Branwell's book delayed, again

First it was October 10, then the release was changed to December, 10... and now it seems that next February, 10 (2006) is the final (?) release date of Douglas A. Martin's book that now has the title Branwell- a novel of the Brontë brother. Branwell's doom, it seems.

Pride Source publishes a brief review of the book :

Branwell: A Novel of the Brontë Brother

By Douglas A. Martin. Soft Skull Press, 256 pages, $13.95 paper

Branwell, the overshadowed Brontë brother of Charlotte, Anne, and Emily, was an immensely troubled lad, dead at age 31of an addiction to alcohol and opium - and failure. This mesmerizing fictional realization of the young man's tragic life hews closely enough to the factual: Branwell was haunted by the early deaths of his mother and a sister, dabbled in painting and poetry but never found his muse, disappointed his clergyman father, and lost a succession of jobs - including that of tutor to the young son of a prominent family. Martin suggests that Branwell's romantic longing for the lad led to his dismissal, but the power of this story derives from how its wonderfully evocative prose style - as hallucinatory and hypnotic as opium dreams are said to be - fiddles with the reality of the Brontë boy's physical desires. Though Martin's deft mix of the biographical and the fanciful centers on the celebrated writing family's troubled only son, this concise novel also delivers a knowing portrait of the domestic dramas that fueled literary accomplishments.

(Richard Lebonte)

Originally printed 12/8/2005 (Issue 1349 - Between The Lines News)

Featured Excerpt

There's a letter quoted that will never be seen. A few facts were always open to another interpretation. Branwell will tell them what it says, all of its black contents, how and why the Robinsons want to get rid of him, want to get him away from Edmund. They must trust him. From the swells and hollows of the mossy turf, he is returning. Branwell is returning for good this time. Emily will be happy to have their brother home again.

-from "Branwell," by Douglas A. Martin

Categories: Books, Fiction, Branwell_Brontë