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Romancing Miss Brontë

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 846 ratings · 278 reviews

In this astonishing novel, a brilliant mélange of fact and fiction, Juliet Gael skillfully and stylishly captures the passions, hopes, dreams, and sorrows of literature’s most famous sisters—and imagines how love dramatically and most unexpectedly found Charlotte Brontë.

During the two years that she studied in Brussels, Charlotte had a taste of life’s splendors—travel, lit...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published April 27th 2010 by Ballantine Books

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We Wove a Web in Childhood by Ruth Thomas

The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell

Charlotte Bronte

2nd out of 8 books — 7 voters

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë by Laura Joh Rowland

BRONTE FICTION

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May 25, 2010 Lynda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For the life of me I cannot understand why I was so hesitant to read this novel in the historical fiction genre. Perhaps I was expecting more fiction than fact, more fluff than substance. What a pleasant surprise to discover that Romancing Miss Bronte was nothing like that at all.
Ms. Gael's prose is somewhat Austenesque although her subject matter is nowhere near Ms. Austen's well to do, charming, close-knit family with suitors stumbling over each other. This is the story of the family Bronte h...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, faves, historical

A long admirer of Charlotte Bronte, and all the Bronte authors, I picked up this book at the library purely out of curiosity. It left me in tears. Years ago, when I was thirteen or fourteen, my mother insisted over and over that I read Jane Eyre. I kept trying, but I just couldn't get past the first 100 pages. I couldn't see how it would improve. It felt depressing and morose. Finally, when I was fifteen, I committed to it. I don't think any novel has had a greater impact on me since. I fell in...more A long admirer of Charlotte Bronte, and all the Bronte authors, I picked up this book at the library purely out of curiosity. It left me in tears. Years ago, when I was thirteen or fourteen, my mother insisted over and over that I read Jane Eyre. I kept trying, but I just couldn't get past the first 100 pages. I couldn't see how it would improve. It felt depressing and morose. Finally, when I was fifteen, I committed to it. I don't think any novel has had a greater impact on me since. I fell in love with Jane and with Mr. Rochester. I cried when the could no longer be together. It was the first classical "adult" novel I had read. My mother was right. And I've never quite gotten over it. It was, after all, my first love.

This book in some ways was much the same. Charlotte's life seemed so provincial, ordinary and much of the time, morose and sad. So I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I wondered if anything happy and good, beyond the publication and vast success of her novels, would happen to her. But it did. For a brief moment, Charlotte experienced all the happiness and all the goodness her life deserved. She was a noble, good woman. She was extremely intelligent. She formed deep and lasting friendships with a broad array of people.

Although the book is fiction, at first I thought it read a little too much like a biography. Now I appreciate the way the author wrote the story to so closely mirror Charlotte's real life. Because of that, I got a glimpse of an extraordinary woman. I was extremely happy to find her married to a man worthy of her. While at first she didn't see it, she came discover what a truly great man he was. He was of constant service to others and to her. All the while she had been looking for some exotic Mr. Rochester when what she really wanted had been in front of her for eight years. I think what I loved best was watching Charlotte finally fall in love with Arthur Nicholls, the constant curate who had served her father's parish so well. My hat goes off to Juliet Gael. What a beautiful story of a very beautiful woman's life.(less)

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Oct 18, 2010 Bird rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical-fiction, read-in-2010

Ugh, what a horribly depressing novel. This is partly my fault. I didn't know that all of the Bronte sisters, as well as their mother, died young. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have picked this up, because I tend to steer clear of sad books. (Life's sad enough, I don't need to read sad books, too!)

I didn't truly like any of the characters except for Arthur. Emily was insufferable, and why she was Charlotte's favorite is beyond me. She was cold and distant at best. (Which I supposed is e...more

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May 15, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Gael has written a beautiful piece of fiction based on the life of Charlotte Bronte. I had to pull myself away from reading this book! It fully captivated me with the story of love, pain, friendship, romance, soul connections, family loyalties, and the author's dedication to portraying the true essence of Charlotte, a strong woman. A big "thank you" to Juliet Gael for writing this story, as it was a real joy to be fully immersed in this lovely tale. I've been addicted to CB and her works for yea...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars

I tried to like this book, I really did. I gave it to page 140 of 414 pages to show me something interesting, entertaining or unique. Unfortunately, it gave me nothing but boredom, so I gave up on it.

