lou's library

I’m on a bit of a mission to reread Classics at the moment, without ever consciously having decided to do so. But after Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, I have now picked up The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall for the first time in almost seven years. And what can I say? I enjoyed it even more than the first time around!

Warning: This book is almost 200 years old, but in case you haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, this post will contain slight spoilers!

As Anne Brontë is the forevermore underrated Brontë sister, I feel like the premise of her novels aren’t as well known as that of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. I could write an essay on why that is absurdly unjust, but that is a blog post for another day. Let me instead briefly summarise the plot of the novel: It’s written from the perspective of Gilbert, a farmer somewhere in the English countryside in the first half of the 19th century. He’s in his early twenties when the mansion called Wildfell Hall in his neighbourhood is rented out by a young widow called Helen and her young son Arthur. Because people always love to gossip, no matter what century it is, there soon are numerous rumours about Helen, none of which are particularly favourable. Gilbert, who is rapidly falling in love with Helen, demands to know the truth, and she gives him pages from her diary to read so he can understand the real reason for her presence at Wildfell Hall.

Wonky structure but great protagonist

I will say that I didn’t love that the plot gets interrupted by Helen’s diary entries after about a third of the book, although I think it is crucial we get to learn about her past from her perspective. It just felt a bit clunky, as it takes the reader out of the first story line entirely for a good chunk of the novel. That being said, I loved getting Helen’s perspective, as I think she’s a great, deep and multi-layered character.

Rereading The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall was a great experience because I pretty much only remembered two things from my first read of it: I was astonished about how feminist a read it is and that I thought it refreshing to read a love story from a Brontë sister that isn’t completely unhinged (looking at you Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights). And I still agree with those points. Helen Huntingdon may not call herself a feminist, but my God, she is one, but not because she was born that way. She becomes one because of her experiences and learns to stand up for herself. She earns a living from her art (how cool is that?) and develops principles she refuses to abandon for anyone, especially for a man. She is reasonable and yet passionate and so deeply Christian that she believes in the good of everyone, even if she has seen someone at their very worst.

I loved Helen as a character, she is definitely one of the reasons I love this book. To me, it is an underrated classic, as everyone always talks about the other two Brontë sisters. But while The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall might not have a love interest who likes to lock his wife up in the attic or a guy so tormented by the injustices he has had to endure he chooses to make life hell for everyone around him, it is a story that feels much more real and relevant for it. The themes of the book (the treatment of women and if it is ever too late to change) are still relevant today, maybe more than ever.

Accessible with meaningful language

I would also say that this is an incredibly accessible classic. The language does not feel antiquated and I found it very easy to dive into. The story is also not overly complex and the characters aren’t all named the same, so you can actually read this without needing a family tree to keep track of everyone (sorry, I promise I will stop the Wuthering Heights hate now!!). I just think this is a great account of what love can do to us, especially if it is not reciprocated in the way we would like it to be, and how we ultimately always have the option to take action and strive for something better. It’s an uplifting read, although not an easy one.

Also, it pays off to pay close attention to the language in the book, as the use of words reveals a lot about the characters. If you read closely, there is strong foreshadowing about how a person might develop over the course of the book, and I always love when authors are aware of the differences certain wordings can make. There is so much to uncover in this novel on the level of language, and it took a second read for me to really appreciate that!

If you would like to get into classics but aren’t sure where to start, I think Anne Brontë is a great choice! If you do decide to read it, let me know your thoughts! Just a heads up: Please note that this book features alcoholism, domestic abuse and mentions sexual violence. Only read it if you feel comfortable doing so and look after yourself ❤ Happy reading!