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Tales of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal: Selected Early Writings
In their collaborative early writings, the Brontes created and peopled the most extraordinary fantasy worlds, whose geography and history they elaborated in numerous stories, poems, and plays. Together they invented characters based on heroes and writers such as Wellington, Napoleon, Scott, and Byron, whose feuds, alliances, and love affairs weave an intricate web of social and political intrigue in imaginary colonial lands in Africa and the Pacific Ocean. The writings of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal are youthful experiments in imitation and parody, wild romance and realistic recording - a playful literary world that they would draw upon for their early and later work. In this generous selection, the early writings of the Bronte's are presented together for the first time. Christine Alexander's Introduction explores the rich imaginative lives of the Brontes, and the tension between their maturing authorship and creative freedom. The edition includes Charlotte Bronte's Roe Head Journal, and Emily and Anne's Diary Papers. The edition also has a key to characters and place, detailed notes, and a map of Glass Town and Angria.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
688 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 19, 2020
As Elizabeth Gaskell went about her research for the first official Brontë propaganda instalment biography, she inevitably stumbled across the reams and reams of surprisingly graphic material they had churned out as children. Charlotte's daringly erotic Duke of Wellington fanfic in particular posed a problem; the purpose of the biography was to establish Charlotte as a suffering saint so as to vindicate her from the public opprobrium sparked by her subversive novels... but unsurprisingly her suggestive fantasies belied this image. Thus, the juvenilia was calmly dismissed - but in private Gaskell disclosed that:
"They are the wildest and incoherent things… They give one the idea of creative power carried to the verge of insanity.”
Within Brontë legend, there's the well known story of how the magical kingdoms of Angria (née The Glass Town) and Gondal emerged. Inspired by a set of twelve toy soldiers, the children developed a rich fantasy life, producing plays, poetry, tales and even magazines woven around a cast of imaginary characters, envisioning adventures that were well out of their reach. Not only are these works testimony to the Brontës' brilliant minds, they are also surprisingly entertaining and highly readable - with the exception of some of Charlotte's and Branwell's sporadic earlier works which are, quite simply, bizarre.
The juvenilia is packed full of waspish humour and acute political engagement whilst the later pieces in particular are written beautifully. Charlotte's Mina Laury was a favourite, as was Anne's charming poetry and Emily's sublime counterpart. Much of the poetry made a reappearance in Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell which were 'degondalised' for publication, but the originals are highly insightful, especially since the Gondal prose has dropped out of existence under mysterious circumstances - Charlotte, I'm looking at you.
Only Jane Austen's juvenilia rivals that of the Brontës', but quite frankly does not provide as nearly as much insight into the inner mechanics of its author. Even at such an early age, the Brontës establish their own individual styles and voices as well as themes that prefigure their adult fiction. Probably the most amusing is Charlotte's; her idea of the perfect Byronic male (in her own words:“tall, strong and muscular men going about seeking whom they may devour”) emerges in the form of the Duke of Zamorna especially; in terms of presence, command, brutish masculinity and sexual allure. Emily and Anne's kingdom of Gondal however is ruled by women. Says everything, doesn't it?!!
This collection is very, very thorough; it provides an exhaustive appendix of notes as well as some fascinating autobiographical sources including Charlotte's Roe Head journal and Emily and Anne's diary papers.
Absolutely incredible. It's amazing to think that a group of fairly isolated children living in a parsonage on the bleak Yorkshire moors were able to conjure up such epic tales of murder, romance and intrigue, all set against the distant and exotic backdrop of North Africa and islands in the Pacific.
"They are the wildest and incoherent things… They give one the idea of creative power carried to the verge of insanity.”
Within Brontë legend, there's the well known story of how the magical kingdoms of Angria (née The Glass Town) and Gondal emerged. Inspired by a set of twelve toy soldiers, the children developed a rich fantasy life, producing plays, poetry, tales and even magazines woven around a cast of imaginary characters, envisioning adventures that were well out of their reach. Not only are these works testimony to the Brontës' brilliant minds, they are also surprisingly entertaining and highly readable - with the exception of some of Charlotte's and Branwell's sporadic earlier works which are, quite simply, bizarre.
The juvenilia is packed full of waspish humour and acute political engagement whilst the later pieces in particular are written beautifully. Charlotte's Mina Laury was a favourite, as was Anne's charming poetry and Emily's sublime counterpart. Much of the poetry made a reappearance in Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell which were 'degondalised' for publication, but the originals are highly insightful, especially since the Gondal prose has dropped out of existence under mysterious circumstances - Charlotte, I'm looking at you.