The title infers that Charlotte will find romance, but in the 140 pages I read there was nothing but a re-telling of the sad and depressing lives the Brontes led, with an ill father, a drunken whining failure of a brother, and the difficulties of women during the period. Perhaps the romance for Char...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Franci Franci rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questo romanzo è delicato e delizioso: lo considero un capolavoro che rende omaggio a una grande donna,ed è per questo che provo nei suoi confronti quasi paura,e la sensazione di non essere in grado di renderli omaggio tramite questa mia recensione,come si meriterebbe...spero quindi di non essere banale.
Juliet Gael è riuscita a scrivere un romanzo che riesce a tenere il lettore incollato alle pagine: fuori poteva diluviare,ma io troppo presa dalla lettura non me ne sarei nemmeno accorta.
Leggere...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by this book. I am generally not partial to books and especially novels about a famous author’s life or sequels to their great works. If you have read Pride and Prejudice than I am sure your own imagination was sufficient about the lives of the Darcy's after their wedding vows and therefore are not in need for some cheap invention of Victorian sex. So with great trepidation I saw this book at the library and seeing and hearing great things about it I gave...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Pkc181 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I anticipated enjoying this book even though I did not really hope to learn anything new about Charlotte Bronte or her immediate family (most notably her sisters Emily and Anne and their “difficult” father, the Reverend Patrick Bronte). As an avid Bronte fan, I’ve read quite a few biographies on the Brontes, including what I consider to be the definitive work on the family “The Brontes” by Rebecca Fraser. I picked up this book primarily because I was intrigued on how the author would present Cha...more I anticipated enjoying this book even though I did not really hope to learn anything new about Charlotte Bronte or her immediate family (most notably her sisters Emily and Anne and their “difficult” father, the Reverend Patrick Bronte). As an avid Bronte fan, I’ve read quite a few biographies on the Brontes, including what I consider to be the definitive work on the family “The Brontes” by Rebecca Fraser. I picked up this book primarily because I was intrigued on how the author would present Charlotte’s love life, as the title suggests, as the centerpiece of the action. First-time author Gael does not disappoint, competently covering Charlotte’s passionate feelings for the few men in her life outside her family: first her French professor, then her handsome London publisher and finally the man whose love she finally accepts, the curate Arthur Nicholls.

This book covers the last 10 years of Charlotte’s life when everything is just beginning to happen for her and her sisters. She’s written “Jane Eyre” and against all odds gotten it published to acclaim. She is swept off to London on what today we’d call a publicity tour where she gains a wider perspective on the world beyond the desolate Haworth and is presented with life options that challenge her to decide what it is, exactly, that she wants out of life. The well-known facts that round out Charlotte’s & her family’s life during this period are deftly handled and melded into an engrossing fiction that kept me turning the pages even though I knew how the action would end.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find how moved I was by this debut novel that truly brought several members of this extraordinary literary family alive much more than some of the more detail-laden biographies I’ve read. I was especially impressed by how the author presented a full emotional portrait of both Emily Bronte and the stoic Arthur Nicholls. The author grants us more than a little insight as to why Emily was the way she was and would produce something as dark and passionate as “Wuthering Heights” as compared to her more demure sisters Charlotte & Anne. And when it comes to Arthur Nicholls, this is the first time I’ve read any book with him presented as something more than an empty shell of a devoted clergyman. Finally we get a realistic and sympathetic portrait of the full flesh and blood man who ends up marrying Charlotte near the end of her life. The author makes a convincing case for why Charlotte would end up choosing to marry Arthur Nicholls at this point in her life when, as a successful author, she had choices in life. For this revelation alone, I would recommend reading this book.

Based on her showing with this debut novel, I am really looking forward to see what author Juliet Gael does next.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

historical fiction books are perhaps my most favorite to read. i think that it takes a very talented and diligent writer to write a novel that will not only "stick to the facts" but will also win the heart of the reader. juliet gael does a wonderful job of breathing life into the story of the bronte family, especially charlotte. she did tons of research and took very few liberties with the story. she even cited many of charlotte's letters verbatim. jane eyre is in my top 5 favorite books, but my...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Romancing Miss Brontë describes a slice of the life of Charlotte Brontë, starting with the appearance of Arthur Nicholls in the Brontë family's life. Nicholls had come to work as the curate for the Brontë paterfamilias, Patrick, who was going blind with cataracts. At this point in time the Brontë family--already diminished by the deaths of the mother and two children--was composed of Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Branwell, who had begun his slide into alcoholism and drug addiction.

