The Brontës: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters

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The Brontës: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 893 ratings · 66 reviews

In a revised and updated edition, the real story of the Brontë sisters, by distinguished scholar and historian Juliet Barker

The story of the tragic Brontë family is familiar to everyone: we all know about the half-mad, repressive father, the drunken, drug-addicted wastrel of a brother, wildly romantic Emily, unrequited Anne, and “poor Charlotte.” Or do we? These stereotype...more

Hardcover, 1158 pages

Published August 1st 2012 by Pegasus Books (first published 1994)

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Jul 27, 2008 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-classic, books-on-books

I've read many books on the Brontes, but this weighty tome has sat on my shelf for years. Now is the time!

Great book, overall. This is definitely THE book for the diehard Bronte enthusiast. It is extremely detailed, and extensive. The author does a fantastic job of recreating the world of the Brontes. Unfortunately, we don't know many details about the Brontes' lives, but the world in which they lived can be revealed through newspaper accounts, diary and journal entries, letters, etc. This book...more I've read many books on the Brontes, but this weighty tome has sat on my shelf for years. Now is the time!

Great book, overall. This is definitely THE book for the diehard Bronte enthusiast. It is extremely detailed, and extensive. The author does a fantastic job of recreating the world of the Brontes. Unfortunately, we don't know many details about the Brontes' lives, but the world in which they lived can be revealed through newspaper accounts, diary and journal entries, letters, etc. This book goes a long way in bringing that world to life.

There is also extended discussion of the writing of all the Bronte authors: father Patrick, brother Branwell, and the famous three sisters. In this book there is a tremendous amount of insight gained into the juevenilia of the four siblings; long explorations into their imaginary world of Gondal. Much of this was brand new information to me.

For those who are fans of Emily or Anne Bronte, be prepared for mild disapppointment. We know much more about Charlotte Bronte than about any of her siblings, and this comes out in the book through much more space being devoted to Charlotte than the others. This is not a flaw, just an unavoidable necessity due to the nature of the surviving documentary evidence.

The first few chapters delve into the birth and life of Patrick Bronte, the father and patriarch of this famous family. I greatly enjoyed learning so much about him and the early years of the Brontes. Most of this information was new to me.

One of the best things about this books is the meticulous documentation. Everything is noted with an extensive list of end notes. For anyone seriously studying the Brontes, for those wanting to become experts on Bronteana, this is an indespesable resource. Basically the entire history of Bronte research is referenced in these pages.

Bottom line, this is a very long, indepth, detailed book, that can at times become tedious; however, as far as I know, there is no better book on the entire Bronte family. Highly recommended especially for the SERIOUS Bronte student or enthusiast.

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Nov 05, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very, very good book for information. Not so good if you want a happy read ...... But then their family's life was not different from other's lives in the early 19th century. Interesting points were that the father came from Ireland and changed his surname several times!!; letters show that Charlotte spoke with a broad Irish accent .......; and also the fact that all the children lived in fantasy worlds in their imaginations, writings and play, which encompassed much of their leisure time. Well,...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book for Brontë scholars, or somebody really obsessed with this literary family.

The significance of Barker's work is that it looks at the family as a whole starting with their father, Patrick who was an Irish Anglican clergyman and writer. This was a time of turmoil with the start of the industrial revolution, Luddites, Evangelic/Calvinist movements, Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery in Great Britain, Catholic emancipation and more.

The book examines the influence of the imagni...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Ayne Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A massive, almost certainly definitive biography that both demystifies and restores one of England's most legendary literary families. I found it fascinating and greatly appreciated the fact that it dispels many of the cherished but completely incorrect myths that have circulated about each of the Brontes over the years, particularly after Elizabeth Gaskell's whitewashed and often blatantly incorrect biography of Charlotte. It is also meticulously researched: the author was librarian and curator...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Amerynth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, nonfiction, read-2012, authors

At 830 pages (plus notes,) Juliet Barker's biography "The Brontes" is incredibly comprehensive -- perhaps a little too dense for a more casual reader interested in learning about the life of authors Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte.

