Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

First exposure to Anne Brontë! I could see a re-read of this one, especially since I think my audiobook version might have suffered from the removal of passages that have long plagued poor Anne's work. I listened to this one via Audrey, which includes a helpful guide.

Here I will include my final post from the readalong, hidden for spoilers:

I enjoyed the read and I'm so glad I had this readalong to encourage some analysis of the text. I am perhaps not as severe upon Gilbert as others have been. Maybe I should be, and I do think it is a text I could re-read, and I look forward to how my opinions of him may shift. What I saw in the post-diary section of the novel was some growth for our young gentleman farmer. He does go and apologize to Frederick -- it may not be a GREAT apology but there was acknowledgement of wrong and remorse and a branch of friendship. He seems 10x more respectful of boundaries - not begging or demanding word from Helen but instead respectfully accepting what Frederick is willing to offer. When he rushes to her aunt's estate and then gets cold feet, I thought of that scene from the beginning when he ignored the signs and encroached on her being alone to paint. In this later scene, he gives in to the impulse to go to her -- but then checks himself! His pause is from being humbled by the fact that she has wealth & position (i.e., power) without him! I see this (perhaps overly dramatic self-pitying) moment of him waiting outside the gate as an acknowledgement by a man - at last - of a woman's boundaries.

Do I wish that this story had been entirely told to us by Helen, like Jane Eyre? 💯 But I can understand why Bronte frames it the way she did -- after all, she needed a male penname to tell her own stories, too! In a patriarchal society, Gilbert is the authorizing ally to lift up Helen's voice, just as "Acton Bell" was Anne's.

Content Warnings

hjb_128's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

annaonthepage's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

hphipps's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

saliwali's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

mattiedancer's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Writing: 5⭐️/5

Anne Brontë’s writing, much like her sister’s, is thoughtful, intentional, poignant, and full. Reading a Brontë novel feels filling and, even as these novels tend to start slow, they’re always worth the payout. Most of this novel is beautifully written, even stunningly so. No notes.

Characters: 4.75⭐️/5

It was refreshing to see Gilbert’s immense growth through the story. From starting as a bit of a stuck-up farming boy to a thoughtful and moral man was an entertaining read. Similarly, I love Helen with my whole heart, deeply appreciating her desire to be more than just a wife or mother, while also placing those roles and their corresponding responsibilities on a bit of a pedestal. Her feminism was refreshing and her fight against her husband’s control reminded me a lot of bits and pieces of my own life and how, looking back, you realize how blind you’ve been. I struggled a bit with Lawrence, Helen’s brother, and his slightly inconsistent character, but where he failed to deliver, every other character seemed to step up.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5

I’m going to start with my critique, which is that one of our main characters, in a fit of rage, horrendously injures our other character’s brother. Gilbert is quick to apologize once he realizes the connection between the characters, but it felt like a large obstacle that was shoved conveniently out of the way. Otherwise, I think this novel’s plot progressed nicely, though slowly. I enjoyed the switch of perspectives as it gave a fullness to the story and, even though the switch was the majority of the novel, it felt perfectly timed and well-structured.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of the Brontë sisters
Fans of classic literature
Those looking for a slow, romance-heavy read that bends toward feminism

Content Warnings?

Misogyny, sexism, infidelity, emotional abuse, classism, death of a parent, death, injury, terminal illness, pregnancy, bullying

Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5

I love Helen and Gilbert.

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5

Content Warnings

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