Gae...more Romancing Miss Brontë describes a slice of the life of Charlotte Brontë, starting with the appearance of Arthur Nicholls in the Brontë family's life. Nicholls had come to work as the curate for the Brontë paterfamilias, Patrick, who was going blind with cataracts. At this point in time the Brontë family--already diminished by the deaths of the mother and two children--was composed of Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Branwell, who had begun his slide into alcoholism and drug addiction.

Gael gives few or no dates in the novel so I had to grab Juliet Barker's seminal biography, which I'm currently also reading, to find out that the year was 1845 and Charlotte would have been about 29 (already an old maid by the standards of the day). Over the next ten years she would become famous, but when the novel begins the Brontë family are isolated, considered rather odd, and eking out a meager living on Patrick's stipend with no other sources of income in sight. Romancing Miss Brontë covers the next ten years and describes--or imagines--how Arthur's love for Charlotte grew despite the stiff, formal relations that existed between them for most of that time.

Well, I don't say it very often: I LOVED this book. It worked for me on the level of a fictionalized biography; I always take this kind of writing with a pinch of salt and remember that its historical accuracy is not guaranteed, but I had no idea in this case where fact ended and fiction began (until I read Gael's Author's Note at the end) and there were only two or three paragraphs where Gael dropped into a documentary tell-not-show style. Other than that, there was lively dialogue, plenty of action, and letters (some real, some, apparently, imagined, but very well done) to vary the diet and bring out some of the inner feelings of these reserved Victorian characters.

The characters were extremely well drawn; I have read a great deal about the Brontës but I've rarely felt that I've been given such a good sense of them. We also see their servants, friends and business acquaintances, all vividly depicted, and I truly felt a part of the story. If there was a jarring contemporary note in the dialogue, I didn't find it. It just worked.

Romancing Miss Brontë also, in its later chapters, worked for me as romantic fiction. Arthur Nicholls tends to be a subsidiary character in Brontë tales, but Gael managed to give him a touch of the Mr. Darcy's--outwardly stern and forbidding but with a heart of gold and a smoldering passion for Charlotte. It's pretty difficult to imagine the romantic and sexual side of a Victorian relationship with all its attendant repressions, but I found myself really hoping that things had, in fact, been as Gael imagined them to be. The creator of Jane Eyre deserved no less. (less)

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May 08, 2010 C rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite

I must mention now: I'm not the kind of person who would be seen reading a book with "romancing" in the title. But for "Miss Brontë", I shall read! Anything for the Brontës. Other writers during the Brontës time were mainly concerned about money and marriage, but the Brontës were more more more. That is what I love about them. A lot of women of the day would have seen Arthur as a marriage opportunity the second they met him. But even after Arthur proposed, Charlotte remained unconvinced. At alm...more I must mention now: I'm not the kind of person who would be seen reading a book with "romancing" in the title. But for "Miss Brontë", I shall read! Anything for the Brontës. Other writers during the Brontës time were mainly concerned about money and marriage, but the Brontës were more more more. That is what I love about them. A lot of women of the day would have seen Arthur as a marriage opportunity the second they met him. But even after Arthur proposed, Charlotte remained unconvinced. At almost age forty Charlotte thought of herself as a stunted, spinsterish, poor parson's daughter. Knowing how rare it would be to ever receive another proposal, still she did not immediately accept. She wanted to marry for love and did not love Arthur... yet.

I was worried 'Romancing Miss Brontë' would take everything that happened within Charlotte's life, and make it simply about her marriage. It did not. The devastating deaths of the siblings occur about halfway through the book. I think this is the perfect amount of time for the relationship between Charlotte and Arthur to develop, while also letting the reader get to know Emily, Anne and Branwell, though I must admit I liked reading about the interactions between the siblings more, especially their walks along the moors. That simply may be due to the sort of reader I am. The closest (and only) thing I've read in the "romance" genre are the Brontë novels. For all the freedom women have in 2010, there is another sort of freedom women had in the 1840s. Women in those days could walk around any moorland they wanted to. These days, if there is anything resembling moorland in America, you would be hard pressed not to find 'private property' signs everywhere you looked (and risk getting shot if you ignore said signs). That, for me, is the ultimate "romance" in the time of the Brontës. Freedom has been gained but so much has been lost.

