Book Review: The Brontes are the first family of literature, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are both classic novels, but I knew little of the three sisters, and much of what I knew was wrong. This has been corrected by the new biography, Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman (also the biographer of, inter alia, Sylvia Townsend Warner). I've not read any other biographies of the Bronte sisters, but this book is thoroughly researched and conversationally written. My image was of three parson's daughters stranded on the moors, writing passionate, Gothic novels whole cloth from fiery imaginations, dying unknown and tragically young. Little of that, except the last, was true. Although ostensibly this is a biography of Charlotte Bronte, her life was so intertwined with Emily and Anne that all three are well presented, which is what I was seeking. For me the first half of the book detailing their childhood and early writing efforts was slower, but the read really picked up upon publication of their poems and first novels, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey. For others, the reaction might be quite the opposite as Harman provides a touching account of the extreme difficulties of growing up Bronte, and Charlotte's transformative but heartbreaking unrequited love for her professor in Brussels. Although the sisters used pseudonyms to hide their gender at publication, their books had both positive and negative receptions and the critical response, much of it sexist, classist, and misogynistic, continued for years. It's sad to see such criticism even today by readers who fail to appreciate this classic literature for such trivial reasons, considering what the authors endured in less enlightened times. Although I fully enjoyed Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart, I'll mention two quibbles with Claire Harman, though both occurred rarely. First, she appears to take sides in some historical disputes, such as between Charlotte's father and her future husband, which shadows the purely objective facts. Certainly the weight of the evidence may lead to one conclusion or another, but the author shouldn't seem to be putting a subjective finger on the scales. Second, Harman seems to unnecessarily conjecture or interject her personal feelings, such as suggesting a reporter was "smitten," or intimating that only women long for a word from their love. But these minor points are rare, detract little from the narrative, and Harman is certainly not one of those pernicious but trendy biographers who feel their lives are of equal importance with their subject. Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart is an excellent biography of Charlotte Bronte, and a good introduction to the lives and times of the whole Bronte family. I now want to read Anne, and more of Charlotte. [4 Stars]
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