Anne Brontë

The tenant of Wildfell Hall

Part of the Vintage Classics Bronte Series: three sisters, three major novels, beautifully designed. When the mysterious and beautiful young widow Helen Graham becomes the new tenant at Wildfell Hall rumours immediately begin to swirl around her. As her neighbour Gilbert Markham comes to discover, Helen has painful secrets buried in her past that even his love for her cannot easily overcome.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

ella

It was a splendid morning; and I went out to enjoy it, in a quiet ramble in company with my own blissful thoughts. The dew was on the grass, and ten thousand gossamers were waving in the breeze; the happy redbreast was pouring out its little soul in song, and my heart overflowed with silent hymns of gratitude and praise to Heaven.

I have retired to the library, for I am very unhappy, and I want to be alone. Books cannot divert me; so, having opened my desk, I will try what may be done by detailing the cause of my uneasiness. This paper will serve instead of a confidential friend into whose ear I might pour forth the overflowings of my heart. It will not sympathize with my distresses, but then, it will not laugh at them, and, if I keep it close, it cannot tell again; so it is, perhaps, the best friend I could have for the purpose.

A mysterious tenant, Helen Graham, unmasked not as a 'wicked woman' as the local gossips would have it, but as the estranged wife of a brutal alcoholic bully, desperate to protect her son.

I'm so happy she got her happily ever after in the end. I love Helen <3 

Atli 💗🧚🏽‍♀️

He never could have loved me, or he would not have resigned me so willingly.

Real love, ladies and gentlemen. Oh this is so stinkin romantic and sweet 

'And you are young too, Helen,' I boldly replied; 'and when that profligate scoundrel has run through his career, you will give your hand to me - I'll wait till then.'

Trust me, Gilbert; in this matter I know better than you. You think me cold and stony-hearted

They don't make love like this no more. Oh, to be loved the way Gilbert loves Helen. 

I would rather have your friendship than the love of any other woman in the world.

Oh, Helen, you're just like me. Small talk is so boring. Just leave me alone lol 

I hate talking where there is no exchange of ideas or sentiments, and no good given or received 

‘Well, but you affirm that virtue is only elicited by temptation; — and you think that a woman cannot be too little exposed to temptation, or too little acquainted with vice, or anything connected therewith...'

Anne Bronte

With an Introd. by Phyllis Bentley

Helen 

Sanika Palande

4 stars. most underrated classic ever - anne brontë is must read author. Loved Helen’s character inside out, such an inspiring heroine. A little slow moving but never not interesting so would def recommend it.

A beautiful edition of Anne Brontë's most enduring novel, to accompany her sisters' greatest books in Penguin Clothbound Classics. Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom. The Penguin Classics edition of Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has been designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith and is edited with an introduction and notes by the novelist Stevie Davies.

Vivian

I must say that this book far exceeded my expectation with its wildly daring and realistic style, and feminism undertone - Helen Graham is without a doubt the most outspoken and defiant feminist character in Brontë novels, and it’s a pity that Anne Brontë isn’t as well known as her sisters (she was the most racial Brontë of all). I prefer The Tenant of Wildfell Hall over Jane Eyre and certainly over Wuthering Heights.

Arianna M

I’m exhausted, but very happy to have read this.

Charlotte Silber

I have a new comfort book lol. Enjoyed it more and more as it went on!

Max & Luna

This book struck a cord very close to home for me. Having to deal with alcoholism within my own family and being a Psychology Major, I feel I can better relate to the struggles and emotions in the story. The overwhelming theme in the book is a woman’s fight to keep her child safe while still struggling to come to terms with her relationship and responsibilities to her abusive husband. I saw this very struggle as a child growing up, so i’m very familiar with how damaging it can be and all of the ways it can play out.

One thing I’ve been seeing in other reviews is how a lot of people think that Graham is self-righteous in her feelings overall and for disliking and even demonizing Alcohol. I have to say I agree with her, on the alcohol part at least. Alcohol has it’s dangers and their isn’t any real or specific purpose for it. I guess it can help with anxiety (or other emotional problems)…but why not learn to deal with those than have to be dependent on a substance?

When considering the husband though, i’d be totally fine with her divorcing him and moving on. The thing with alcoholism is that it gets worse overtime. The first few times they drink, they feel ok but they start feeling guilty for whatever reason. Afterwards, each time they drink all the guilt and bad choices come back to them and they start to get angry. Soon, they feel so much guilt about all the drinking and all the anger, that drinking more is the only thing that can help them forget about it. That is until a trigger comes along and they remember. Unfortunately for Graham, she was the trigger. All of her husband’s friends and girlfriends were getting the best side of him, simply because they didn’t remind him of his bad choices or his responsibility. But as soon as he saw Graham, all of those thoughts can back. You can see some moments in their relationship where things are better or where it looks like it may be manageable, but without a drastic switch of mindset, there is no escaping alcoholism.

Graham was a very strong character. I liked how she stood up for herself (most of the time) and tried to protect her child. The times in this book was pretty oppressive towards women and all though I feel pretty independent and wouldn’t have a problem tossing him to the curb, i can appreciate Graham’s sense of duty. Alcoholic or not, she did love him, atleast in the beginning, and anytime you love someone, you want to help them…but sometimes, unfortunately, in the end, there just isn’t any help. I was happy to see that Graham was able to move on and atleast attempt a new life.