The Brontës mainly wrote about their own past experiences, but it was surprising to see how their books also eerily predicted their futures. Charlotte wrote of the Mr. Rochester fires in Jane Eyre long before her brother Branwell was saved from a fire by Anne and Emily. Arthur's personality reminded me of Jane Eyre's cousin, John Rivers, who discovers Jane near death on the moor, long before Arthur himself mentions the same comparison to Charlotte in 'Romancing Miss Brontë'. Sure, it is a charming and excellent bit of this book, but did Arthur really say this in real life? I'm always skeptical of historical fiction. I don't like things to be made up just to make a better plot about real people that once had their own integrity to protect, rather than a fictional character. After all, Charlotte can not defend herself now. I was wary that a novel about the Brontës could sensationalize their lives (which is funny, seeing as how if anyone can find a fault with the Brontës, it is their penchant for gothic drama...but I happen to love that sort of thing.) Even just writing something that Charlotte would have never really said would bother me. I'm not very knowledgeable about the Brontës, but I don't believe 'Romancing Miss Brontë' takes any liberties: I believe Gael's writing sticks close to the truth. This book is perfect if you'd like to know more about the Brontës (especially if you'd rather read about them in novel form, rather than a biography). It is also a great read if you already know a ton about the them. If you are a fan of anything Brontë, read this. If you want to get a better understanding of why the Brontës were so loved, in their time and ours, read this. The Brontës are amazing. You could probably write anything about them and I would be pleased that they are being remembered.

Sometimes I think of the possibilities of a life. What if Anne, Emily and Charlotte had died the same age as their sisters, Maria and Elizabeth? It makes me sad to wonder what would have happened to literature if the world did not have their books. What amazing novels are we missing that Maria and Elizabeth could have written? And what if Anne, Emily and Charlotte had lived longer? What else may they have written? Imagine if they knew their books were still being read 150 years later! It seems as though the Brontës are fiction themselves, so it would make sense to write a first novel about them. Juliet Gael does a lovely job of it. I'm looking forward to seeing what Gael delivers next. Gael's prose alone tells me I'd be interested in her next book, even if it isn't about a topic as captivating as the Brontës.(less)

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Apr 10, 2010 Jennifer Osterman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway. I initially thought that this book would be about a love affair involving one of the Bronte sisters, but in fact, it read much like a novelized biography of Charlotte. This, however, made the book all the more appealing to me. I have not read a biography of any of the Brontes, so I am not sure how much research is behind this book (since it was an ARC, the Author's notes are not included - I would be interested to read these),...more I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway. I initially thought that this book would be about a love affair involving one of the Bronte sisters, but in fact, it read much like a novelized biography of Charlotte. This, however, made the book all the more appealing to me. I have not read a biography of any of the Brontes, so I am not sure how much research is behind this book (since it was an ARC, the Author's notes are not included - I would be interested to read these), but it read as though the author was very knowledgeable about the time period and the people of the day.

I do feel that the title was a bit misleading, as the romance that occurs in the book is one-sided and limited to the latter third of the book - almost an afterthought. Perhaps this is because after her heart is broken, love, for Charlotte, is also an afterthought. The plot is engaging, the characters complex and diverse, and the writing solid. The pages flew by. I do wish that there had been more about the other two sisters - they faded into the background a bit, but the relationship between Charlotte and her father and her brother were more strongly developed. The life of Miss Bronte is quite tragic, but the book does not become maudlin. If anything, the author might be criticized of being too matter-of-fact about illness and death through most of the book - but one also might argue that at the time, these things were much more prevalent than today, and the subject was handled well enough in the end that I was quite moved.

