small_town_librarian's review
3.0
Take the time to brush up on Wuthering Heights as well as Jane Eyre to make the most of this novel.
katymvt's review
4.0
This was a good book, but I have no idea how historically accurate it was as to the Brontes. It didn't contradict any fact that I know, but the Brontes aren't my area of expertise.
My biggest problem with this book is the title. With a title like Emily's Ghost, I would have assumed that Emily was going to die fairly early on in the book. That's not the case.
My biggest problem with this book is the title. With a title like Emily's Ghost, I would have assumed that Emily was going to die fairly early on in the book. That's not the case.
regalexander's review
3.0
This is a novel about the Brontë sisters - but really, mostly about Emily Brontë. I've seen the BBC adaptations of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, but haven't read them yet. I have copies, though, so I surely will!
I know almost nothing about the private lives of the Brontë sisters, so I couldn't get annoyed because of previous knowledge.
As a novel, I felt it built up for a long time and then it deflated. There was a long slow burn, but no climax. I also feel most characters were presented in a very one-dimensional way. Only Emily and Weightman escaped this fate, but not terribly so. I suppose as a rebound book, it was okay. I don't regret reading this, but wouldn't read it again or especially recommend it.
I know almost nothing about the private lives of the Brontë sisters, so I couldn't get annoyed because of previous knowledge.
As a novel, I felt it built up for a long time and then it deflated. There was a long slow burn, but no climax. I also feel most characters were presented in a very one-dimensional way. Only Emily and Weightman escaped this fate, but not terribly so. I suppose as a rebound book, it was okay. I don't regret reading this, but wouldn't read it again or especially recommend it.
carosweet's review
4.0
Thought I would dislike this because of my immense dislike of _Wuthering Heights_, yet I found this to be a really interesting read, so much so that I finished it in just two days. I find I'm more interested in learning about the Brontes, and the times in which they lived, as a result of this, and it raises such interesting questions about family legacy and who, if anyone, has the right to tailor such a legacy, along with a number of other interesting ideas about society, convention, and women.
susanbevans's review
5.0
Emily's Ghost is well-written and simply beautiful. I found myself easily and deliciously lost in the world of the Brontë sisters almost immediately upon picking up the book. From the breathtaking descriptions of the moors to the Victorian boarding school, Emily's Ghost is full of the Gothic elements that make for a wonderfully atmospheric novel. Giardina's style of writing is lyrical and descriptive, illustrating the unconventional love story at the heart of the novel. The characters and their compelling relationships are well-developed and moving, giving the reader insight into the hearts and minds of some of the most remarkable women ever to put pen to paper.
Emily's Ghost is a incredibly imaginative piece of historical fiction. I cannot testify to the historical accuracy, but I can tell you one thing: after reading Emily's Ghost, I will definitely be picking up the Brontë novels. This was an impressive and enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, classic fiction, Gothic fiction - basically anyone who appreciates a well-written and entertaining novel.
Emily's Ghost is a incredibly imaginative piece of historical fiction. I cannot testify to the historical accuracy, but I can tell you one thing: after reading Emily's Ghost, I will definitely be picking up the Brontë novels. This was an impressive and enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, classic fiction, Gothic fiction - basically anyone who appreciates a well-written and entertaining novel.
rwilliab's review
4.0
A beautifully imagined and poignant fictional account of the lives of the Bronte sisters, focusing (as is evident from the title) on Emily and on how her life on the Yorkshire moors shaped her every thought and action, very like Cathy in Wuthering Heights. The end is especially satisfying and touching, though the entire novel does an excellent job weaving together class conflict, the evils of industrialization in factory-era Britain, country curate lives, and women's affairs of the nineteenth century. Overall, an excellent read.
tiff_reads_'s review
1.0
I came to this novel with high expectations. As an avid fan of the Bronte sisters, I read criticism of the novel that claimed the novel to be well-researched, and "perfect for Bronte fans."
This novel is only perfect for the Bronte fans that are unfamiliar with the lives of the Bronte family. Although I have only read a few biographies on the family, I have written several research papers on their works, and I consider Denise Giardina's novel to grossly ignore the facts of the Brontes' lives, in favor of writing a historical romance. There's nothing wrong with historical romances--but if you must write one, please invent your own, rather than taking some of the greatest writers of all time as your characters.
The biggest fault I find with the novel, however, lies in its depiction of Charlotte as a man-hungry, cruel, vindictive, shallow little woman, who only wrote because she was too plain to be married immediately. Jane Eyre is dismissed not as a work of literary genius, but as a trivial method of personal revenge.
So I feel safe in saying that for the true Bronte fan--those that have studied the lives of the Bronte sisters and have read Miller's The Bronte Myth--this is not a "perfect read." For fans of historical fiction, it is a mediocre read at best.
This novel is only perfect for the Bronte fans that are unfamiliar with the lives of the Bronte family. Although I have only read a few biographies on the family, I have written several research papers on their works, and I consider Denise Giardina's novel to grossly ignore the facts of the Brontes' lives, in favor of writing a historical romance. There's nothing wrong with historical romances--but if you must write one, please invent your own, rather than taking some of the greatest writers of all time as your characters.
The biggest fault I find with the novel, however, lies in its depiction of Charlotte as a man-hungry, cruel, vindictive, shallow little woman, who only wrote because she was too plain to be married immediately. Jane Eyre is dismissed not as a work of literary genius, but as a trivial method of personal revenge.
So I feel safe in saying that for the true Bronte fan--those that have studied the lives of the Bronte sisters and have read Miller's The Bronte Myth--this is not a "perfect read." For fans of historical fiction, it is a mediocre read at best.
jcdfrog's review
4.0
A captivating fictional account of Emily Bronte's life. I was drawn in from the beginning and enjoyed its reading to the very end. It is romantic, yet sad (remember this regards the author of "Wuthering Heights"). A glimpse into history--and a glimpse into the life of a famous author. Well-worth reading.