Only Jane Austen's juvenilia rivals that of the Brontës', but quite frankly does not provide as nearly as much insight into the inner mechanics of its author. Even at such an early age, the Brontës establish their own individual styles and voices as well as themes that prefigure their adult fiction. Probably the most amusing is Charlotte's; her idea of the perfect Byronic male (in her own words:“tall, strong and muscular men going about seeking whom they may devour”) emerges in the form of the Duke of Zamorna especially; in terms of presence, command, brutish masculinity and sexual allure. Emily and Anne's kingdom of Gondal however is ruled by women. Says everything, doesn't it?!!
This collection is very, very thorough; it provides an exhaustive appendix of notes as well as some fascinating autobiographical sources including Charlotte's Roe Head journal and Emily and Anne's diary papers.
Absolutely incredible. It's amazing to think that a group of fairly isolated children living in a parsonage on the bleak Yorkshire moors were able to conjure up such epic tales of murder, romance and intrigue, all set against the distant and exotic backdrop of North Africa and islands in the Pacific.
January 16, 2016
The diary and poetry sections are great, but it made me sadder that the sisters didn't reach old age together.
October 20, 2016
Despite the expected uneven quality, I liked this window into the early Bronte creative process. Also, as I said to myself when I began this one, I too know the fear of dying and letting your rather horrified friends stumble upon your embarrassing Duke of Wellington fan fiction that you wrote as a teenager. Some of us had odd childhoods...
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April 6, 2022I skipped Branwell’s section because his writing is insufferably boring
September 9, 2018
A great collection of Bronte juvenilia. If you are looking for a fun glimpse into the childhood of the Bronte siblings, make sure you take up reading this collection.
April 14, 2019
This book took me very much by surprise. I expected it to be somehow less interesting to get through, more of an intellectual exercise than a truly enjoyable read. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Well, it's juvenilia! Supposedly the Brontës wrote this when they were kids! How many kids do you know who write compelling stories? Especially considering that they weren't writing them for someone else, they were writing just for themselves.
But for one thing, even though it's called the juvenilia, the Brontës contributed to these sagas and wrote for them into their 20s, which considering how young they were when they died, represents a good chunk of their lives and their writing careers.
But for another thing, even the stories they wrote in their teens are good. They're good for a teenager's story, if you know what I mean - I wouldn't publish them myself if they crossed my path and I didn't know who the authors were, but I would see the promise and talent already latent there, no question. And as the stories progress and their authors grow older, it gets better and better.
Anne and Emily's work is particularly impressive. Only their poetry survives, and it is gorgeous.
This book draws you in! I should however add that the Brontës, because they were writing just for their own amusement, don't really bother to explain who the characters are or how they relate to one another. You have to resort to the explanatory notes consistently in order to be able to keep up. Fortunately, in this edition at least, the notes are informative and interesting, so it doesn't feel like a chore to go over them. And hats off to the scholars who have been making sense of these manuscripts for years!
It is so worth the read, whether you are a massive Brontë fan or just mildly interested. The stories keep you going, which I was not expecting at all: I thought I'd have to struggle through them a bit, and instead they were a true pleasure.
P.S. There is something to be said of an author's work written not for publication, but solely for their own enjoyment - it can be both very freeing and revealing. As an example, Charlotte writes about affairs, romance, infidelity and even rudeness in a way I don't think would have been permissible in her own head had it been meant for a larger audience. I wonder what they'd make of the fact that these writings are now available in print...
P.P.S. Not to be mean or anything, but I must say that now I get why Branwell didn't go very far... compared to his sisters' work, his writings prove inconsistent and a little silly. It was still very interesting to see samples of the work of one of the world's most famous black sheeps - I don't envy poor Branwell at all.
Well, it's juvenilia! Supposedly the Brontës wrote this when they were kids! How many kids do you know who write compelling stories? Especially considering that they weren't writing them for someone else, they were writing just for themselves.
But for one thing, even though it's called the juvenilia, the Brontës contributed to these sagas and wrote for them into their 20s, which considering how young they were when they died, represents a good chunk of their lives and their writing careers.
But for another thing, even the stories they wrote in their teens are good. They're good for a teenager's story, if you know what I mean - I wouldn't publish them myself if they crossed my path and I didn't know who the authors were, but I would see the promise and talent already latent there, no question. And as the stories progress and their authors grow older, it gets better and better.
Anne and Emily's work is particularly impressive. Only their poetry survives, and it is gorgeous.
This book draws you in! I should however add that the Brontës, because they were writing just for their own amusement, don't really bother to explain who the characters are or how they relate to one another. You have to resort to the explanatory notes consistently in order to be able to keep up. Fortunately, in this edition at least, the notes are informative and interesting, so it doesn't feel like a chore to go over them. And hats off to the scholars who have been making sense of these manuscripts for years!
