The Brontes

Rating:
Summary: Simply wonderful
Review: A book that presents the Brontes, warts and all. I think a lot of the people who disagree with the vision of Charlotte presented in this book have bought into the legend that she and Mrs. Gaskell tried to create. I think Barker's book presents a wonderfully balanced view of Charlotte. I only with the information was available for her to write more vividly about Emily and Anne

Rating:
Summary: Hold the Charlotte-bashing. Please.
Review: A must-read for any Bronte fan, but be prepared for the biographers's tendency to assert her own bias about Charlotte. I felt that she took Charlotte's actions and written words from personal letters (and public letters, as in the preface to Wuthering Heights) out of context when interpreting them, at times. Even then, some of her assertions are laughable, they're so out-of-the-blue. It's actually kind of fascinating to wonder why the biographer has such a bone to pick with Charlotte. Maybe her effort to humanize Charlotte (to distinguish this bio from other Bronte bios) just got a tad too overzealous. Other than this annoyance (which tends to pop up throughout the book when you least expect it, like a zit that won't go away) I did enjoy the read - so vivid and inclusive. A nice touch is the map in the beginning, and the inclusion of small artwork selections by Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne at the beginning of each chapter.

Rating:
Summary: Big on minutia, lacking on detail
Review: Barker's book is a celebration of minutia. She has presented us with a vast amount of it (which will be of use to someone, I'm sure) but doesn't provide a insightful interpretation into what it all means. (I realize that much of this is up to the "dear reader"; however, direction often helps when trying to interpret a life) The scathing criticism of the Bronte Society in her introduction forshadows the rather "school-marmish" tone she adopts within the text. I found it condesending and unecessary - anybody reading the book is going to know Bronte Basics, so no need for lecturing! The title suggests that the book will consider all of the Brontes, but unfortunately, it is an uneven study. The book comes dangerously close to becoming just another Charlotte Bronte bio. I closed the book knowing little more about Emily or Anne, and far too much about Patrick. Still, I'm sure it will be a valuable research tool for Bronte scholars who wish to explore how Patrick's cravat influenced the Bronte's work, and similar stuff.