The book mostly focuses on Charlotte and her father Patrick, as Anne and Emily died young and had no friends to correspond with, so letters detailing their lives are pretty much non-existent. Charlotte's letters to her friend Ellen chronicled much of her life and Elle...more

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May 14, 2011 Artie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this. I tried to read it slowly, just 30 pages or so a day since I was given it for my birthday some six weeks ago, but the joy had to end at some point, and that point was this evening. As a gift, it was a revelation and a eureka moment, as I have never been a Bronte fan, and -I think- only ever read Emily's "Wuthering Heights" (at uni). And yet I was pulled in and removed to the 1800s, to Yorkshire, through the intricate, detailed and interesting retelling of the Family Bronte, from fa...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, biography

Juliet Barker's The Brontës, published in 1994, is a humungo 830 pages, followed by 170 pages of notes. It is frequently, so it seems, referred to as the "definitive" Brontë biography, which is why I asked my friend The Blond Knitter to buy it for me when I won her blog contest. (I like to think of the writers of definitive biographies crying "Follow that!" as they write the final line. I would.)

The Brontës totally lives up to its billing. Between the text and the notes (which I only dipped into...more Juliet Barker's The Brontës, published in 1994, is a humungo 830 pages, followed by 170 pages of notes. It is frequently, so it seems, referred to as the "definitive" Brontë biography, which is why I asked my friend The Blond Knitter to buy it for me when I won her blog contest. (I like to think of the writers of definitive biographies crying "Follow that!" as they write the final line. I would.)

The Brontës totally lives up to its billing. Between the text and the notes (which I only dipped into), I really did feel that Barker had explored every possible source available to her. And yet not once, not once, I am not kidding you, was I bored. This could be due to my fascination with all things 19th-century-literature, but I think I'll put it down to good writing.

And I discovered so many interesting things, especially about Patrick Brontë, the father, and his most famous daughter, Charlotte. The book begins with the transformation of Paddy Branty, a poor but highly intelligent farmer's son, to the gentleman who outlived his wife and all six of his children; in some ways, he is the star of the narrative just by reason of his longevity.

Barker sets out to set the record straight about Patrick, who in Brontë legend is usually seen as mad and bad; in her book you get a portrait of a deeply devout clergyman (with a few foibles, such as a tendency to brag about himself and his children to the family he left behind in Ireland) who greatly loved his children, encouraged them to think and write, and was constantly worried about their ill health (which mostly seems to have been due to Haworth's generally unhealthy environment. The water supply was bad, and disease was rife in the village). Charlotte, on the other hand, comes across as less saintly than she usually does: she was rather on the bossy side, prone to outbursts and sulking, and decidedly manipulative.

Barker quotes extensively from the Brontës' letters and early poetry and prose, showing every alteration and insertion so that I got a real sense of their writing process. Fascinating. Her notes are detailed and written in just as lively a fashion as the text.

As the book advanced, it became increasingly hard to put down. A very nicely done treatment of a fascinating group of subjects. I'm actually racking my brains to think of a criticism, but the only one that comes to mind is that the collection of photos is a little idiosyncratic. But I've read enough about the issues surrounding the publication of photos in books to understand that this may have been a situation beyond the author's control.

I'm happy. Except that I have to inform you, dear reader, that this is a hard book to obtain. I was lucky and located a good copy at a reasonable price, but I see that on the day of writing we're talking about "collectible" (i.e. exorbitant) prices. I hope you have better luck.
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Sep 11, 2012 Kimberly Eve rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Northern Ireland to The Moors: A Bronte Family Biography: A Review
Juliet Barker's updated biography is over a staggering one thousand pages; all containing impeccable research on The Brontes. Her writing is dense, collegiate, extremely well researched dripping with admiration and respect for this family. Anyone wanting to get to know The Brontes owes Ms. Barker a debt of gratitude! She traces their lineage then writes a chronological retelling of The Bronte Family beginning with clan patri...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes non-fiction

Recommended to Mary by: Netgalley

Shelves: read-but-unowned, 2010-2019, 1990-2009, 89-94, non-fiction, read-on-my-daughter-s-kindle, free-from-netgalley, ebook