It is so worth the read, whether you are a massive Brontë fan or just mildly interested. The stories keep you going, which I was not expecting at all: I thought I'd have to struggle through them a bit, and instead they were a true pleasure.
P.S. There is something to be said of an author's work written not for publication, but solely for their own enjoyment - it can be both very freeing and revealing. As an example, Charlotte writes about affairs, romance, infidelity and even rudeness in a way I don't think would have been permissible in her own head had it been meant for a larger audience. I wonder what they'd make of the fact that these writings are now available in print...
P.P.S. Not to be mean or anything, but I must say that now I get why Branwell didn't go very far... compared to his sisters' work, his writings prove inconsistent and a little silly. It was still very interesting to see samples of the work of one of the world's most famous black sheeps - I don't envy poor Branwell at all.
July 3, 2017
This collection of curiosities, a look at childhood and growing up through the fictional exploits and worlds of one of the world's most famous literary families, was never going to be the most "fun" reading around. Taken as it is, Tales of Glass Town... is an incredible document of four young people's growth as writers in the most modest of literary circumstances. It is also a document of the times as we trace their political and fictional interests and influences. The Brönte children, in the throes of creative growth, have imagined and brought to life a parallel universe that mocks, mirrors and recreates their images of Britain at the time, merged with a more speculative version of colonial Africa. As a filler of notebooks with nonsense, ideas, maps and dreams as a child, it is amazing to think of the four children battling each other on an imaginative stage for dominion of this semi-mythological colonial planet, populated with estranged aristocrats, wannabe pirates, type cast characters and doomed heroines.
As stories in their own right, most of Glass Town... is hard reading. In particular the opening "genesis" stories by Charlotte are disjointed. Not everything is here, but the introduction and notes does a good job of filling in the blanks. Confusion, however, is added by the multitude of names for each character, along with their numerous titles. Anne and Emily's poetry, interesting as a literary incarnation of a breakaway republic, a rebellion of sorts with the formation of new colonies to populate with even more romantic couples, also make for dense reading without the gaps filled in by notes. Anne's poems are the more accessible of the two and charm with a innocent lyricism and a feeling of doomed romanticism. There is a fairy tale element to the songs of captivity, seperation, love and loss. Charlotte, however, writes the most striking verse. To think that "Morning by Marquis Douro" is written by a fourteen year old girl speaks volumes for the talent she possesses.
Charlotte and Branwell's prose has an interesting element of competition. The two fence with their alter egos and even rewrite each other's accounts of different "historical" events in Glass Town. The influences of their politics, or influence to politics, and of a journalistic style is very evident, especially in Branwell's caustic style. Charlotte (and Emily in her poetry) reveal their influences as well, and hint at the work they would later produce. Mina Laury and Caroline Vernon (the two most entertaining pieces if taken out of context, both brooding romances with doomed yet powerful heroines) experiment with a Gothic tone, with dark, handsome, irresistible and dangerous heroes and battling young girls struggling for autonomy and control. Both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre seem to echo and grow through the lines of these inexperiences yet promising tales.
The true enjoyment of Glass Town... comes perhaps from imagining the siblings at work creating their early literary pieces. In so isolated a setting, with mainly their father and his political and literary leanings for inspiration, it is fascinating to think of their young minds exploding with such multitudes of ideas, creating new worlds and attempting to understand the world around them, absorbing and regurgitating their influences, the pop culture of the day, growing up together, vying with each other for imaginative dominance, stretching their wings and teaching themselves to become some of the most famous female writers in the English language. 6
As stories in their own right, most of Glass Town... is hard reading. In particular the opening "genesis" stories by Charlotte are disjointed. Not everything is here, but the introduction and notes does a good job of filling in the blanks. Confusion, however, is added by the multitude of names for each character, along with their numerous titles. Anne and Emily's poetry, interesting as a literary incarnation of a breakaway republic, a rebellion of sorts with the formation of new colonies to populate with even more romantic couples, also make for dense reading without the gaps filled in by notes. Anne's poems are the more accessible of the two and charm with a innocent lyricism and a feeling of doomed romanticism. There is a fairy tale element to the songs of captivity, seperation, love and loss. Charlotte, however, writes the most striking verse. To think that "Morning by Marquis Douro" is written by a fourteen year old girl speaks volumes for the talent she possesses.
Charlotte and Branwell's prose has an interesting element of competition. The two fence with their alter egos and even rewrite each other's accounts of different "historical" events in Glass Town. The influences of their politics, or influence to politics, and of a journalistic style is very evident, especially in Branwell's caustic style. Charlotte (and Emily in her poetry) reveal their influences as well, and hint at the work they would later produce. Mina Laury and Caroline Vernon (the two most entertaining pieces if taken out of context, both brooding romances with doomed yet powerful heroines) experiment with a Gothic tone, with dark, handsome, irresistible and dangerous heroes and battling young girls struggling for autonomy and control. Both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre seem to echo and grow through the lines of these inexperiences yet promising tales.
