Rating: 
Summary: Gripping!
Review: I read "The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte for my review of personal reading in English last year and I thought it was really gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.It tells the story of a young woman's struggle for independence, against law and a society which defined a married woman as her husband's property. The novel, which uses extracts from her diary and narration from her neighbour, is very interesting and quite realistic. It seems to me that the most interesting thing about the novel, is the build up of tension Bronte uses to sustain the reader's attention. It is stimulating and creates a little excitement in the book. Helen Graham moves into Wildfell Hall with her son. She is a single mother and earns her living as a painter. Her neighbour, Gilbert Markham, takes a sudden interest in her and wants to find out everything about her. Although she is quite content being friends with him, she wants nothing more. As soon as he becomes too personal, she reminds him that friendship is the principal of their relationship. As they spend more time together, though, she learns to trust him and reveals the truth about her past. She is living at Wildfell Hall under a false surname, hiding from her husband who is an adulterer. The only other person who knows of this is her landlord, who Gilbert learns late in the novel, is in fact, her brother. One thing which I found gripping about this story, was the build up of tension Bronte used. She took her time, revealing one thing, building up the tension again, then revealing another. She continued to do this throughout the story, and this is what kept me interested. It is a story, in which two people who love one another, are prevented from being together by society and their own natural reticence. We know romance often has this, but Bronte creates a strong desire in the reader for them to be together. She puts real obstacles in the way of their love for each other, such as the fact that Helen is already married and has a child to her husband. This therefore, causes the reader to understand the story more.
Rating:
Summary: The tremendous, forgotten Bronte sister
Review: I think this is my favorite Bronte novel. I have read the primary pieces by Anne's elder sisters, Charlotte and Emily. I left this book for last, expecting a somehow weaker work. I WAS WRONG! This is one of the most impressive feminist novels I have ever had the pleasure to read. One critique I read of this novel called it "the first sustained feminist novel." Anne's sister, Charlotte, tried to suppress her sister's work. Charlotte wasn't much of a fan of Anne's work. And yet Charlotte ended up as literary executor of her sister's estate following Anne's death at age 28 (what have I been doing with my time?!?). In spite of the great initial success of the novel after its publication, Charlotte refused to allow it to go to a further printing. Even worse, she cut out the first 100 or so pages of background material, judging it as unimportant. Around 1950, the novel reappeared in its original form, with the original 100 beginning pages finally reinserted. Thank heaven! I don't think I care for Charlotte Bronte that much anymore. Don't get me wrong: "Jane Eyre" is brilliant. But the woman was somewhat arrogant and full of herself... The story focuses on Helen Huntingdon, a young woman forced to flee with her young son from her brutal and drunken husband. This was a time when running away from one's husband was a crime; taking the child without his permission was kidnapping. The heart of the novel consists of Helen's diary during her turbulent marriage, outlining her reasons for her dangerous step. She is an admirable woman; indeed, I think the merits of Helen Huntingdon as a great English literary heroine are right up there with "Pride and Prejudice"'s Elizabeth Bennett and "Middlemarch"'s Dorothea Brooke. Read the novel Anne's sister Charlotte tried to make everyone forget. You'll love it and you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: Anne may be the *best* Bronte if you are an "Janite"
Review: I'll make this review short - I liked this book MUCH better than "Jane Eyre" or "Wuthering Heights" as:
a)it is much less overtly religious (tho still some sections to slog through)
b)writing style is much better
c)great story line
d)narrator's personality is well defined (warts and all) Quite frankly, I have now decided that Anne is a far superior writer than her sisters (I liked "Agnes Grey" too). Simply put: if you like Jane Austen *and* "Jane Eyre" & "Wuthering Heights" give you gut pains, you might like *this* book (and "Agnes Grey" as well).