This was a great book overall and i’d recommend it to older YA readers and Adults. Be warned though that it can be triggering for substance, verbal and emotional abuse.

finn

3 stars mainly due to my own personal opinions on some plot choices, but i think this novel very obviously shows what an intelligent writer Anne Brontë is, which still makes The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a very impressive read.

lauren carla

2nd read - mar 2022. I think I enjoyed this re-read more than the first time I read it; both times have been for a class i’m taking. I’m not giving it a full rating because there were parts of the novel where my mind would wander and I would loose interest. the plot overall was really interesting to read about. also anne worked a lot of social commentary into the novel, which I thought was cool to pick apart in current times as opposed to how the issues may have been viewed in the 19th century. personally, I still like what i’ve read from emily & charlotte more, but anne is underhyped & deserves more recognition 

1st read - feb 2020

Elise Eanes

Kate

The ultimate salvation stuff was not great for my existential anxiety and the "when will she leave him?!" was not great for my regular anxiety. Other than that this was super well-crafted and -structured, with two wonderful first-person points of view and a very complex and modern portrayal of emotional abuse. Also, "marble heart" is an insult that I want to reclaim, because it is amazing. Helen "marble heart" Graham 4ever.

tenant of Wildfell Hall

God, I haven’t read a novel that was this depressing all throughout in- ever, maybe. The main character’s husband is so awful i felt very literally physically sick at times, i would caution a tw if you’ve seen alcohol / substance abuse or abusive relationships. though he’s not physically abusive his emotional neglect is just awful, and there’s absolutely nothing in this book to redeem him or justify his behaviour as you see the heroine trying to take the high path while he tramples on her time and time again. 

i would say it has a somewhat slow start and the interesting substance doesn’t start until it gets to her personal journal, which is where the true story is,. i found myself glossing over the beginning. 

By the time the journal ended and it returned to the present day setting at the end i had forgotten i was simply reading a journal and that their was a present day story to contend with. however i had no emotional attachment to the new characters in the present day whatsoever and it all felt very rushed. without a spoiler i’ll say it just seemed like a quick cheap out to wrap up the story as it doesn’t end greatly for her in the journal. 

i would still recommend it just for the actual body of the work, which is a great story. i think i’ll always be impressed at her virtue and strength and will. 

her actions though justified are still ridiculous in the end and nothing really justifies her pettiness. oh well, i guess people aren’t perfect so whould characters be ? but it didn’t really have any significant drive home theme or climactic ending. it just sort of fell flat at the end after highlighting all her struggles. sigh. it was a page turner in the middle though despite no real drive home point or theme. (i suppose alcolism and domestic abuse was the theme, but there was no real statement made besides how awful and depressing it is.)

Jade Flynn

Read for my History of Magic O.W.L 2019 (published at least ten years ago)  - Dear Ann, you have always been in the shadows of your elder sisters. I'm sorry I didn't read you sooner. From, all classic lovers throughout time.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics)

Amber Laha

Don't know how we are suppose to like such a petulant, childish, spoiled, jerk and a cold woman(although in her case I understood it). Although Bronte takes on a controversial subject at that time that brings her into a more modern story line, I just wasn't patient enough to deal with these kind of characters. Maybe at one point i'll come back to this, but for now it only gets 2 stars. I had rather high hopes...

abby donaldson

speechless, a beautifully story with many ups and downs — definitely toyed with my emotions in the best way possible.

Josephine McDonagh

Julie Nicole Waldvogel

In the middle of the book it was slow going, but ah!-what a wonderful ending it was! It made my heart sing! Absolutely loved this book.

Jana Pashovska

This book was my first acquaintance with Anne Brontë, and I dare say it won't be my last. I was pleasantly surprised by her style of writing, which was as beautiful and eloquent as that of her sisters, but not as dense, and in turn, far more easily readable. The story centres around a plot not that unusual for 19th century literature—romance, misfortunes, scandals and some more romance, embellished with a strong moral philosophy—but it was nevertheless quite unpredictable and rather interesting at points. The only thing I could do without was the overtly present religious zeal and the too many preachings about the damnation of the soul, but nonetheless, it was a highly enjoyable classic and a fine introduction to yet another Brontë sister.

Raya 

JUST. READ IT !!😭🧡

"Am young in years I'm old in sorrow" - 

This book is a revolutionary depiction of the powerlessness of a woman in an abusive marriage. It portrays the 'mysterious' tenant of the title and her oppressive past. Circumstances soon lead to the discovery of her true identity when she hands Mr. Markham, one of the central characters of the book, several important pages from her diary. With this follows a trail of events which terminates to a lovely end. 👀
A graphic account of drunkenness and debauchery, this book explores the way we raise children, the way we raise boys different from girls and the idea of universal salvation. There are some really interesting conversations going on in between the characters through which the reader gets familiar with the  demeanor of each. This epistolary novel is more eventful than Agnes Grey and deserves to receive all the attention and love.

Monica

I have to say that I find this novel very good. I loved Jane Eyre and Wuthering Hights, but I didn't like Agnes Grey when I read it, so I had a predisposition against this book. I loved to see three very different styles and topics dealt with in these novels by the three Brontë sisters.

But let's talk about the present novel. There are a couple of things that I didn't like. First of all, I think that writing an extremely long letter to a friend telling him all the deepest secrets of your wife, your own, and both your feelings is a bit stiff. I liked Helen's diary, but the letter was just not fitting. Also, because it deals with topics such as marriage, alcoholism, infidelity... it is certainly sad. Helen suffered a lot. But Anne Brontë puts a lot of importance on marriage vows and the ultimate reward of Heaven as a motif for Helen's struggle in this life, as well as the effort she puts into saving her husband's soul. Also, although it is sad, it is not dark: there is light, there is joy, there are good people.

For anyone interested in reading this novel, bear in mind that it is a Victorian novel, so expect many (maybe more than usual) references to the Bible, as well as other religious aspects. Also, it was revolutionary and very severely criticized by a society in which the woman, her possessions and the kids were the husband's property, something which is unthinkable in the present time.

The tenant of Wildfell Hall

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