The story of the tragic Bronte family is well-known to everyone: we are all familiar with the half-mad, repressive patriarch, Patrick Bronte, the drunken, drug-addicted wastrel brother, Branwell, wildly romantic Emily, unrequited Anne and "poor Charlotte". Or are we? These stereotypes of the popular imagination are precisely that - imaginary - creations of amateur biographers like Elizabeth Gaskell who were primarily novelists and were attracted by the tale of an apparently doomed family of geni...more

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Apr 14, 2013 anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a really great biography for anyone who loves Jane Eyre. It's a bit slow getting into; the first hundred pages are about Patrick Bronte, who was Irish, came from a poor family, but managed to get a scholarship to study at Cambridge. After another courtship Patrick married Maria Branwell in 1812. They had two girls Mary and Elizabeth, and the other four Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. At the age of thirty eight Maria died of cancer, 1821. Mary and Elizabeth were sent to Cowan bridge...more This is a really great biography for anyone who loves Jane Eyre. It's a bit slow getting into; the first hundred pages are about Patrick Bronte, who was Irish, came from a poor family, but managed to get a scholarship to study at Cambridge. After another courtship Patrick married Maria Branwell in 1812. They had two girls Mary and Elizabeth, and the other four Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. At the age of thirty eight Maria died of cancer, 1821. Mary and Elizabeth were sent to Cowan bridge a school which served as the prototype for Lowood in J.E., where they got tb and died soon after. Patrick then recalled the other two girls Charlotte and Emily from the school. They attended other schools later, trained as governesses, and worked as governesses, all except for Emily who took care of their father Patrick. Later Emily and Charlotte went to Brussels where they studied for a year, Charlotte later went back there to work but left after falling in love with the married Monsieur Heger who owned the school and was now her boss. All four wrote, Branwell published poetry in local newspapers after failing as an artist. There's a maybe a hundred pages or so describing the fantastical worlds all the siblings created in their juvenilia, this part is a bit boring but everything else is fascinating. Branwell fell in love with his employer's wife Mrs. Robinson, he later lost his position as tutor ( the red and the black meets the graduate) and became an alcoholic. Meanwhile the girls published a book of poetry under the names of currer, Ellis and actin bell, then Charlotte wrote the professor, Emily W.H., Anne T of WH, and sent them off to a publisher who accepted Emily's and Anne's works but rejected C's. C sent her manuscript to other publisher's, she got a response from George Smith's company saying they wouldn't publish this work but would be glad to look at the next. Branwell does of TB. Jane Eyre is published to great acclaim, Anne finishes Agnes grey. Emily dies a few months after Branwell, a few months later Anne also dies of TB, 1848-49. C. starts to travel to London and meet the other literary figures of the day, Thackeray, h. Martineau, Mrs. Gaskell. She publishes two more novels and falls in live with her publisher George Smith. When he marries she gives up hope and marries her fathers curate Arthur bell Nicolls who was in love with her. She falls in love with him after they get married it seems, she becomes pregnant but the pregnancy is too much of a strain on her body and she also does from TB a few months later. I loved this book, there's nothing better than reading a great work about your favorite author. Rectitude is charlottes favorite word.(less)

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Mar 28, 2011 Stine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

I'm quite in awe of the meticoulous research Juliet Barker has put into this biography of the Brontës, rich in both detail and scope.

The biography begins with the reverend Patrick Brontë, and reveals him, as opposed to popular belief, as an attentive, loving albeit slighty eccentric father, who takes great care of his young children.

The four Brontë children who survived into adulthood, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne, form a closeknit circle and during their childhood neither of them seem...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book, looked to be meticulously researched. I admired the detail and for the most part enjoyed that level of detail. I tend to like well researched bios with lots of detail. I especially appreciated that the author took the time and effort to debunk some of the bad info out there about the Bronte family, especially Patrick, the father. I can't even imagine how much work this was, not just a synopsis, but a true well-researched analysis. I believe Patrick would be happy with this one.

I did...more

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Nov 03, 2012 GONZA rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really like to read books about my favorite authors, but this was a little too much because It's so omnicomprehensive that in the end more than 1000 pages over this interesting family were a little bit of too much for me; more, I still haven't read all of their books and I didn't want "spoilers"! This book is more about the father and Charlotte, and this was quite a disappointment to me, because I've already read Mrs. Gaskell "Life of Charlotte Bronte", even if Gaskell's Charlotte is different...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't know too much about the Brontës before I started reading.

