Hesperus Brief Lives: Charlotte Brontë and Tales of the Islanders

Well, it's true - good things do come to whose who wait. After posting about them a couple of times (March 2009 and December 2009) on the blog only to see their release delayed again and again, we can now safely say that these two Brontë books published by Hesperus will soon be out.

Tales of the Islanders
Charlotte Brontë
Hesperus Press
February 11, 2011
ISBN: 9781843912019
£7.99

Introduction by Jessica Cox

A high-spirited and hugely enjoyable collection of juvenilia, Tales of the Islanders showcases Brontë’s remarkable creative powers, suffused with a youthful zeal and exuberance.
When Charlotte’s brother Branwell was given a set of twelve toy soldiers, an entire new imaginary world opened before them. The Twelves, or Young Men, became a constant source of inspiration for the Brontë children, spawning tales of swashbuckling adventure, darkest intrigue, doomed romance and malevolent spirits. The four volumes of tales collected here make delightful reading, whilst offering a unique insight into Brontë family life and Charlotte’s development as a writer.

Brief Lives: Charlotte Brontë
Jessica Cox
Hesperus Press
February 11, 2011
ISBN: 9781843919209
Format: Paperback

Charlotte Brontë is one of the world’s best-loved writers. Her extraordinary literary talent manifested itself at an early age when she penned a series of imaginative and entertaining tales. Before her untimely death at the age of thirty-eight she had produced the masterpieces Jane Eyre, Shirley and Villette.
Jessica Cox’s superb and meticulously researched biography provides a fascinating new interpretation both of Brontë’s celebrated works and of her personal life, notably her – often intense – relationships with those around her. The result is a beautifully drawn portrait of the creator of some of the world’s most remarkable novels, which marvellously augments the Hesperus collection of her writings.

Stay tuned for our review soon.

Categories: Biography, Books, Charlotte Brontë, Juvenilia