192 years ago Emily Brontë was born in Thornton. Hers tends to be the thinnest biographies on Brontë bookshelves, and yet there's something intriguing about her literary output that sends people looking for biographies of her in hopes that they can help explain how a provincial - albeit highly learned, despite what Charlotte would have the world believe - young woman could have written such words. (And we are pretty sure that this 'mystery' is a two way street. Emily may have scorned the public, but we are quite confident that she would have been quite amazed at what
Wuthering Heights particularly has achived in terms of readership, influences, literary status, etc.).
And yet that is the magic and mightiness of the pen. If ever anyone showed that to the world, that was undoubtedly 'our Emily'. No explanations are really needed - a good book and good poetry are always self-explanatory.
Happy birthday!
Categories: Emily Brontë, Reminder
192 years ago Emily Brontë was born in Thornton. Hers tends to be the thinnest biographies on Brontë bookshelves, and yet there's something intriguing about her literary output that sends people looking for biographies of her in hopes that they can help explain how a provincial - albeit highly learned, despite what Charlotte would have the world believe - young woman could have written such words. (And we are pretty sure that this 'mystery' is a two way street. Emily may have scorned the public, but we are quite confident that she would have been quite amazed at what Wuthering Heights particularly has achived in terms of readership, influences, literary status, etc.).
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ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Emily!
ReplyDeleteTalking of whom, you can buy prints of "Hark! A Vagrant" 's cartoons, so I've just ordered myself one of her "Dude Watchin' With The Brontes" comic strip. It's hilarious and in my mind, it's probably not far from the truth. You can imagine them discussing their novels with each other and Anne questioning Charlotte and Emily's obsession with Byronic heroes!
Happy Birthday, dear Emily! It's not too late... interesting notices by Helen, thank you! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnnarita