zhangan2013710

The most under-rated of the Bronte sisters, it is an injustice that Anne's books are never given the veneration that her sisters' do. Agnes Grey lives in the shadow of Jane Eyre and is often unfavourably compared to it even though it was published first, and Charlotte Bronte herself was quick to dismiss Tenant because of the 'wild and coarse' themes. Yet Anne's works have a social relevance that must have been completely shocking at the time of publication. When a woman and offspring were the 'property' of the man, to have a heroine pack her child and leave her husband, as well as the detailed scenes of drunkenness and adultery, would have done more than raise eyebrows. Tenant is passionate and raw, and most likely because Anne drew upon her experiences with her brother Branwell. There is an honesty and melancholy in the decline of Huntingdon and his friends. And although I love Agnes Grey you can see how Bronte's writing had matured even in so short a time, and can only wonder what a third novel might have brought had she not died so young.

2022-09-06 06:11