A review by mikarala
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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? No

4.25

Mr. Huntingdon has to be one of the most odious, despicable characters I've encountered. Anne Bronte so accurately captured the behaviour of an abuser that I can't believe she didn't personally experience that kind of relationship. The little ways that Hundington manipulates Helen made me so angry I had to put the book down at times. Bronte also managed to capture the essence of The Nice Guy so perfectly in Mr. Hargrave, so this novel really does a lot in terms of showing women what kind of men to avoid. 

The narrative drags at times (the conclusion is a bit drawn out when we can already see where all of the characters are going to end up like 40-50 pages earlier), but altogether a really impressive work that shouldn't be forgotten in the English literary canon. Compared to Jane Eyre, I found this novel's plot and message to stand the test of time much better. I think the depiction of abuse and the essons learned from this novel feel highly relevant today and would definitely recommend it.
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