According to Barker, most of the traditional accounts of the Brontë sisters make many misrepresentations about their lives. One of the purposes of this book is to look at accounts not studied before in order to dispel what she calls the Brontë myths. Like I said, this isn't an area I've studied, so I have no idea about the history, but this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

The book was more interesting than I had imagined i...more

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Feb 16, 2013 K.M. Weiland rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This mammoth biography explores the Brontes' history in exquisite detail. Barker has dug far beyond the usual surface treatment one expects in a historical biography. I bought the book on Kindle without realizing its size and was more than a little overwhelmed at first, especially during the interminable early chapters about the father Patrick Bronte's early life and loves. But once Charlotte and Co. show up, the depth of Barker's research becomes not only an invaluable tool for understanding th...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Amy Wolf rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was really looking forward to this book, being as Barker was Librarian at the Bronte Parsonage. Unfortunately, she slants this bio toward the male Brontes: Patrick & Branwell. Not that I have anything against them, but the true working geniuses in this family were the women. Branwell was an opium addict & a drunk, and no amount of hagiography can change that. Barker benefits from having lived in Haworth & she has an excellent grasp of how the water supply in the mid-19th century ma...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Sean Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This gigantic, epic tome about the life of the Brontë family is the definitive biography which seeks to address the myth that has grown around them, address the wrongs of the biography of Charlotte Brontë as written by Elizabeth Gaskell, and bring Branwell, Emily and Anne into sharper relief. The level of research in this book is astounding, and Barker does a very thorough job in deconstructing Charlotte's martyrdom through the years while still doing her no injustice of character. Anne is also...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Ryal Woods rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What must it have been like in the Bronte household? The lives of Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell - the masculine pen names of Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte, were darker and filled with more secret intrigue and morose romance than any books published in this era, including their own. For such seemingly prim and sheltered women, they had wildly brutal imaginations that led them to pen books as or more scandalous than their male contemporaries. This is a huge tome, and well worth diving into. A go...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Barbara Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a mega read but so pleased I have persevered. The detail is phenomenal and some of it is too much so skimmed over these bits. Mostly the fantasy worlds which the children created and detail about the father's religious duties. Both these were tiresome because of the names. That aside I have been totally absorbed in their lives, the social history of the area and period and their dedication to writing. I blow hot and cold over Charlotte. Sometimes she wins me over. At other times she seem...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was..intense. I gave it five stars more for the fact that I can hardly imagine the work and time that went into it more than anything else. Must admit that I definitely skimmed some parts, and that at multiple points I considered giving up the battle of me v. the over 1000 pages about the Brontes and the seemingly unending details about their lives. However, once I reached the point where the author was describing the Bronte's novels being written/published, I again became interested.

