The Brontë Sisters
It is striking to contemplate that an awesome, singular, irreproducible wave of literature that would sweep the world for two centuries began in a parsonage in remote Yorkshire, England. The Brontë sisters and, to a lesser subsidiary extent, their older brother Branwell worked hard and professionally at making childhood dreams and fantasies become real in the fields of fiction and poetry.
Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848) , and Anne (1820-1849) are responsible for seven finished novels and a fair scattering of poetry. Each novel has grown in critical estimation with the passing years. Each novel is acknowledged by both fellow writers and generations of critics as strange, powerful, textured, dense, and simultaneously of their time and ahead of their time. Each sister has her distinctive voice, each her reader-partisans, and yet the feeling of a family of voices and thoughts and concerns is strong.
A legacy of influence is mysteriously vague in later literature — perhaps Thomas Hardy? But just say the phrase “the madwoman in the attic” or breathe one name, “Cathy . . .” — and you have the staying power of their creations.
I have included some associated fiction, including a mystery series with the sisters as the detectives and a notable Young Adult novel. I will be alert to adding other material as I discover it. Enjoy!
Wuthering Heights [Vintage edition]
Wuthering Heights [Vintage edition]
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • A dark and emotionally intense classic, Wuthering Heights tells the story of the destructive, obsessive love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, a doomed romance of betrayal and vengeance set on the bleak English moors.
Now on the big screen is Emerald Fennell’s feature film Wuthering Heights, which captures the spirit of this epic love story and stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine and Heathcliff
The windswept moors are the unforgettable setting of this tale of the love between the foundling Heathcliff and his wealthy benefactor’s daughter, Catherine. Through Catherine’s betrayal of Heathcliff and his bitter vengeance, their mythic passion haunts the next generation even after their deaths.
First published in 1847, Emily Brontë’s novel is both a gothic and literary masterpiece, blending romance, tragedy, and psychological drama with searing emotional power. Its wild landscape and turbulent passions defy convention, creating a story as disturbing as it is unforgettable.