Better than Wuthering Heights? The Brontës’ novels – ranked!
By Guardian Books · about 7 hours ago
As Emerald Fennell’s film sparks debate, we celebrate the pioneering brilliance of the siblings’ work This was the first novel that Charlotte Brontë completed. It was rejected by publishers nine times. Written in the…
As Emerald Fennell’s film sparks debate, we celebrate the pioneering brilliance of the siblings’ work This was the first novel that Charlotte Brontë completed. It was rejected by publishers nine times. Written in the voice of a male narrator, William Crimsworth, it offers a downbeat story of everyday middle-class striving as the protagonist travels to Brussels to establish his career as a teacher. But the last publisher to see it thought it showed promise, despite being too short and insufficiently “striking and exciting”. Had the author anything else to offer? Luckily, Jane Eyre – which…