The Brontës. Revised and Updated Edition

One of the highlights of the Brontë season has just been published:

The Brontës (Revised and updated edition)
Juliet Barker
ISBN: 9780349122427
Published 04/11/2010
Abacus. Little, Brown Book Group

The story of the tragic Brontë family is familiar to everyone: we all know about the half-mad, repressive father, the drunken, drug-addicted wastrel of a brother, wild romantic Emily, unrequited Anne and 'poor Charlotte'. Or do we? These stereotypes of the popular imagination are precisely that - imaginary - created by amateur biographers from Mrs Gaskell onwards who were primarily novelists, and were attracted by the tale of an apparently doomed family of genius.

Juliet Barker's landmark book was the first definitive history of the Brontës. It demolishes myths, yet provides startling new information that is just as compelling - but true. Based on first-hand research among all the Brontë manuscripts, many so tiny they can only be read by magnifying glass, and among contemporary historical documents never before used by Brontë biographers, this book is both scholarly and compulsively readable. The Brontës is a revolutionary picture of the world's favourite literary family.

Categories: Biography, Books