Lyndall Gordon does an excellent job of retelling the life of Charlotte Bronte. In this book we see a different side of a woman who since Gaskell's novel, has been pitied. In this biography we find a Charlotte that is full of life and even with the sadness and death that surrounds her is able to continue to follow her own path. She does not crumble into oblivion. Lyndall also opens up parts of Charlotte's life ignored by Gaskell to protect Charlotte's image. This novel reveals a Charlotte Bronte that knows passion and love not just pain and loss. This is an excellent book for any person interested in the life of a incredible author who was as strong-willed as the characters she wrote.

From the time I first read "Jane Eyre" in high school until now, some 30 years and many re-readings later, I have never come across anything that made me feel I really could comprehend the woman behind the work, until I read this book,which I finished early this morning. "Jane Eyre" has always been my favorite novel... I have seen every movie adaptation, I have trudged the rainy streets of Haworth and the surrounding moors, I have read several biographies, I have read other Bronte works. You see, I thought if I understood Charlotte Bronte better, I would understand myself better, at least the part of myself that is so incredibly moved by Jane Eyre at every re-reading. I was THRILLED to find a book that leaves the strict biographical details to any of the numerous Bronte biographers and explores the soul behind the facts. It is wonderfully written in its own right and demonstrates incredible insight and respect for the Bronte genius. Without feeling like I was being manipulated by a feminist with an agenda, I came to appreciate the incredible strength of mind and character in a woman like Ms. Bronte, whose unique identity and voice couldn't be suppressed by her social and personal circumstances. My already profound admiration for Charlotte Bronte was only deepened after reading this book by Lundall Gordon for the first time.

I adore Charlotte Brontë and did enjoy very much this book. I have to congratulate the author on this wonderful bio, very informative and yet so interesting. Everyone who is interested in the Brontë legend should read this biography.

I loved this book! I read it in one day, because I could not put it down! The twisted plot really keeps one rivited right until the end. Really good read, and it is a real shame that this little known book is out of print. I would love to see a pubishing house pick it up for a reissue.

Charlotte Bronte wrote a very short beginning to a novel, entitled 'Emma', which she never finished. Another author has picked it up and, based on various clues and the pieces's introduced characters, has continued the piece. The plot is gothic in the Bronte style, and the prose is very good and true to Bronte's style. The characters, as developed by the author, are engaging, and Emma herself is an impressive creation. One doesn't know how Bronte herself might have continued this piece, but the continuation/completion by this author make up for a satisfying, well-written story. I found it in a library and can't find it since- I am only sorry no one knows about it, and thus it's so hard to find! Bronte fans everywhere should have been treated to this well-done sequel.

This book rox! I don't know why most people don't know about it...it's so good! The whole plot is so twisted and intertwined with each other! The characters are cool! The conflict -- well, that's what the story's about! Not only that, it's full of suspense that once you start reading it, you just can't put it down! It keeps your knees bouncing and you bite your nails as you read through, wishing that you could read a bit faster. You think -- "I just want to know what happens to MArtina!" and when you find out you go "I just want to find out about GuS!" and so on till you're finished. And when you finish with the book, you'll have a nice, warm tingly feeling running through your veins.

Sue Lonoff has done a tremendous job in collecting, transcribing and translating the Belgian Essays of Emily and Charlotte Bronte. The essays are represented first in their original/French version, including M.Hegers corrections, then in translation. The comments Lonoff made are very instructive, however, this book will mostly attract the scientific Bronte enthusiast. After all it has to be admitted that school essays, however elaborate they may be, cannot be regarded at as literature.

In this book the author intends to dispel the myth that Charlotte Bronte was the "unhappy victim of a tragic life", as other writers have attempted to portray her. Sellars provides evidence for Charlotte instead as "the intellectual, the independent spirit, the manipulative sister, and the cynical commentator." This book is filled with illustrations of the people in Bronte's life, her places of residence & employment, articles of clothing, her letters, manuscripts & artwork, and even a lock of her hair. Although it is a short book, Seller's skillful writing makes every word count and the reader comes away with a good understanding of Charlotte Bronte's life and times.

Patsy Stoneman has painstakingly investigated how the Brontes' works (specifically Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights) have been perceived and transformed over time. The research she's done is remarkable. She investigates the implications in each film, stage, or musical version. She also dips a bit into how the Brontes themselves have been perceived over time--this part of the book could be expanded. I also think a similiar work investigating the works of Branwell and Anne Bronte is needed.

I thought that Bloom's The Brontes was a great book to use when researching the Brontes, especially Charlotte. For my AP English class I had to find critisms on Jane Eyre and background information on Charlotte Bronte. This book provided me with the materials to produce three pages of research on Charlotte Bronte.

I wonder both how it is that I'm the first to review it and why it has gone out of print! Have we got our senses? This is, by far, the best SHORT "literary live" ever written. A classic in the sense that, being easy to read, every word is important and fits its unique place: you can only add or detract one word off this little marvel so much for the worse. It links beautifully what we KNOW about the life of Emily and Charlotte with their lasting work. Many Brontë students will find that this is enough for them. If not, there is always CHITHAM and GERIN full-scale biographies (and I'm thinking mostly about Emily).

