Reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey for the first time has promoted Anne Brontë to position of my favourite Brontë sister. It has also given me a new appreciation of Sarah Gordon’s play, Underdog: The Other Other Brontë, a gripping tale of the sisterly support and sibling rivalry between the three famous authors, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë, usually lauded in that order.
Like most people, I first read Charlotte’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights for the first time at school, and wasn’t especially taken by either of them. Perhaps that why I had never gone out of my way to read Anne Brontë’s two novels before.
But I’d booked tickets to see a new production of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Lucy Gough in Aberystwyth next month, and laid low with a virus that stopped me from doing anything more physically demanding than reading a book, it seemed a good idea to swot up a bit beforehand and try it.
I suspect this was also a silent protest against the ubiquitous hype for the new film of “Wuthering Heights”. Yes, the title includes the inverted commas as shorthand to suggest how loosely the film is based on the original. As one reviewer wrote (whose name escapes me), it’s more a kind of 50 Shades in Crinolines than a faithful portrayal of the novel. Sigh.
To my surprise and delight, I soon found myself gripped by the story-within-a-story of the mysterious new tenant of the title, begun by a neighbour who is smitten with her, before being taken up and completed by the tenant herself. It begins almost as a social comedy, a bit like the opening of Pride and Prejudice, but with the new arrival a woman instead of a man – but then turns much darker.
I won’t go in to the details of the story – I’ll leave you to discover those for yourself – but I was blown away by the compelling storytelling, the staunch feminist tone, and the frank depiction of how utterly women were constrained and controlled in Anne Brontë’s era, and ultimately by the very satisfying ending.
As with Anne Brontë’only other novel Agnes Grey, which I couldn’t resist starting as soon as I’d finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the heroine is sustained by a strong Christian faith. As a Christian myself, that was fine by me, but if you’re not a practising Christian, don’t let that put you off. Such adversity might turn any woman to faith of some kind, when little else exists in their lives to sustain them.
As you probably know, all three Brontë sisters died tragically young, Anne Brontë at the age of 29. How I wish she’d lived to a ripe old age – how many other great novels she might have written then.
Although Anne Brontë’s novels were long less favoured than her sister’s – and Underdog explains why – I’m pleased that they’ve both crept up in popularity over the years and now rank as great classics of English literature.
From the box office description of Lucy Gough’s new adaptation, I’m confident that her play will do Anne Brontë justice. I just hope that the producers of “Wuthering Heights” don’t add a film version to their to-do list.
Different Ways to Experience Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- Book your tickets here to see Lucy Gough’s new play of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 20th and 21st March.
- See a preview of the National Theatre’s production of Sarah Gordon’s The Other Other Brontë on YouTube.
- Click here to view the full play via National Theatre at Home (£9.99 per month for as many plays as you like – or just subscribe to watch the one, if you prefer.)
- Or indeed read the book in any of the many formats available, including this free ebook via Project Gutenberg.
In Other News
Arigatao, Japan!
I’m pleased to announce that thanks to my excellent agent Ethan Ellenberg and his team, I’ve just received a Japanese translation offer for Death at the Old Curiosity Shop. I’m always thrilled to know my books are reaching readers in languages other than the original English. They’re also available now or soon will be in German, Russian, and Italian.
Title Reveal for Cotswold Curiosity Shop #4
In collaboration with my editor at Boldwood Books, I’ve now confirmed the title of the fourth cosy mystery in my Cotswold Curiosity Shop series: Death at the Village Garden Party. I do like to know the title before I start writing – and I’m now 13k words into it (out of a target of 60k, the usual length of my novels), and having great fun dreaming up a garden party that will, naturally, go horribly wrong. This book is already up for pre-order on Amazon here, and will launch on 5th July 2026.
Next Book: A New Standalone Mystery
In the meantime, I’m writing a short story that will serve as an introduction to the launch of my new standalone, The Importance of Being Murdered, which will be published on 26th March. The story will be available from Boldwood Books to whet your appetite – once I’ve written it!
