if you can. Thank you to Juliet Gardner for putting this book together and sharing their world with us.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A speedy review of the Bronte sisters' lives, with extracts from their letters and journals. This book is not great on Kindle, due to the frequent illustrations with very long captions, which interrupt the flow of the text and make it a little clumsy for reading. And, honestly, if you've already read the Brontes' letters in full, or if you've read a comprehensive biography, the summing up and skimming over in this book just simply feels like it's not enough. If you want to know about the Brontes, I recommend you search out a more complete volume of their letters and let them tell you about themselves without an intermediary.

There were a number of typos, too, and a photo supposedly of Charlotte Bronte which has, for some years now, been pretty convincingly attributed to Ellen Nussey.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview of the Brontes' lives with extensive reference to their letters, artwork and diaries - it's beautifully laid out and the reproductions of art are of high quality. I appreciate that Juliet Gardiner seems to have no desire to insert herself into the Brontes' history and lets them speak for themselves wherever possible. Would recommend this to anyone as a good start and a valuable resource when engaging with the Brontes and their history.

[victória · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu achei que o título engana o leitor a respeito do assunto tratado. O que eu imaginei é que seria uma coletânea de cartas com ilustrações associadas. Mas na verdade, é uma biografia bem resumida da vida das irmãs, contendo alguns trechos de correspondência. O foco ainda foi bem grande na Charlotte. Eu gostei de ler, achei que foi bom pra introduzir a vida delas, e achei uma edição belíssima. Mas não entregou o que prometeu e nem se aprofundou no que entregou.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderful, indispensable book. Interlace biography with fragments of letters or diaries letting us feel closer to the three sisters. In addition the presentation is simply beautiful
But I would recommend as an indispensable reading to complement: The Brontë Cabinet: Three Lives in Nine Objects .
It is the best book to approach their lives through their personal objects, totally amazing.

[Danae Lamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never be able to articulate just how much these women have meant to me over the years.

This biography similar to previous biographies that I have read about each of them, however this one has the added bonus of the glossy pictures of their environment, their art work and portraits of the people they knew/met.

A truly immersive experience and a great read for every Brontë fan. I loved it.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it's short (or precisely because of it) and it doesn't add anything I didn't already know about their lives, I really enjoyed reading it, the beautiful illustrations and reliance on their own and their contemporaries' testimony make it very lively. It's a good introduction but can also be enjoyed by fans of the Brontës.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful journey into the lives of the Brontës in their own words and featuring some truly lovely artworks and photographs of fascinating items on display at the Brontë Parsonage. What genius, what vision, what tragedy. A stunning collection for any Brontëphile and one to be treasured.

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book with much original material and beautifully illustrated.

[Dani Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed learning more about the Brontë sisters.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ☆