W...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I cannot say enough about how much I loved this book. Since I love the Brontes' novels and am fascinated with the authors' lives, this book was like having dessert at the end of every day! Juliet Barker is the former curator of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, and she has painstakingly researched the Bronte family. She has taken it upon herself to debunk the myths surrounding the Brontes that began with Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte in 1857. Sadly these myths have been perpetuated throu...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Joan Colby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is, to say the least, exhaustive, but readable and debunks quite a few myths. I confess to skimming over some of the childhood sagas of mythical kingdoms that served to sharpen the childrens' narrative skills. Barker casts the family biography in its historical and geographic aspect which is interesting in itself. Involvement in the Brontes fictional land of Angria and Gondal influenced not only the poems of Emily, Anne and Branwell, but Wuthering Heights in particular. The novel also owed a...more It is, to say the least, exhaustive, but readable and debunks quite a few myths. I confess to skimming over some of the childhood sagas of mythical kingdoms that served to sharpen the childrens' narrative skills. Barker casts the family biography in its historical and geographic aspect which is interesting in itself. Involvement in the Brontes fictional land of Angria and Gondal influenced not only the poems of Emily, Anne and Branwell, but Wuthering Heights in particular. The novel also owed a good deal to Scott’s “Rob Roy” a favorite of the sisters. Their immersion in their world of fantasy which persisted into adulthood, especially for Emily, was kept secret. Branwell’s work largely depended on his juvenilia. His despair over the failure of his affair with Mrs. Robinson (which one guesses must have inspired her character in The Graduate) resulted in alcoholism and drug addiction, vices that Branwell easily succumbed to in the past. Charlotte too, was influenced by infatuation, that which she carried for her Belgian professor, also a married man, in creating the character of Mr. Rochester and part of the plot of Jane Eyre. Her first effort at a novel “The Professor” was regarded positively by the publisher to whom she submitted it, but ultimately rejected, with an offer to view her next book. Already at work on Jane Eyre, Charlotte rapidly finished it, sending it off under the pseudonym of Currer Bell. All the sisters had adopted male aliases. Jane Eyre entranced the editors who accepted it with an offer of 100 pounds and the right of refusal of the next two books. Charlotte recognized this sum was inadequate, but stood fast only on her refusal to alter her manuscript. After Thackery praised Jane Eyre, the critics of the day joined suit and the novel became an unprecedented success. Anne also published two books and Emily just one, but that one a masterpiece. It appears that Emily was working on a second manuscript which Charlotte may have destroyed after her sister’s death. Ultimately, all three sisters’ identities were revealed though many readers had guessed that Currer Bell was a woman. After the deaths of her siblings, Charlotte wrote “Shirley” which obtained moderate success. She had, however, achieved a degree of fame and emerged into the world of London society, meeting her idol Thackery and other literary figures. The contrast between the exciting life of London and the remoteness of Haworth contributed to Charlotte’s recurrent depression. Her next novel “Villette” was well received. She had consistently maintained her female friendships and her connection with Mrs.Gaskell resulted in the latter writing the first biography of Charlotte Bronte. While Charlotte had received proposals from various of her father’s curates which she had declined, the suit of curate Arthur Nicholls was greeted more favorably by Charlotte, if not initially, by Patrick, Ultimately she accepted Arthur and married him at the age of 38. The marriage proved happy but brief with Charlotte dying within a year of complications of pregnancy. The many diseases that afflicted people in the 19th century took a toll on the Brontes. The mother died young of cancer, two elder daughters of consumption caught at the dismal school they attended, Branwell falling to drink and consumption at 31, Anne and Emily to consumption at ages 28 and 30 respectively, and Charlotte, dead at 38. Of the 6 Bronte children, 5 died of consumption.
In her biography of Charlotte, Mrs. Gaskell mythologized the Brontes. Her descriptions colored the public’s perceptions for many years, casting Patrick as a harsh and eccentric father, Aunt Branwell as a severe disciplinarian and their life in Haworth as one of deprivation and poverty
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Mar 13, 2013 Carol is currently reading it

Shelves: biography, biography-female

I have to say that reading 979 pages is very intimidating, but it was highly recommended to me. And I have to say that after reading the first 2 chapters in this book, that Patrick Bronte is totally a "real" person in comparison to other books where he is detached, unbearable and self-centered.

In this book we meet a young man no different than any other. We look at Patrick Bronte's childhood & family, dedication to his education (despite his lack of funds), his devoted faith (evangelical), h...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Christy B (Readin' and Dreamin') rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, nf-victorian, non-fiction, the-brontes, biography

I haven't read any other non-fiction book about the Brontë family, but I can tell you that this is the Brontë biography to start with. Yes, it's a tome, but it's oh so worth it. It completely erases the myths and legends surrounding the family, and relies on fact (or as close as you can get to fact) using letters and other documents.

This book may end up depressing some people who like to believe the embellished sensationalism that are rooted in rumor. However, for someone who wants to know the r...more I haven't read any other non-fiction book about the Brontë family, but I can tell you that this is the Brontë biography to start with. Yes, it's a tome, but it's oh so worth it. It completely erases the myths and legends surrounding the family, and relies on fact (or as close as you can get to fact) using letters and other documents.

This book may end up depressing some people who like to believe the embellished sensationalism that are rooted in rumor. However, for someone who wants to know the real Brontës, then this book is a dream. We're shown the family as they are, flaws and all, and believe me, none of them are perfect.