The true enjoyment of Glass Town... comes perhaps from imagining the siblings at work creating their early literary pieces. In so isolated a setting, with mainly their father and his political and literary leanings for inspiration, it is fascinating to think of their young minds exploding with such multitudes of ideas, creating new worlds and attempting to understand the world around them, absorbing and regurgitating their influences, the pop culture of the day, growing up together, vying with each other for imaginative dominance, stretching their wings and teaching themselves to become some of the most famous female writers in the English language. 6
February 10, 2021
A good read. For those aware of Kubrick-was-Thackeray-ism (nobody noticed at the time-ism, and you're attendant upon all possible implications-ism), the fact of Strangelove's coming out the same year as V. (despite delay, due to Cuban Missile Crisis -- it was screened for critics! ;) #yeah-- ), suffice it to say, is enough ... of course people thought "Currer Bell" was Thackeray's governess (dissertations by the scads in the intervening century -- and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca -- notwithstanding!), since, like Rochester's wife, Thackeray's had "fell apart" in Paris -- the "madwoman in the attic!" (People were certain! He was like, "I have no idea who this is!" Worse still, Miss Brontë seemed to be daring the Fates, unaware, with her 2nd Ed. dedication: "Thackeray stalks his prey ... if he doesn't mind receiving a book dedication from a complete stranger (emph. mine, and obviously read as overcompensatory -- wouldn't you? ;) yeah-- )) Here, you get more of the same confirmation-opportunities: For those familiar with the Tinasky letters (Pynchon's agent/wife has denied them; and Pynchon himself, having to rebuff efforts by CNN to "out" his son & his's privacy on the phone, felt, I think, "cornered" in denying authorship -- though, you would have had to
read them
to even form a basis for comparison, n'est-ce pas? ;) #yeah-- ), there's a lot of ampersands here. (Like Mason "&" Dixon.) And stuff.
I should know. I was Emily. (Still, the last word -- the final word -- here, is Anne's: "Time's current cannot backward run; / And, be the action wrong or right, / It is for ever done."
"Courage, Charlotte!"—Anne Brontë, upon her looming death
I should know. I was Emily. (Still, the last word -- the final word -- here, is Anne's: "Time's current cannot backward run; / And, be the action wrong or right, / It is for ever done."
"Courage, Charlotte!"—Anne Brontë, upon her looming death
February 22, 2019
This is a fairly well-curated anthology, although for someone who hadn't previously read any of the Angria stories, it was hard to keep track of what the national history of the fictional places is and who's who and what the context is for these stories. The introduction and notes are very interesting and thorough and really help to illuminate the texts.
This is a deeply interesting book to read if you have read some of the famous novels published by the Bronte sisters and you are interesting in reading into the biographical background of the authors. The collection provides an intimate look inside the young minds of this fascinating literary family and the creative relationships between the siblings, and their evolving world views and sense of style and character. You can really see the prototypes for the kind of characters who appear in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights forming before your eyes in a complex process as you read through this collection. The small collection of diary entries by Emily and Anne at the back are also deeply poignant artefacts of the young authors' hopes and relationships.
If you are looking for well-written pieces of fiction, you will find the majority of this book very boring. The Brontes show enormous intelligence and promising style and wittiness for their age, but their age does show. This is teens and young adults writing in the nineteenth century; a wordy adolescence. There is plenty of humour, the characters are morally complex and compelling and the stories are entertaining; but the writing is dense and excessively flowery, and detours are frequently made to describe what the characters are wearing and how sexy they are. Charlotte is the wordiest and Branwell the most pretentious. The best pieces in this book are the poems by Emily. Her cadence as a writer simply blows me away poem after poem for beauty.
This is a deeply interesting book to read if you have read some of the famous novels published by the Bronte sisters and you are interesting in reading into the biographical background of the authors. The collection provides an intimate look inside the young minds of this fascinating literary family and the creative relationships between the siblings, and their evolving world views and sense of style and character. You can really see the prototypes for the kind of characters who appear in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights forming before your eyes in a complex process as you read through this collection. The small collection of diary entries by Emily and Anne at the back are also deeply poignant artefacts of the young authors' hopes and relationships.
If you are looking for well-written pieces of fiction, you will find the majority of this book very boring. The Brontes show enormous intelligence and promising style and wittiness for their age, but their age does show. This is teens and young adults writing in the nineteenth century; a wordy adolescence. There is plenty of humour, the characters are morally complex and compelling and the stories are entertaining; but the writing is dense and excessively flowery, and detours are frequently made to describe what the characters are wearing and how sexy they are. Charlotte is the wordiest and Branwell the most pretentious. The best pieces in this book are the poems by Emily. Her cadence as a writer simply blows me away poem after poem for beauty.