I thought Charlotte stood out as a very real-feeling and well-developed character with a strong sense of independence that conflicted with her sense of duty. The author evoked a sense of an alternate time period without becoming overbearing or ponderous, and I was engaged in the story from start to finish - there was no time that I thought that the story lagged. I do think that the book can do with a bit of "tightening" as there were some typographical errors and a few places where a sentence seemed "stuck in" to force foreshadowing. (less)

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Mar 13, 2010 Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars

I hope I can do justice to “Romancing Miss Bronte” when I describe why this is one of the best books I’ve ever read, certainly the best historical fiction novel I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

Let me begin by saying that even before hearing about this novel, I have always wanted to read a realistic book about Charlotte Bronte’s life. That’s because I always considered it such a tragedy that almost all the people she was close to died so early, and she herself marrying someone that (as I got t...more I hope I can do justice to “Romancing Miss Bronte” when I describe why this is one of the best books I’ve ever read, certainly the best historical fiction novel I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

Let me begin by saying that even before hearing about this novel, I have always wanted to read a realistic book about Charlotte Bronte’s life. That’s because I always considered it such a tragedy that almost all the people she was close to died so early, and she herself marrying someone that (as I got the impression from reading the bios) she didn’t truly and passionately love. And dying during her pregnancy at that. What a sad way to go. I wished that there was an author out there who would be able to capture Charlotte’s life all the way to that conclusion honestly and sympathetically, at the least, with maybe some extra insight into the life of an author I only knew a little bit about. I really wanted a happy ending to what I believed was a sad fate for Charlotte, author of such a tremendous work like “Jane Eyre”. With this novel, I got all of that, but also a level of such love and respect for the Bronte siblings, their lives and work, that I was quite literally blown away.

Most significantly, this book was written from the heart. I was astounded that the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne were written so well. Each had their own distinct personality that was developed fully and realistically. Even their brother Bramwell was a fully rendered character. Their close relationship as a family was very convincing. They come alive in this novel truly as sisters, bound together by love and respect, but not without their own wants and needs that lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. I was very eager to read about what their family life was possibly like, considering the author of “Wuthering Heights” was one of the sisters. I became engrossed by Gael’s skillful portrait of these sisters’ interactions with each other and with their father and brother. Gael so respects her characters that she doesn’t shy away from detailing their hurts, fears, humiliations, and even their deepest darkest thoughts. I believe you can find a well-rounded, authentic portrait of each of the characters in this novel, and we are all the better for it. For in these characters we can see ourselves.

Secondly, “Romancing Miss Bronte” is well-written, meticulously researched work. As far as I can tell, the events in the book follow the events of Charlotte’s own life. The author just imagines these events in intimate detail, drawing us in the story by making every part of her life fascinating and personal. You experience her joys, suffer her humiliations, grieve with her, and feel the deepest, deepest sympathy for her. She really was an extraordinary woman, I just had no idea until I read this novel. And yet, just a real woman, with the same insecurities and emotions.

Lastly, this novel is real. Despite the title, I don’t believe this book is about “romance.” It’s about Charlotte discovering her true self (cliché as that sounds). It’s an honest depiction of a human being, a woman that was under so much pressure, not only from those around her, but also from herself. A good life is not always what you think it should be, and truth can come from unexpected places, as the quote from Charlotte’s last book “Villette” on the cover page eloquently puts it. The complete meaning of the quote can only be fully realized at the end of the novel.

And so, it is with complete respect and honesty that I give this marvelous novel 5 stars. Thank you, Ms. Gael. Truly, truly I consider it a great privilege to have been able to read it.
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Oct 24, 2012 Elora Shore rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was...and incredible book. I didn't want to put it down. The past few days have been taken with reading it as much as possible. This book has life, real soul, true desires. A pure, stark honest portrayal of a woman's heart, through all her loves, and trials and tribulations...through her heartbreaks. Charlotte Bronte lived her life looking for happiness, and striving to be the best person she could be. Knowing, at the same time, how tremendously flawed she was. Author Juliet Gael has accomp...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Angt27 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-historic

I haven't read any Bronte works, but that didn't stop me from really enjoying 'Romancing Miss Bronte'. They all lived such sad, tragic lives and that really came through in this novel, but not in a sensational manner, rather just that it was sad, but that was the way life was back then. I really felt like the characters came to life in the novel, particularly Emily and Charlotte and I wanted to throttle Branwell.

In particular I found this book provided an extremely interesting insight into the r...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone who loves 19th century novels

Many of us have imagined what life was like for a particular artist. What contributed to his or her work of art, are there biographical reasons for certain characters in novels, for a fascination with particular models in art, an event which spurred a composer to create a given opus? In recent years, various novelists have taken these musings, hopefully along with biographical research, and created novels of the lives of well known artists and writers. Such imaginings are not confined to novels....more

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Aug 05, 2011 Hooma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I devoured this book - I could not put it down and I enjoyed every moment of it. Reading this book has inspired me to read the writings of other famous 18th century British female novelists.

