Brontes or Austen?

[Three Sparrows]

But...but...where is Anne? My favorite Bronte book is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
Wuthering Heights and Shirley are my other favorites, but how can you not love the wildly temperamental characters of The Tenant? I can't see why Anne is always ignored, she is just as good as her sisters.
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to vote for Emily.

[LitNetIsGreat]

But...but...where is Anne? My favorite Bronte book is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
Wuthering Heights and Shirley are my other favorites, but how can you not love the wildly temperamental characters of The Tenant? I can't see why Anne is always ignored, she is just as good as her sisters.
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to vote for Emily.

Ah sorry there. I've read Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and didn't think too highly of them, certainly not in the light of the others. Also the vast majority of critical opinion favours Emily and Charlotte over Anne, so I didn't include her, though as it is about personal likes I guess I should have. I think Agnes Grey is the better of the two though, but it is a long time since I read them.

I've walked passed Anne's grave many times, as she is buried in St Mary's church at Scarborough, and not in the church vault in Haworth. It is a nice little church, just under the shadow of the castle and by the sea. It's quite atmospheric walking back up the cobbles, through the churchyard and up to the top of North bay overlooking the sea, especially at night. I always leave the hotel room window open at night, so that I can read and sleep to the sound of the sea. (I know one or two OK pubs there too, obviously, but generally it is not that good a place for pubs, I know one that serves Belgian beer at least).

Anyway, here is a great virtual tour of the churchyard:http://www.vrscarborough.co.uk/virtu...nte-grave.html

Hope that makes up for the lack of voting option.

[Scheherazade]

Anne Bronte has been included in the poll now.

[Dark Lady]

I think I've made my feelings about Wuthering Heights clear on other threads so I will not repeat my rant of annoyance and confusion here.

Although I do love Austen and I really liked The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, with Jane Eyre in my top five novels I have to vote Charlotte. Love her!

[LitNetIsGreat]

Annoyance and confusion? Come on, you are not listening to uncle Neely here, I told you that you should persevere with what is one of the greatest novels written in the English language, if not the greatest. Now that will be 50 lines from you girl, "I must re-read Wuthering Heights, I must re-read Wuthering Heights..."

[Frankie Anne]

What a wonderful link, Neely. Thanks so much for that. It looks really lovely there.

[bluosean]

Like someone else said Austens characters are very real. they are, for me, more real than any other characters in all of literature. That is the best thing about her and what makes her so great. Her books can be slightly boring, but they are so accurate. So just understood life so well. For most people life is a little more calm than a Dickens novel. Jane Austen is like life.

[qimissung]

Very much my thoughts. On returning to 'Wuthering Heights' i'm always astounded at the way Bronte conveys the passion of her protagonists. Such an unrestrained and unique work, as you say Neely.

Yes, "such unrestrained...work..."is what I love about the Brontes...all that passion free-floating on the lonely moors. How did they do that? I would have probably just been like this: or this: all the time; they had to go and write masterpieces.

[WICKES]

I That being said, the joy of reading Austen is comparable to no other novelist by my personal aesthetic - whatever that is worth - so I would suggest everybody to run off, if they haven't yet, and down a few of her novels.

Yes, I'd have to go for Jane Austen. Though I would add that Wuthering Heights is, IMHO, the equal of anything Austen wrote and a haunting, unnerving work of real power.

[The Comedian]

If only there were a "none of the above" option. . . .

[LitNetIsGreat]

If only there were a "none of the above" option. . . .

Right, that's two doing lines.

[Dark Lady]

Now that will be 50 lines from you girl, "I must re-read Wuthering Heights, I must re-read Wuthering Heights..."

But, Sir, the goldfish ate my copy and my brother stole the goldfish and I had a bad hair day and I have loads of other homework and...and...and...I don't want to!

[sixsmith]

Yes, "such unrestrained...work..."is what I love about the Brontes...all that passion free-floating on the lonely moors. How did they do that? I would have probably just been like this: or this: all the time; they had to go and write masterpieces.

Exactly. I seem to recall an anecdotal tale that they all pretty much lived in isolation and really didn't have very many experiences on which to draw. And Emily was basically a kid when she wrote it.

[prendrelemick]

That is the legend and the image. It was started by Mrs Gaskill in her biography of Charlotte, a book that often sacrifices accuracy for effect.

[Mathor]

Easily Jane Austen.