April 23, 2018
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this collection of the Brontës’ juvenilia. I had only ever read this kind of writing in biographies on the family, so I was excited to read more of a variety (one that wasn’t necessarily bias - you know, the ones that support a biographer’s point). For the most part, the collection was brilliant. I liked having this window into the lives and imaginations of the young Brontës.
I much prefer the writing and world of Gondal in comparison to Angria and Glass Town. The latter two focus heavily on political intrigue, war, and mythological elements. However, Gondal feels a lot more natural and personal. Emily and Anne incorporate their own lives, specifically their surroundings, into their verse. I really wish their prose survived - I bet it would have been beautiful to read.
The only reason I rated it down by half a star was for the monotony of some of Charlotte’s and Branwell’s longer short stories. Although they were interesting, they occasionally got a little tedious. The stories discussed stuff I wasn’t particularly interested in. However, they did demonstrate the brilliancy of the Brontës’ minds. I had to keep reminding myself that these were written whilst they were young, especially Anne. Their word choice (their writing in general) was just beautiful.
I would definitely recommend!
I really enjoyed this collection of the Brontës’ juvenilia. I had only ever read this kind of writing in biographies on the family, so I was excited to read more of a variety (one that wasn’t necessarily bias - you know, the ones that support a biographer’s point). For the most part, the collection was brilliant. I liked having this window into the lives and imaginations of the young Brontës.
I much prefer the writing and world of Gondal in comparison to Angria and Glass Town. The latter two focus heavily on political intrigue, war, and mythological elements. However, Gondal feels a lot more natural and personal. Emily and Anne incorporate their own lives, specifically their surroundings, into their verse. I really wish their prose survived - I bet it would have been beautiful to read.
The only reason I rated it down by half a star was for the monotony of some of Charlotte’s and Branwell’s longer short stories. Although they were interesting, they occasionally got a little tedious. The stories discussed stuff I wasn’t particularly interested in. However, they did demonstrate the brilliancy of the Brontës’ minds. I had to keep reminding myself that these were written whilst they were young, especially Anne. Their word choice (their writing in general) was just beautiful.
I would definitely recommend!
September 18, 2025
This whole collection is a fever dream.
GLASSTOWN
Charlotte;
- TWELVE ADVENTURES, boring until the djinn shows up.
- AN ADVENTURE IN IRELAND, nice gothic beginnings.
- TALES OF ISLANDERS, Matilda the Musical
- AN INTERESTING PASSAGE IN THE LIVES OF SOME EMINENT MEN OF PRESENT TIME, ...is the interesting in the room with us?
- ALBION AND MARINA, begins the separation trope for the romance plot in C. Brontë's works.
Branwell;
- LIAR DETECTED, awful.
- ODE ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE GREAT AFRICAN GAMES, I get it, you like Olympus.
- PIRATE, A TALE, "[Napoleon Bonaparte] what are you doing here?"
ANGRIA
Charlotte;
- SPELL, A Comedy of Errors meets Who Do You Think You Are?
- WE WOVE A WEB IN CHILDHOOD, sweet.
- MINA LAURY, "and I just started blasting".
- CAROLINE VERNON, she's too down bad - I can't.
- FAREWELL TO ANGRIA, perfect for essays!
Branwell;
- POLITICS OF VERDOPOLIS, Tory fanfic - I'm not even joking.
- AN ANGRIAN BATTLE SONG, that sure was a battle.
- PERCY'S MUSINGS UPON EDWARDSTON, that sure was another battle
- MARY'S PRAYER, a nice end to the best Angrian character.
GONDAL
Emily's poems: "Do you ever think the wind is tryna tell us something?"
Anne's poems: "I wish you would stop saying odd shit."
GLASSTOWN
Charlotte;
- TWELVE ADVENTURES, boring until the djinn shows up.
- AN ADVENTURE IN IRELAND, nice gothic beginnings.
- TALES OF ISLANDERS, Matilda the Musical
- AN INTERESTING PASSAGE IN THE LIVES OF SOME EMINENT MEN OF PRESENT TIME, ...is the interesting in the room with us?
- ALBION AND MARINA, begins the separation trope for the romance plot in C. Brontë's works.
Branwell;
- LIAR DETECTED, awful.
- ODE ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE GREAT AFRICAN GAMES, I get it, you like Olympus.
- PIRATE, A TALE, "[Napoleon Bonaparte] what are you doing here?"
ANGRIA
Charlotte;
- SPELL, A Comedy of Errors meets Who Do You Think You Are?
- WE WOVE A WEB IN CHILDHOOD, sweet.