I learned so much about Charlotte Bronte from this novel and even though this text falls into the category of historical fiction, the key characters and events are accurate and project a very real picture of who Charlotte Bronte was and the kind of life she lived.

This statement may sound a bit cliche, but thi...more I devoured this book - I could not put it down and I enjoyed every moment of it. Reading this book has inspired me to read the writings of other famous 18th century British female novelists.

I learned so much about Charlotte Bronte from this novel and even though this text falls into the category of historical fiction, the key characters and events are accurate and project a very real picture of who Charlotte Bronte was and the kind of life she lived.

This statement may sound a bit cliche, but this book inspires one to follow their dreams. Charlotte, who had few if any role models in the form of a female writer nevertheless followed her passion and refused to be deterred. Her only reviewers when she was writing were her two sisters, Emily and Anne. She managed to write in extremely difficult conditions -- financial constraints, illness, the presence of a difficult father and an alcoholic and drug addict brother. Because she was a woman she wrote under the pen name of "Currer Bell" and for a long time hid the identity of her work from the public, including her father and brother. Despite devastating setbacks in her personal life and scathing reviews from critics and fashionable London society, she managed to keep writing and remained true to her work. Bits and pieces of Charlotte's own life appear in her writings and this book identifies them. It becomes apparent that so much of Charlotte's own life experiences are interwoven in the novel she wrote.

I found it especially funny that Jane Eyre was considered a "naughty novel" for its time, because Jane freely confesses her romantic feelings for Mr. Rochester. Apparently, a woman of good breeding and of a certain social class would never do such a thing. Despite the criticism Charlotte received on this point, she held steadfast and did not change her opinion or her writing to conform to what other people thought was appropriate.

It saddened me deeply to see Charlotte's genius cut short by her death at a very young age; nevertheless, during her short lifetime, she wrote some of the most enduring novels of the time period.

For fans of historical fiction and who are fascinated by classical novelists, this is a great read. It is inspiring and full of rich imagery and detail that will be sure to satisfy your appetite for the backstory of the author's life.(less)

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Sep 19, 2010 Shanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely enjoyed this novel; a blend of fact and fiction that relates the life of Charlotte Bronte and most specifically focuses on her personal love story.

This quote from the book is a wonderful description of Charlotte Bronte

I don't think I've ever met a being so deserving of success and human affection What she has endured, and yet overcome - her courage and perseverance through the most dreadful personal difficulties - and weathering all of this in utter loneliness, with her few friend...more

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Apr 15, 2010 Alayne Bushey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Romancing Miss Brontë will make you want to read anything and everything by the Brontë sisters. Following the life of Charlotte and her siblings from the times before they were published, through tragedy and heartbreak, to the last stages of Charlotte’s life, Juliet Gael’s debut novel is informative, alluring, romantic, and insightful. Crafted from fact, it is a visionary work, reminiscent of the Brontë’s writing itself. Pulling themes from the Brontë’s books, and molding them into realistic por...more Romancing Miss Brontë will make you want to read anything and everything by the Brontë sisters. Following the life of Charlotte and her siblings from the times before they were published, through tragedy and heartbreak, to the last stages of Charlotte’s life, Juliet Gael’s debut novel is informative, alluring, romantic, and insightful. Crafted from fact, it is a visionary work, reminiscent of the Brontë’s writing itself. Pulling themes from the Brontë’s books, and molding them into realistic portraits of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, the reader can’t help but fall in love with these women, and feel sadness for all their tragedies.

Gael’s chosen to begin her story with Charlotte, Emily, and Anne in Haworth, England. Living with their aging father and broken brother, the women turn to writing to escape. First starting with poetry, they eventually succumb to the desires of publishing novels. Met at times with harsh criticism followed by raving success, the women handle their reviews, and their lives, in three very different ways. Emily, reclusive yet wildly abandoned; Anne, prim and proper; and Charlotte, heartbroken but determined.