Stripped down are the words of Elizabeth Gaskell in her 'biography' of Charlotte, and even the words of Charlotte are examined, especially in reference to her sisters. Charlotte was grossly unfair of Anne in particular, and in Charlotte's letters, a view of Anne emerged that is untrue. The Brontës does justice to Anne, showing her as an intelligent being, when Charlotte gave her no credit in that regard. I must admit that I've always been sort of a defender of Anne; I always felt as if she got the short end of the stick, in no fault of her own.

This book is about all the Brontës, not just about the three sisters. Granted, I basically read this to read about the sisters, but reading about Patrick, and Branwell, as they truly were, was fascinating. The stereotype of Patrick being a strict tyrannical father was shot down. The view of Branwell always being a drunk and screw up is also diminished.

Of course, we also find out that some of the sensationalist events in Brontë lure were true, such as Branwell's affair with his employer's wife, and Charlotte's infatuation with Mousier Heger. Reading the details of both gave shape to how these significant events shaped each respective sibling's life.

What was also fascinating, and something I never gave much thought to, was the imaginary worlds that the siblings created. Charlotte and Branwell with their Angria world, and Emily and Anne with their Gondal world. They created worlds and characters, wrote up histories for them, write poetry that were part of these worlds, and it's evident that the sisters' earlier work on these imaginary worlds were a huge part of their future novels. There are characters and events in the Angria and Gondal worlds that show up in disguise in the seven novels, along with personal events and real life people in their lives. Reading in detail about these worlds and the sisters' real life experiences gives me a new appreciation for their novels.

I could go on and on about everything I learned from the tremendously thorough biography, but I'll stop here. I don't think I need to do any more convincing.(less)

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Jan 27, 2012 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a wonderful book - so good I read it twice - full of anecdote and description as well as an enormous amount of scholarly material. If you are interested in the Brontes, or know nothing about them but simply want to know more about nineteenth century England, you will find enough in this book to keep you happy for two weeks of your holiday! (Highly recommended for reading while on holiday somewhere warm and delightful, as a contrast to the bleakness of Haworth...)

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Jan 22, 2013 John Bellamy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the only Bronte biography we'll ever need, which is a good thing, given its nearly 1,000 pages of text in the 2010 revised edition. Barker's research is astonishing thorough but even more impressive is her deconstructive analysis of the mythology that has so long distorted and obscured the lives and works of Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell. This is a breaktaking achievement of passionate scholarship and a must for all Bronte devotees.

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Dec 31, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well. This is obviously an incredibly impressive achievement, and for anyone with enough interest in the Brontes to *want* to read 1000 pages about them, it's totally worth the time and effort. I do think, though, that the author went just a bit too deep into certain topics (the politics and work issues of the father, the immense detail on the juvenilia) and so it could have been focused just a bit more...but even so, it's just chock-full of stories and imagery and exploration, and fleshes out t...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Moira Russell marked it as to-read · review of another edition

AHAHAHA

OH MY GOD

IT'S FINALLY FUCKING AVAILABLE ON THE KINDLE

I WILL BE ABLE TO SEARCH IT ELECTRONICALLY

//buys immediately

....ahem. What?

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Aug 09, 2011 Alessia added it · review of another edition

This is an amazing biography of the Bronte family. I purchased it from Amazon and was slightly worried when it arrived as it was so HUGE. However I did not need to be, as I literally could not put it down, it is so well written that it is a pleasure to read. It is definitely a must read for Bronte fans.

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Aug 02, 2009 Elise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stellar. Jane Eyre is one of my all time favorites. I re-read it at last once a year. This group biography made me feel like I was sitting on the hearth with the family. It pays close attention to the siblings' juvenelia. At the end I was even considering re-reading Wuthering Heights.

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About Juliet Barker

Juliet R. V. Barker (born 1958) is a British historian, specialising in the Middle Ages and literary biography. She is the author of a number of well-regarded works on the Brontës, William Wordsworth, and medieval tournaments. From 1983 to 1989 she was the curator and librarian of the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

Barker was educated at Bradford Girls' Grammar School and St Anne's College, Oxford, where...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581346-the-bront-s?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339350600l/13581346.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581346-the-bront-s?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Brontës: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters by Juliet Barker[/url]

The Brontës: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of Three Sisters

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