The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) is one of the most underrated literary pieces of the Victorian times. This novel follows the disintegration of the marriage of the protagonist, Helen Huntington, the mysterious eponymous tenant. In order to protect her son from the influence of her dissolute and alcoholic husband, Helen defies conventions and leaves her husband to earn her own living as an artist. Whilst in hiding at Wildfell Hall, she encounters Gilbert Markham, who falls in love with her.The Brontë sisters are known for their strong female leads, and this book is no exception. But it is also much more than just that. Upon its first publication in 1848, Anne's novel was criticised, most by Charlotte Brontë, for being coarse and brutal. But The Tenant of Wildfell Hall challenged the social conventions of the early 19th century with a strong defence of women's rights in the face of psychological abuse from their husbands. It showed a female lead unafraid to divorce herself from an abusive partner, and make a life for herself through earning her own bread. The protagonist is one of the best proto-feminist characters in my opinion; upon reading the book, I found it refreshing to have a widow at the centre of the story, and one shrouded in scandal too. It made a shift from the typical respectable woman of Victorian literature.Anne was a realistic novelist—and one who was very much ahead of her time. She was a fiery feminist, and dismissive of creating any Gothic atmosphere. In fact, the "soft nonsense" she was so scornful of in her Preface to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, was a veiled reference to Emily Brontë's, Wuthering Heights. Anne had a burning desire to tell the truth, and strip bare the essential imbalance of power between men and women in society. Specifically, she wished to reveal this dichotomy within the suffocating hierarchical structure of Victorian marriage. Anne held a mirror up to society's failings, and was strictly unafraid to venture onto the unexplored.As an admirer of the Brontë sisters, I, too, strayed away from the ground-breaking work of Anne initially but what I found in her works later was truly breathtaking: a daring visionary who was unafraid to highlight the darkness veiled under the shadows. So, here's wishing Anne a warm birthday greeting, and also politely nudging the readers to venture into Anne Brontë's wonderful oeuvre of works. (Tasnim Naz)
Speaking of villains, we close with L.L. McKinney’s Escaping Mr Rochester (HarperTeen, 352 pp., $19.99), a young-adult retelling of “Jane Eyre” where Edward’s imprisoned wife and impoverished governess team up to thwart him. It’s barely an inch away from the canon to cast Rochester as a monster and abuser, of course, and many’s the retelling that turns the story into an out-and-out thriller: Rachel Hawkins’s “The Attic Wife” and Rose Lerner’s “The Wife in the Attic,” to name just two.But this book is a direct rebuttal rather than a glancing riff on the original material. Rochester is far from the only villain in the piece, which takes a stark view of how power unites people, multiplying its potential for cruelty. The fierce Jane at the heart of it all is an avenging angel — again, barely an inch away from the canon — but when she finally sets Thornfield alight, the reader is more than ready to see the whole place burn.And now it’s not Edward but Bertha — Bertie — who escapes the fire, Bertie who takes Jane’s hand and heart at the book’s end. Because, after all, what is a retelling but a second chance, and an opportunity for a woman doomed by someone else’s narrative to fight her way free? (Olivia Waite)
Many great works in the literary canon could be added to the fanfic pile, whether it’s Wide Sargasso Sea’s anti-colonialist rewrite of the madwoman in the attic of Jane Eyre or Tom Stoppard’s cheeky existential dissection of Hamlet with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. And that doesn’t even cover the many stories that reimagine the lives of real people, living or dead. (Kayleigh Donaldson)
Cash from the Keighley Towns Fund has helped create eight new jobs at a new cafe in Haworth's former post office.The Capital Assistance to Business Growth Programme is part of the Government-funded Towns Fund and there is around £2m available to support local businesses across Keighley. Grants are allocated by the Towns Fund board, which is made up of private sector representatives with support from Bradford Council.The Old Post Office on Main Street in Haworth was awarded £8,900 towards its refurbishment and fit-out as a cafe, including commercial kitchen equipment and furniture, which will support eight new jobs.The premises - the former Haworth Post Office building - are of historic importance due to their connection with the Bronte sisters, who used to post their manuscripts to London from there.Owner, Charlie Cowling, said: "Accessing the grant funding was a real game-changer, enabling us to invest in the latest commercial technology which will improve efficiency and be fit for purpose.“Being able to purchase items during the renovation process has enabled the project to be completed much sooner than originally planned. We will be open before Easter this year and look forward to welcoming locals and visitors alike into this historic building in the heart of Haworth.”Liz Barker, Acting Chair of Keighley Towns Fund, said: “We are delighted to have made such a significant difference to this incredible local business and such an important local building. The funding will have an impact for years to come and the successful growth of our business community will help drive social and economic change for the whole area.”Renovation works at The Old Post Office have included the complete removal, repair and re-laying of the roof, reinstating Victorian chimney pots, reinstating heritage-style railings to the front, the replacement of windows with wooden sliding sash windows, reinstating a Victorian style shop front, removal of a lean-to at the rear and the installation of a Sugg lantern on the front corner of the façade.
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