Which Bronte is your favourite and why?

[mixedmamameansbusiness]

I am a novice and so far have only read Wuthering Heights and am almost finished with Jane Eyre.

At the moment I am going for Jane Eyre as I am a sucker for the dark, destructive love and I do love a non-happy ending, well in Cathy and Heathcliff's case anyway.

It took about 100-150 pages for me to appreciate Jane Eyre and it didnt really work for me until Mr Rochester arrived.

Based on this I am going for Emily but reserve the right to change once Anne enters my bookshelf.

So share all things Bronte.

Withering tights all the way for me.

I adore Jane Eyre but not Wuthering Heights (everyone is so vile to each other, it's just depressing imo). Oh, I do like the bit where Cathy's ghost turns up and saws her wrists on the broken window

I reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on my Kindle atm and to be honest everyone in it is irritating me so far. I am worried now because I want to say it's by Anne but I'm not 100%

It is difficult. 2 days ago it would have been Emily hands down but now Jane Eyre is reeling me in. I think I might start an Austen thread too. I love talking about Austen. I have a lot of time on my hands tonight.

Hard to pick between:
Shirley
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Agnes Grey

but probably roughly in that order if I had to.

Ah, have just realised the question is which sister rather than which book!

Probably Anne because although I really like Shirley I'm not wild about Jane Eyre, and find Villete very stodgy going.

Why do you find the Tenant of Wildfell Hall irritating, Countess??

Takver - we can take it to which book. I feel very behind and am about to open Amazon and create (another) wish list.

Branwell - he liked a bevvy

Ooooh difficult. I couldn't get in to Vilette and haven't tried Shirley (wimp) but I honestly can't pick between Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I like them all. I think Wuthering Heights is the 'greatest' book and tbh Emily the most intriguing sister. Anne never really 'flew' (poor Anne) and Charlotte's life is so depressing (Who dies of morning sickness? Hideously tragic)

whichever sister wrote wuthering heights is the bestest IMO
wildfell hall was just yawn.

excuse my lack of caps, my phone has stopped doing them and i don't know how to fix it

Northernlurker - why "wimp"? I have no idea about Shirley - is it huge or is it the story?

Jane Eyre is the best book ever written. Or so my 14 year old self thought. Now I just flick to the bits with Rochester .
Wuthering Heights on the other hand is tripe. Cathy, just pull yourself together. It's the only Bronte novel I didn't enjoy.

I did WH for A-level. When you've looked that closely at a text you will either hate it or be in awe of the artistry and beauty of it. Happily for Emily for me it's the latter.

Wimp because Shirley is supposed to be this worthy, quite feminist novel and I just can't be bothered . I'm open to correction though?

I see. I just read the amazon synopsis and reviews.

Rochester certainly makes Jane Eyre worth persevering with.

Have never been able to even start WH. I've read all I can of Charlotte, but think Jane Eyre is her best.
My favourite is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, so Anne is my favourite.

It seems WH is like Marmite.

Crystal Queen, your 14 yr old self is quite right. Best novel ever. No argument. Withering Heights I cannot stand. tenant of wildfell is v interesting considering the subject matter and when it was written (shocking for domestic violence to be even talked about let alone criticised). Hve not read Shirley but feel I should now.

Emily for me. I also did WH for A level and I remember racing through the book in 2 days, I got so into it. I love all the Brontes though and am fascinated by their story.

I like Shirley, have read it several times. Not sure it has that much of a feminist message (from a modern perspective) as one of the main female characters is a bit of a drip, and [don't give away the not really surprising ending CQ].

I hated WH. I was in the only person in my A-Level year group to persist with Villette. It's in 3 parts and I hated parts 1 and 3, but quite liked part 2 and have recently been fighting the urge to read it again in case I disappoint myself.

I love Jane Eyre so much.

Anne.

has to be Charlotte because of Jane Eyre have read it 10 times maybe? and I'm not a big re reader.

Read Wuthering Heights when I was too young, loved it but I always found it a torturous read in terms of plot unlike the above.

To my shame I don't know Anne B's work did she write the tenant of Wildfell Hall? Should I read that? What's it like?

BTW about 20 years ago I went to the parsonage on my own on a day off and wandered round the place at the end of the day in the winter, there was no one there but staff, such an atmospheric place, loved it. Worth going, but have never been up to Top Withens or wha'eva they call it, has anyone else?

Emily is my favourite as she seems to have been utterly bonkers.

Noelle, I've been to Top Withens, we went on a school trip back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth (well, it was some time ago) and it was wonderful. Apart from us the place was deserted. It was fairly early in the morning and it was Autumn and misty, and if I remember rightly it's a fair walk from the Parsonage.

I keep meaning to go back there but never get round to it, though I have heard that they've put (horror) picnic benches up there now and that it's very busy in good weather. I'd say that you'd only want to go up there in good weather - ground must be treacherous in the winter.

thanks for that image Harriet, benches, lawks! Is there a building up there, is it deserted? Is it supposed to have been an inspiration for WH?
What about wicked Bramwell? The lost painter, did he top himself? I can't remember whether he was a drug addict or a drunk... someone here will know! The combined general knowledge of this site on an average evening is scary.

Emily for me. I love Wuthering Heights. It's my most read, worn book on my book case. I can honestly say I've read it about 20 times. All that tortured love, barren moors and Heathcliff

I do quite like Jane Eyre too. They were the two books I decided to do my A-Level english lit coursework on - the theme of mother figures in the two books.

Tried to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall years ago but never succeeded.