We start out with the whole family, and close in on Charlotte when tragedy falls. We follow her to England and back, landing finally in Haworth where she must decide her fate, and her future, and where her desires and dreams should lie. Gael has written an artful imagination of the Brontë household. We feel for this family, and their circumstances. I was completely entranced by Gael’s narrative as the sisters worked on their individual novels. Having only read Jane Eyre, it made me desperately want to read everything else by the Brontës. Not one page of this book bored me, I was completely fascinated by the lives on the page in front of me.

The book’s description focuses on Charlotte’s love life and the man who falls for her, her father’s curate, Arthur. And Arthur and Charlotte’s story does play an integral part of the narrative, but it’s not until the last half of the book, and it’s not the whole story. Romancing Miss Brontë is about more than just Charlotte and Arthur, it’s about Emily and Anne as well, and even their brother Branwell and father Patrick. It’s a beautiful story, and a heartbreaking one. Well-written, well-executed, it is a splendid read, full of vigor and life and beautiful words.

4 stars

(I received this book from the publisher for review)
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Nov 12, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished. This book follows the extraordinary life of Charlotte Bronte. Her first novel, Jane Eyre, has long since been one of my favorites and now that I know more about her it has become more so. I loved learning about the other Bronte sisters and this book has given me the fortitude to finally tackle Wuthering Heights! I was so moved by the story that I sobbed when I thought about all the suffering Charlotte had not only endured bu...more

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Jul 04, 2010 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

What a beautifully told and researched tale. This story of Charlotte and her family is pure poetry. It has to be so very daunting to write a fresh, new tale of such a icon of literature especially for modern readers who can have great difficulty transporting themselves sympathetically to another era. This story succeeds on so many levels and I really don't have the intellectual capacity to do it justice.

This "novel" was so detailed that I had to keep reminding myself that it was, in fact a nove...more What a beautifully told and researched tale. This story of Charlotte and her family is pure poetry. It has to be so very daunting to write a fresh, new tale of such a icon of literature especially for modern readers who can have great difficulty transporting themselves sympathetically to another era. This story succeeds on so many levels and I really don't have the intellectual capacity to do it justice.

This "novel" was so detailed that I had to keep reminding myself that it was, in fact a novel, and not a new biography of Charlotte and the Brontes. And while there is much here in how Charlotte, Emily and Ann came to greatness: the downfall of Branwell, and their relationship with their difficult father, Patrick; it is the story of Charlotte and her ultimate maturation that is so captivating. Yes, from a 21st century point of view, it is sometimes difficult to empathize with Charlotte's life and to relate how very suppressed women were in her era, but the author does such an amazing job of elegantly setting the stage that these modern notions rarely get in the way of believability.

Like the characters in her novels, Charlotte has, what is probably, an overly romantic sensibility, caught up in the notion that only a brooding, intellectual, tortured man could possibly win her heart.
And yet, like most of real life, it is that which is often right in front of our very eyes, that surprises and captures us. It is the love story of Charlotte and Arthur Bell Nichols that is so enthralling. Juliet Gael masterfully develops the slow build of suspense in what is ultimately a love story. As this was an Audiobook, I was so caught up in this story that there were many mornings that I sat in the parking lot at the office still listening, waiting for just the right place to pause the audio without being late to work.

There were pieces of this that I did not catch --- you know, the mind wanders sometimes when you're listening to audiobooks in the car --- but I can say with some certainty, that this is a book that I will probably save, listen to again and perhaps purchase and read, so I don't miss a thing.

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Sep 20, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fellow voracious reader loaned me this book and warned me to keep the tissues handy. She was right and because it's so heartwrenching, I couldn't finish it in one sitting. This is a non-fiction novel, a factual novel, a hybrid--there needs to be a category.

The author takes well known facts about people and places and events around Charlote Bronte and fills in the details. The established knowledge of Bronte's staggering family losses will rip your heart out. Just when the literary sisters fina...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Serendipitous rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very enjoyable fictionalized biography of Charlotte Bronte. She grew up fairly sheltered, with a trip to continental Europe providing her only real life experience outside of the English countryside. While studying in Brussels, she fell deeply in love with one of her professors, but to her great sorrow, her love remained unrequited. She drew upon the passion and dreams of this period, as well as her own fertile imagination, to write "Jane Eyre."

Charlotte and her sisters and brother am...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: librarybooks

‘If you could only be content with mortal love –stripped of all delusion.’