Rating:
Summary: You Won't Be Able To Put It Down
Review: In the true Bronte tradition, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is passionately romantic. None of that polite Austenian affection here. Each character whole-heartedly throws him/herself into everything; even if it's only drinking tea. Anne Bronte has woven a story within a story by creating love-smitten Gilbert Markham as the narrator. He has totally fallen for the mysterious new girl in town. But what is the secret she is hiding from the neighborhood? Ah, that is your story that's within the story. This book resounds with dark tones, though a candle of hope always flickers for the reader. Anne brings us to the precipice of human darkness , but does not allow us to fall. The strength of love is the great balancer. It ultimately secures hope and happiness for the characters who deserve it. You won't be able to put this book down. It's truly gripping.
Rating: 
Summary: One Long Sermon
Review: Never having read Anne Bronte before, and being a huge fan of Charlotte Bronte, I went into this book with high expectations. Perhaps that is my fault. Gilbert Markham's share of the story is interesting and flowing, but Helen's part begins to drag, and the reader is drawn into what feels like Anne Bronte's rather annoying God-talk. Helen is more interesting when seen from Markham's perspective. However, when we are introduced to the Helen who marries Huntingdon, one can't help but feel that perhaps he is the victim, driven to drink by her overly "good" nature. In fact, she was so good she is just downright annoying. Always quick to sermonize and put herself in the place of good, the novel doesn't start to pick up again until Gilbert takes over the narrative again. Also, the Helen we see after the death of her husband is flirtatous, nothing like the woman we see before, and even though Gilbert loves her more after he learns her real story, I can't help but feel that he should have gone running in the opposite direction. It's obvious that the reason Anne Bronte is not as widely read as her sister is that she did not have the same skill for making a truly good AND sympathetic character the way Charlotte did with Jane Eyre. Jane was good and pure, but passionate, while Helen was downright preachy, even for her time. Even the rantings of Heathcliff and Catherine were better than this. I give two stars simply because I liked Markham's passion.
Rating:
Summary: One Long Sermon
Review: Never having read Anne Bronte before, and being a huge fan of Charlotte Bronte, I went into this book with high expectations. Perhaps that is my fault. Gilbert Markham's share of the story is interesting and flowing, but Helen's part begins to drag, and the reader is drawn into what feels like Anne Bronte's rather annoying God-talk. Helen is more interesting when seen from Markham's perspective. However, when we are introduced to the Helen who marries Huntingdon, one can't help but feel that perhaps he is the victim, driven to drink by her overly "good" nature. In fact, she was so good she is just downright annoying. Always quick to sermonize and put herself in the place of good, the novel doesn't start to pick up again until Gilbert takes over the narrative again. Also, the Helen we see after the death of her husband is flirtatous, nothing like the woman we see before, and even though Gilbert loves her more after he learns her real story, I can't help but feel that he should have gone running in the opposite direction. It's obvious that the reason Anne Bronte is not as widely read as her sister is that she did not have the same skill for making a truly good AND sympathetic character the way Charlotte did with Jane Eyre. Jane was good and pure, but passionate, while Helen was downright preachy, even for her time. Even the rantings of Heathcliff and Catherine were better than this. I give two stars simply because I liked Markham's passion.
Rating:
Summary: Far better than I expected
Review: Now this was a surprising gem of a novel! Back in high school we read a couple staples by Anne Bronte's more famous sisters Charlotte and Emily. But you never hear much about Anne so you may expect "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" to be decidedly inferior to her sisters' work. You would be, umm, wrong. :-) This novel never approached the popularity of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, but believe me that wasn't on account of quality. Rather, Tenant explores themes that went quite against the grain of accepted English cultural norms of the time (early 1800s). Helen Graham (her assumed name in the beginning of the story) not only dares to think herself wiser than her fool of a husband Arthur, she acts upon it and takes drastic steps to protect her child from his influence. The heroine's actions were considered radical at the time and that's probably why the novel didn't do as well as those of her sisters, whose novels were relatively a sight more conventional. The story is told through two devices: (1) a flashback from the viewpoint of the hero Gilbert Markham and (2) a large section of Helen's very detailed diary embedded within Markham's story. The arrangement works well and allows Markham to withhold certain crucial details until later, making the novel quite a page turner. Despite Bronte's many grammatical errors (the editor of the Penguin edition readily points them out in excellent endnotes), her writing is superb. Characterization is phenomenal; you have met some of these people before and you may even find that Bronte describes many elements of your own personality in her creations! During Markham's flashback you'll be just as horrified as he was at discovering "evidence" of Helen's duplicity. During the diary portion you'll empathize with Helen for her poor choice of a spouse. You'll see Helen's opinion of Arthur spiral downhill as she gets to know him better during married life, showing how falling in love made her blind to the glaring faults in his character early in their relationship. The novel will likely make you examine yourself. If you're single it'll help you understand the criticality of choosing a spouse that won't doom you to a dull (or even worse, unhappy) life. If you're married it'll (hopefully!) make you grateful that you're not stuck with an Arthur or Annabella type. If most men and women were as selfish and shallow as nearly all of the characters in Tenant, the world wouldn't be a pretty place to live in. These people DO exist (I have relatives and their friends who proudly strut the behavior that Arthur and his cronies do), but thankfully not in near the proportions that Bronte paints. Highly recommended for all adult readers!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant.
Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a moving story of one woman's sad marriage to a man who doesn't deserve such a wonderful wife as Helen Huntingdon (nee Graham.) Strong and beautiful Helen is a role model for all women, for she holds herself aloof from the debaucheries of her husband, while remaining faithful to her duties. Her reward at the end of the book is what she deserves for such a miserable, downtrodden marriage. A beautiful, passionate book.
Rating:
Summary: Anne may be the *best* Bronte if you are an "Janite"
Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a riveting novel by the "least famous" Bronte sister Anne. The main character is Helen Huntingdon, who also uses the assumed name Helen Graham for part of the book. Narrated in part by Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer who falls in love with her, and partly by herself in diary form, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a sad portrayal of the miseries Helen Huntingdon endures at the hands of an immature self-centered husband. The story starts out with Helen, an intriguing beautiful "widow" who comes to live in a deserted moorland mansion called Wildfell Hall with no one but her maid and young son as companions. She excites the gossip of the local townspeople by her refusal to mingle in the town's social life, her strong opinions on the upbringing of her 5 year old son, and by working to support herself as a landscape painter. Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer, rather than being repelled by her fiercely guarded independence is intrigued by her and determines to learn more about her, falling in love with her in the process. Helen becomes the butt of sinister gossip when it is discovered that she and Mr. Lawrence, her landlord, are not the strangers to each other that they pretend to be in public, and it is rumored that something is going on between them romantically. It is in response to this falsehood that she turns over her diary to Mr. Markham, who at last learns within its contents her true identity, why she is at Wildfell, and why she can not marry him. He also learns the astonishing identity of Mr. Lawrence. Helen's diary traces her life from a naive girl of 18 to a courageous woman of 26, and the sorrow and trials she endures in her marriage to a wretch of a husband, the womanizing, alcoholic Arthur Huntingdon.
Rating:
Summary: A must read classics
Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a riveting novel by the "least famous" Bronte sister Anne. The main character is Helen Huntingdon, who also uses the assumed name Helen Graham for part of the book. Narrated in part by Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer who falls in love with her, and partly by herself in diary form, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a sad portrayal of the miseries Helen Huntingdon endures at the hands of an immature self-centered husband. The story starts out with Helen, an intriguing beautiful "widow" who comes to live in a deserted moorland mansion called Wildfell Hall with no one but her maid and young son as companions. She excites the gossip of the local townspeople by her refusal to mingle in the town's social life, her strong opinions on the upbringing of her 5 year old son, and by working to support herself as a landscape painter. Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer, rather than being repelled by her fiercely guarded independence is intrigued by her and determines to learn more about her, falling in love with her in the process. Helen becomes the butt of sinister gossip when it is discovered that she and Mr. Lawrence, her landlord, are not the strangers to each other that they pretend to be in public, and it is rumored that something is going on between them romantically. It is in response to this falsehood that she turns over her diary to Mr. Markham, who at last learns within its contents her true identity, why she is at Wildfell, and why she can not marry him. He also learns the astonishing identity of Mr. Lawrence. Helen's diary traces her life from a naive girl of 18 to a courageous woman of 26, and the sorrow and trials she endures in her marriage to a wretch of a husband, the womanizing, alcoholic Arthur Huntingdon.
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