- MINA LAURY, "and I just started blasting".
- CAROLINE VERNON, she's too down bad - I can't.
- FAREWELL TO ANGRIA, perfect for essays!
Branwell;
- POLITICS OF VERDOPOLIS, Tory fanfic - I'm not even joking.
- AN ANGRIAN BATTLE SONG, that sure was a battle.
- PERCY'S MUSINGS UPON EDWARDSTON, that sure was another battle
- MARY'S PRAYER, a nice end to the best Angrian character.
GONDAL
Emily's poems: "Do you ever think the wind is tryna tell us something?"
Anne's poems: "I wish you would stop saying odd shit."
October 31, 2019
I did not read the entire thing, just bits and pieces on Anne's Juvenilia + the introductions.
I'm not sure if I'd make it through the entire thing because some of the stories (Charlotte's especially) are really weird, full of weird spelling mistakes, and overall not very good. It's Juvenilia, yes, I know, and it's interesting how these fantasy stories (early Speculative Fiction I'd say) have shaped the siblings' later novels, but this is too much for me to read it in one go.
Kudos to those of you who made it through the entire thing. Other thing that annoyed me was that it was really small and hard to read, especially the endnotes. Might be my bad eyesight, but it was hard to stay concentrated.
3 Stars for the 15-20% that I read...
I'm not sure if I'd make it through the entire thing because some of the stories (Charlotte's especially) are really weird, full of weird spelling mistakes, and overall not very good. It's Juvenilia, yes, I know, and it's interesting how these fantasy stories (early Speculative Fiction I'd say) have shaped the siblings' later novels, but this is too much for me to read it in one go.
Kudos to those of you who made it through the entire thing. Other thing that annoyed me was that it was really small and hard to read, especially the endnotes. Might be my bad eyesight, but it was hard to stay concentrated.
3 Stars for the 15-20% that I read...
October 29, 2019
I read this by piecing together various previews on Amazon and Google Books and managed to read like 90% of this somehow. Anyway the Brontes were ahead of their time this is some Game of Thrones typed nonsense.
August 21, 2017
This gives clear preference to works by Charlotte at the expense of her siblings, but it is a good introduction to the juvenilia of the family.
August 20, 2021
3.5 intéressant pour découvrir un peu plus cette famille. On y trouve de très beaux textes souvent remplis de mélancolie.
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December 20, 20257 out of 10.
February 11, 2026
“Papa bought Branwell some wooden soldiers at Leeds....next morning Branwell came to our door with a box of soldiers... I snatched up one and exclaimed: ‘This is the Duke of Wellington! This shall be the Duke!’... Emily’s was a grave-looking fellow, and we called him ‘Gravey’. Anne's was a queer little thing, much like herself, and we called him ‘Waiting-boy’. Branwell chose his, and called him Buonaparte”.
• I finally finished reading the Brontë's juvenilia, and not so early works, but private creations. Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne created the worlds of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal, imaginary kingdoms with political and love interests, almost like "Game of Thrones" but written in the Victorian Era, with numerous characters' names, as "The Silmarillion".
• Their writings combined fiction (their imagination) and subjective historical accounts. They took inspiration from the life and deeds of real people such as Lord Byron, the Duke of Wellington, Napoleon, Robert Pearry, James Clarke Ross, etc... But also, from the colonial and racist descriptions of Africa and the Americas, there are numerous racist descriptions and scenes, Charlotte's works openly use the most horrible insults to people of colour... I must say that, despite those racist passages were hard to read, and some were truly absurd (there have never been monkeys in Chile, dear Charlotte), I found interesting that the teen Brontës read historical books, magazines with anthropological and travel entries, which obviously for British people were serious sources, it says a lot about their historical time. But also, I found it cool that there wasn't much difference in the upbringing of Branwell and his sisters, since Charlotte, Emily, and Anne read magazines on politics, which were reserved for men. One can clearly understand why Gaskell publicly dismissed the Brontë juvenilia...
• Charlotte had an obsession with the Byronic hero and Orientalism, much like Lord Byron, but she gives some agency to the female characters. Teen Branwell had good sense of humour by mocking the pompous style of Magazines. Emily's love for her imaginary kingdoms lived with her even after the publication of her famous "Wuthering Heights". Anne's creations are beautiful and moving, often overshadowed by her siblings but she has her own voice too.
• Brontë's private works are absolutely worth reading and analysing! It is beautiful to see how they influenced each other's works. I had read Jane Austen's early works, but the Brontë's are far more complex in terms of politics, gender dynamics and representation. The movie "To Walk Invisible" by the BBC, is such a good introduction.
