The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte

[Black Flag]

No, I had only mentioned the short time span and then discussion followed about how it doesn't mean anything. My point is, you're right, it doesn't mean anything other than to open the door, so there's no reason to spend so much time on it.

Are you "worried", then, that you WILL look at Charlotte Bronte differently if you took time to read a book with an opinion that sways from the "official" version? I'm not here to argue one way or another.
The fact that no one would dare entertain the notion of the author making some thought provoking points for fear of the very possibility, however slight, of looking at Charlotte Bronte differently, is what is remarkable.
"Why would I want to change the way I look at Charlotte Bronte?" That's what I mean by having, or not having, an open mind, free from emotional attachment to a particular author.

Me? I am strictly neutral. I've read all of Charlotte Bronte's books, with the exception of Shirley (though I have read The Professor, which I understand is similiar) as well as Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Emily and Ann Bronte, respectively. I enjoyed all of those. But I have no such unswerving loyalty to Charlotte Bronte — or any other author for that matter — that would make me NOT read a book for fear of my own resulting conclusions.

[manticore]

only just joined but see you are still posting.............. just re-read above book for curiosities sake........ and because I read anything about the Brontes Branwell in particular. Have to say even if you bear in mind that it's fiction it is a truly terrible book ! Thank God all are long dead or Mr Nicholls and Charlotte would be suing for libel! I always think that books like this who hijack an authors work (or in this case name) are really lazy and talentless! What did you think of it?:

[Black Flag]

I think you can see, or read, my position on the issue. The book, if nothing else, opens up discussion. Just keep an open mind, that's all. It's not enough to discredit the book based on simple Bronte worship and not be objective about it.

I'm glad that you, Manticore, have at least READ the damned thing before commenting on it.

[sweetsunray]

Hmmm... just answering the argument of "having an open mind". As far as I know, it's up to an accuser to come up with evidence to back up his/her claim, and as long as there is none, there is no "have an open mind" rule for reader/listener. In fact, it is the opposite. Justice and the claim itelf is served better if the accuser has to convince a mind that ignores possibities for which there is no evidence. And when a "closed" mind is convinced then truth is served much better. That is why people are innocent unless proven otherwise.

So, those who regard Charlotte Bronte innocent by default do have the correct mindset. Why they even consider her innocent is irrelevant. She is by default innocent. From what is mentioned in this thread, there is no evidence, not even circumstancial. There is not even evidence that there was a murder. So, there is no justifiable argument to not think her innocent, no justifiable argument to think "but she may have been guilty".

All that is required from people with regards to accusations is acquaint themselves with the proposed evidence. Since there is no evidence (say those who did read the book), not even that murder occurred, there is no need for others to read the book in order to have an opinion on the accusation and believe CB to be innocent by default, although they are free to do so of course.

[Veho]

Slightly off topic, but whenever I've read a quote from Charlotte Bronte, she always seems to be discrediting other authors' work, including her own sisters'.

[soundofmusic]

It's alittle difficult to rely on anything the maid says after she told of the romp in the kitchen with Charlottes boyfriend jumping on top of her and "I felt the hardness of him"...

[prendrelemick]

There is a growing theory that she then faked her own death and went on to commit the Whitechapel murders. - Hows that for an open mind?

[wessexgirl]

There is a growing theory that she then faked her own death and went on to commit the Whitechapel murders. - Hows that for an open mind?

[corneliajordan]

To be honest ive read this book and people seem to totally miss out, that Charles Coutts and his family were solicitors and he found an offical document that was signed by Martha Brown and his great great great grandfather James Coutts, also another solicitor Edmund Beasley, this story has not come out of thin air. How can people read this book and dismiss that, this is Martha Browns story, the only thing that James Tully has done is help Charles Couttes. We will never know what happend, but it is abit strange that Mr Bronte and Miss Aykroyd managed to live to an old age and his young heathly daughters who didnt have a history of illness die???