This novel begins with the arrival in Haworth of Arthur Bell Nicholls, Patrick Brontë’s new curate. It is 1845, and the four surviving Brontë siblings (Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne) are all living in Haworth Parsonage with their father. Charlotte has returned from her time in Brussels, and her experience there and her attachment to Constantin Heger, partly define the woman we meet in the pages of this novel.

By the t...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Melbourne on my mind rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, retellings

Plot summary: A fictionalised version of Charlotte Bronte's life from the time Arthur Nicholls becomes her father's curate to her death.

Thoughts: I think perhaps the title is misleading here. It gives the impression that it's going to be a "Becoming Jane" kind of a story, where in fact it's far more focused on Bronte's homelife with her family, and her struggles with her eventual fame. While her eventual marriage to Nicholls does, obviously, come into the book, there is little of it in the first...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Marcio Scheibler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quando me aprofundei na história, fiquei na dúvida se a trama tinha algum baseamento real sobre a família Brontë. Descobri que sim apenas na nota da autora presente no fim do livro.
A obra é interessante, pois se passa em décadas remotas e acompanhar os costumes da época nos traz "coisas novas". Com as facilidades trazidas atualmente pela tecnologia, é interessante ver como as coisas funcionavam antigamente.

Entretanto, a obra é monótona em quase sua totalidade, sem nada de aventura que possa dar...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fiction, favorites, historic-fiction

I must admit something - I've never read Wuthering Heights. Are you shocked? You should be! I am. This summer I intend to remedy that - in fact, I am making plans to read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. Romancing Miss Bronte struck home with me and I am desperate to read and understand all three books with the light shed on these sisters.

This year I read

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Mar 22, 2012 Georgiana 1792 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: diario-di-pensieri-persi, old-friends-new-fancies

Biografia romanzata di una famiglia straordinaria

Questa biografia romanzata parte dall’arrivo del reverendo Arthur Bell Nicholls — il curato del reverendo Brontë — alla canonica di Haworth. Le tre sorelle Brontë, Charlotte, Emily e Anne, nutrono il sogno di rendersi indipendenti. Un sogno piuttosto arduo da realizzarsi per tre donne nell’Inghilterra Vittoriana. Le fanciulle, dopo una breve e difficile parentesi come istitutrici, sperano di poter aprire una propria scuola. Intanto vivono nella pi...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Most of us grew up loving "Jane Eyre" but in "Romancing Miss Bronte" Juliet Gael puts a real person behind the much-admired governess.

A blend of fact and fiction, "Romancing Miss Bronte" explores the life of Charlotte Bronte, along with her equally fascinating family, especially the free-spirited sister Emily.

My admiration for Charlotte Bronte grew even more after realizing what an arduous and lonely life she led. The harsh Yorkshire climate, while evident in their works, eventually was a cont...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

For anyone who is a lover of the Brontë sisters this will be an enjoyable read. Gael takes the details of their lives and makes a great story. She does a good job of making the characters believable first based on known facts and also based on their own writings. If you have read Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, Charlotte and Emily's characterizations only seem natural. I haven't read any other biographies/novels about the Brontë sisters so I do not know how this compares but I do believe it is w...more

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About Juliet Gael

Juliet Gael was raised in the Midwest and obtained her M.A. in French literature before pursuing graduate film studies at USC and English literature at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. She has lived abroad for more than fifteen years, primarily in Paris, where she worked as a screenwriter. She now makes her home in Florence, Italy.

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Quotes from Romancing Miss Brontë

“Perhaps you confuse virtue and convention, gentlemen. Conventionality is not morality, and self-righteousness is not religion.” — 5 people liked it

“There was is Arthur Nicholls much to recommend him to Charlotte Bronte, not least of which was the disparity between surface and soul, and it might be argued that Mr. Nicholls was the hidden gem of the two. Behind a veneer of quiet, ladylike demeanor, Charlotte concealed an acerbic mind and ruthlessly harsh opions on the weaknesses of the human species. Arthur, on the other hand, was the blustery, bigoted sort who could barely open his mouth without offending someone. Yet when the gloves came off, he had a great and tender heart, and was capable of love that would bear all wrongs, endure all tempests - in short, the very stuff that Charlotte took great pains to fabricate in her stories and that she was convinced she would never find.” — 4 people liked it

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