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• I finally finished reading the Brontë's juvenilia, and not so early works, but private creations. Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne created the worlds of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal, imaginary kingdoms with political and love interests, almost like "Game of Thrones" but written in the Victorian Era, with numerous characters' names, as "The Silmarillion".
• Their writings combined fiction (their imagination) and subjective historical accounts. They took inspiration from the life and deeds of real people such as Lord Byron, the Duke of Wellington, Napoleon, Robert Pearry, James Clarke Ross, etc... But also, from the colonial and racist descriptions of Africa and the Americas, there are numerous racist descriptions and scenes, Charlotte's works openly use the most horrible insults to people of colour... I must say that, despite those racist passages were hard to read, and some were truly absurd (there have never been monkeys in Chile, dear Charlotte), I found interesting that the teen Brontës read historical books, magazines with anthropological and travel entries, which obviously for British people were serious sources, it says a lot about their historical time. But also, I found it cool that there wasn't much difference in the upbringing of Branwell and his sisters, since Charlotte, Emily, and Anne read magazines on politics, which were reserved for men. One can clearly understand why Gaskell publicly dismissed the Brontë juvenilia...
• Charlotte had an obsession with the Byronic hero and Orientalism, much like Lord Byron, but she gives some agency to the female characters. Teen Branwell had good sense of humour by mocking the pompous style of Magazines. Emily's love for her imaginary kingdoms lived with her even after the publication of her famous "Wuthering Heights". Anne's creations are beautiful and moving, often overshadowed by her siblings but she has her own voice too.
• Brontë's private works are absolutely worth reading and analysing! It is beautiful to see how they influenced each other's works. I had read Jane Austen's early works, but the Brontë's are far more complex in terms of politics, gender dynamics and representation. The movie "To Walk Invisible" by the BBC, is such a good introduction.
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January 14, 2014
This book features prose an poetry by Anne, Charlotte, Emily, and Branwell Brontë, the bulk of which is written by Charlotte because more of her early work has survived compared to her siblings'.
None of the pre-1840 poems were intended for public viewing, thus what's presented here is first draft material written for the Brontës' personal entertainment. Because of this is does appear quite rough and inconsistent to the general reader.
The stories of Glass Town, Agria, and Gondal have a fantasy element to them. They are not in the same league as 'Jane Eyre' and co., but the reader must remember that these works were born out of the Brontës' childhood. Their passion and practice for writing led the three sisters to the eventual fame. Branwell never achieved the heights he was expected to and his life took a turn for the worst.
Although this collection is titled as 'Early Writings', it does include poems by Anne and Emily that were written in adulthood. The reason for their inclusion was because this poetry contains references to their early works and characters.
I normally avoid poetry like the plague, as it never appeals to me, but with such little prose fiction available by Anne and Emily I decided to read everything here. I actually liked most of Anne's. Rather than writing something short and cryptic she instead composed epic poems that told stories that I could comprehend. Some of Emily's were of a similar vein. I couldn't focus on Branwell's though and gave up.
This collection also includes short diary extracts by the three sisters. Charlotte's were written during her time spent at Roe Head. Anne and Emily had a tradition of writing down their current situation and aspirations, after which they stored them in a tin box. They would open this box three or four years later - on or near Emily's birthday - read them and repeat the process.
It's sad to read the final ones were they wonder how they will be in several years time. Anne prophetically uses the words, 'if we're all alive', in her final entry, but she is 'hoping for the best.'
It's a tragic shame that these talented women died so young. With a classic novel like 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall', I wonder what other magnificent work Anne would have created had she lived into her thirties. Such a loss - times three.
Life is cruel.
None of the pre-1840 poems were intended for public viewing, thus what's presented here is first draft material written for the Brontës' personal entertainment. Because of this is does appear quite rough and inconsistent to the general reader.
The stories of Glass Town, Agria, and Gondal have a fantasy element to them. They are not in the same league as 'Jane Eyre' and co., but the reader must remember that these works were born out of the Brontës' childhood. Their passion and practice for writing led the three sisters to the eventual fame. Branwell never achieved the heights he was expected to and his life took a turn for the worst.
Although this collection is titled as 'Early Writings', it does include poems by Anne and Emily that were written in adulthood. The reason for their inclusion was because this poetry contains references to their early works and characters.
I normally avoid poetry like the plague, as it never appeals to me, but with such little prose fiction available by Anne and Emily I decided to read everything here. I actually liked most of Anne's. Rather than writing something short and cryptic she instead composed epic poems that told stories that I could comprehend. Some of Emily's were of a similar vein. I couldn't focus on Branwell's though and gave up.
This collection also includes short diary extracts by the three sisters. Charlotte's were written during her time spent at Roe Head. Anne and Emily had a tradition of writing down their current situation and aspirations, after which they stored them in a tin box. They would open this box three or four years later - on or near Emily's birthday - read them and repeat the process.