Easy to read, thoughtful and well written analysis of the work of Charlotte Bronte. Very useful for undergraduate students

After many years of placing "Jane Eyre" at the top of my "favorite stories of all time" list, I was glad when my husband gave me this book so I could read some of Bronte's other novels.

What I found was that I liked "Villette" even more than "Jane Eyre" - and, although it was arduous at first, I found "Shirley" was better yet.

"Jane Eyre", for anyone who hasn't read it, is a wonderful gothic romance, moralistic and spiritual, a very good read and fascinating tale.

"Villette" is more mature. The author explores a deeper sort of love - not based on mere physical attraction or infatuation, but based on deep, abiding friendship and respect. This story, too, has its lessons.

The character development in "Villette" was more complete than in any other novel I've ever read. I became fascinated by the unattractive little professor, and by other characters as well.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of French in this story, and what appeared to be the most pivotal moments were written in French... dialogue that I really wanted to understand was just lost on me. That was truly unfortunate. I'll have to find someone to translate for me sometime.

"Shirley" is the best of all. The beginning is arduous. I had to use my dictionary throughout, but the beginning is particular difficult. Shall I say.. boring, even. I found that, once I forced myself through the beginning, I was very much rewarded.

This story is a gem. The female heroines - Shirley and Caroline - were wonderful to get to know. Shirley is not the sort of female I would have thought Bronte had had occasion to know, so this was enlightening for me.

Truly an eye-opening look at 19th century feminism! And incorporated into these wonderful romance stories.

"The Professor" was a bit more dry than the others, although it was fun to read a romance story strictly from the male viewpoint. For a first novel, this was really incredibly well written.

As for "Wuthering Heights", it's been a number of years since I've read the story, so I won't attempt a review here.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes "Wuthering Heights" or "Jane Eyre". All these stories are wonderfully written, with complex characters and interesting plots. The work of true genius.

This novel was written as a looking glass into the life of one Jane Eyre. Welcome to her thoughts, her advice, and descriptions of her beliefs. But before you venture off, keep on the look-out for the contrast that exist in her thoughts compared to your own. By finding contrast you will observe some of the similiarities in her thinking to your own. "listen, then, JaneEyre, to you sentence: to-morrow, place the glass before you, and draw in chalk your own picture, faith-fully, without softening one defect; omit no harsh line, smooth away no displeasing irregularity, write under it, "Portrait of a Governess, Disconnected, poor, and plain." In the novel you come to understand Jane as a strong person with even stronger beliefs that she lives by. You now get a feeling of the contrast of her life. By re-reading the line notice the way she judges and punishes herself for what she finds fualty in her life. An entire novel is created around these constraints and contradiction. You may come to understand a small portion of yourself through Jane's contrasting life.

I thought it was a good book

Such sad lives were led by the the Bronte's, loneliness, loss, despair, all were experienced and fed into the imaginations on charlotte, emily and anne. This book is a brilliant book by E C Gaskell (who i normally dont really like), it is basically a collection of letters by charlotte and a great narrative, when speaking of the deaths of emily, anne and charlotte, i actually felt tears in my eyes!

Mrs. Gaskell understood a man's or woman's life to be lived within a social and natural context -- and her deployment of anecdotes and impressions of the North of England in the early pages of this book is captivating. But she also understood us to be souls, present to but distinct from God. Hence, even though in a few instances Gaskell's facts may been correctible (which the editor has done for us in this Penguin Classics edition), she is concerned with truth, and this gives readers the opportunity (rarely offered by modern entertainments) to escape from the trivial.

A very nicely written biography by Mrs. Gaskell about the life of her friend Charlotte Bronte, although most of the content was made up of letters written either by or to Charlotte Bronte rather than Mrs. Gaskell's own writings. Still this is a very concise book containing mostly everything that an ordinary reader, or well, a beginner of the Bronte novels, should know about this famous family. Nonetheless at some point of the book, I do find Mrs. Gaskell a bit too subjective, especially when it comes to the depiction of Charlotte's brother Branwell Bronte and his downfall. But consider the fact that this book was written only within one and a half year, with Mrs. Gaskell herself alone traveling all the way from Manchester to Haworth, and then to Brussel, doing all the necessary researches and interviews on her own, I must say that this is just an awesome piece of work!! And just as what Patrick Bronte himself had said about this biography, 'It is every way worthy of what one Great Woman, should have written of Another...it ought to stand, and will stand in the first rank, of Biographies, till the end of time'.

One more word though. From a more scholarly point of view, however, I think so far the 'best' biography on the Brontes should be Juliet Barker's 'The Brontes'. If, after reading this biography written by Mrs. Gaskell, you still want to know more about the Brontes, then I will say: go and buy this other book by Juliet Barker and you definitely will never regret it!