Charlotte Bronte by Claire Harman

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline:

Jane Eyre was way truer to life than I thought.

Quick synopsis for Charlotte Bronte:

The biography Charlotte Bronte, best known as the writer of Jane Eyre.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Charlotte’s sister, Emily, wrote Wuthering Heights, another book you probably dodged in high school unsuccessfully.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Two people who loved Charlotte (and her sisters) published poems before they were famous were Florence Nightingale and Alfred Tennyson.

My Take on Charlotte Bronte:

Before any of you macho types stop reading because “who cares about a romance writer?” allow me to be clear. Charlotte Bronte’s life was deeply weird. She was deeply weird. It makes for a very good read.

Not many, including myself, know much about Bronte’s life. I seem to recall the word “sad” associated with her very often. After reading Harman’s biography, I get it now. In fact, sad may not even cover it.

Before Bronte became famous for Jane Eyre, she was almost a complete shut-in with her siblings. They did not socialize much and wrote their own stories which highlighted their talent and just how insular their lives were.

Some things happen. A lot of people die. Charlotte becomes world famous. I cannot stress enough how unprepared she would be for that eventuality. Oh, she may even try to steal someone’s husband. She packed a lot of life into the relatively short time she had. My biggest surprise was Jane Eyre is not her only celebrated book.

Ultimately, sad does not quite cover her story but I found it very interesting.

Verdict:

A very in-depth biography which cuts no corners and highlights the good and the bad of Bronte. Buy it here!

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