It's sad to read the final ones were they wonder how they will be in several years time. Anne prophetically uses the words, 'if we're all alive', in her final entry, but she is 'hoping for the best.'
It's a tragic shame that these talented women died so young. With a classic novel like 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall', I wonder what other magnificent work Anne would have created had she lived into her thirties. Such a loss - times three.
Life is cruel.
December 24, 2017
This is a very difficult book to rate. Whilst I didn't exactly enjoy a lot of the content in the traditional sense, all of it was extremely interesting, and any real Brontëer is sure to get something out of this publication.
I found Charlotte's poetry rather long and dull, but her prose shows her imaginative sense of story and character. Again, I didn't engage with them as I would with good, polished stories, but I found them rather charming as early attempts. They are filled with wonderfully extravagant phrases, many of which I'm sure Charlotte borrowed from her reading. Branwell's stories, on the other hand, I found rather boring - which in itself was interesting, knowing how his writing career turned out. Part of my boredom stemmed from the stories being very male-orientated, which shows a significant difference in the directions he and Charlotte were taking.
Everyone says Emily is the best poet of the three sisters, and for me, the collections in this book support that view. Though she was apparently writing dramatic monologues as characters from Gondal, the works seem to come from real feelings much more than a fictional land, and don't have a sense of story so much as a sense of raw emotion. Anne, on the other hand, writes poetry proficiently as characters who are clearly from fiction, describing fictional events. Anne was the youngest, as everyone knows, and personally I read a deal more innocence and fun into her works than those of her older siblings - and for that reason, her poems are probably the most enjoyable works here for me.
It's a shame that Emily and Anne's prose didn't survive, but at least we still have their 'diary papers', which I found most interesting of all because they are writing as themselves, about what's happening in their home. It really brings the parsonage, which many of us have visited, to life and shows how things were when the Brontës were in residence. It's also interesting to see how little young people's voices change: 'The Kitchin is in a very untidy state Anne and I have not done our music exercise which consists of b major.' Sounds horrendous!
I found Charlotte's poetry rather long and dull, but her prose shows her imaginative sense of story and character. Again, I didn't engage with them as I would with good, polished stories, but I found them rather charming as early attempts. They are filled with wonderfully extravagant phrases, many of which I'm sure Charlotte borrowed from her reading. Branwell's stories, on the other hand, I found rather boring - which in itself was interesting, knowing how his writing career turned out. Part of my boredom stemmed from the stories being very male-orientated, which shows a significant difference in the directions he and Charlotte were taking.
Everyone says Emily is the best poet of the three sisters, and for me, the collections in this book support that view. Though she was apparently writing dramatic monologues as characters from Gondal, the works seem to come from real feelings much more than a fictional land, and don't have a sense of story so much as a sense of raw emotion. Anne, on the other hand, writes poetry proficiently as characters who are clearly from fiction, describing fictional events. Anne was the youngest, as everyone knows, and personally I read a deal more innocence and fun into her works than those of her older siblings - and for that reason, her poems are probably the most enjoyable works here for me.
It's a shame that Emily and Anne's prose didn't survive, but at least we still have their 'diary papers', which I found most interesting of all because they are writing as themselves, about what's happening in their home. It really brings the parsonage, which many of us have visited, to life and shows how things were when the Brontës were in residence. It's also interesting to see how little young people's voices change: 'The Kitchin is in a very untidy state Anne and I have not done our music exercise which consists of b major.' Sounds horrendous!
September 3, 2016
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this selection of the Bronte's works. I'd already read some of Charlotte's Angrian stories, so I skipped those ones, but I liked the other ones for the most part. It got confusing with all the characters, especially not being sure of the timeline. I liked having an insight into Branwell's writing, despite his section being my least favourite. I found it quite boring at times, and even more confusing than Charlotte's section.
Emily's was my favourite, closely followed by Anne, despite being disappointed that I didn't get to see more of their fantasy world.
I really enjoyed this selection of the Bronte's works. I'd already read some of Charlotte's Angrian stories, so I skipped those ones, but I liked the other ones for the most part. It got confusing with all the characters, especially not being sure of the timeline. I liked having an insight into Branwell's writing, despite his section being my least favourite. I found it quite boring at times, and even more confusing than Charlotte's section.
Emily's was my favourite, closely followed by Anne, despite being disappointed that I didn't get to see more of their fantasy world.
August 3, 2016
This was interesting because it is the writings of children for children. I enjoyed getting to see the early works of the Bronte children although I don't know if I would give it to students because of its more archaic wording.
July 1, 2013
Tough, very tough. Lots of chopping and changing and very difficult to keep track of the characters/places/events. However, the imagination and creativity that went into these tales is astonishing.
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