A million years ago as a teenager, I rejected the Brontes..

[CurlewKate]

But why, why, in the million years and much education since, have I not discovered Ann? Oh man, she’s good!! And how very dare Charlotte talk about her and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall like that?

I didn't reject them when younger but had only read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, until The Professor a few years back.
I resolved recently to read all the Bronte novels in chronological order, so have just finished Agnes Grey. Agree that Anne was a wonderful writer.
I expect Charlotte was trying to protect her sister's reputation as times were so very different then.

Hmm.i suspect much less laudable motives!

Ha, you could be right. Still, I suppose we shouldn't speak ill of the dead😉

I don't think so, @CurlewKate

People were appalled and shocked by The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, with its scenes of drunkenness and implied sexual assault.

Charlotte wanted to say that her sister wasn't a coarse woman, that the book was not representative of her. I really feel that she was trying to defend her.

What do you think her motive was?

Anne is my favourite Bronte though I haven't read all of Charlotte's books.

Very interesting point OP. We talk about 'the Brontes' as if they were one writer. But they're quite different in temperament. Emily was clearly odd (well, let's be kinder and say 'unique'), and Wuthering Heights is a real marmite book (like Lord of the Rings or The Jeeves and Wooster novels). People either love it or hate it. Personally, I'm in the love camp, but totally understand those who are not.

I think The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a brilliant book - so ahead of its time and so underrated. My favourite Brontë novel.

I’ve just reread The Tenant & very much enjoyed it. My copy (from BorrowBox) had several older introductions etc. including Charlotte’s & none of them did Anne Brontë or the text any justice.

It’s an interesting question about whether Anne’s work is advantaged or disadvantaged by being grouped with that of her sisters’ as I think she is a very different style of writer to them. Wildfield Hall might be a gloomy residence, but that is just because Helen can only afford a run-down house - it lacks the mystery of Thornfield Hall or the history of Wuthering Heights. To me it feels very squarely in the tradition of Richardson’s Clarissa - woman inadvisedly marries a rake & the inevitable consequences happen.

What feels innovative to me is that it feels quite a feminist text (there’s a point earlyish where someone (probably Helen) puts forward an argument for treating both sexes equally & it’s also striking that Helen is allowed to survive & control her destiny as much as she can rather than die like Clarissa and advocates for other women) & how graphic it is in describing the drinking & other bad behaviour of the men. Some of this is prefigured in Agnes Grey which is quite blunt about the behaviour of Agnes’ various employers but The Tenant is much more graphic & shocking.

I read all of the Bronte novels as a teen. I studied Wuthering Heights for A level and hated it but read Charlotte and Anne for pleasure and loved them. I think Anne is very underrated.

I’ve read every Brontë novel - though none of them for many years - and my favourite is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall too.

I've read Jane Eyre and enjoyed it. Tried reading Wuthering Heights but quit at about the halfway point .

Never tried reading The Tenant , but started watching the the adaptation with Tara Fitzgerald and Rupert Graves and found it an odd adaptation so gave that up.

The drama by Sally Wainwright about the Brontes is really good. Well worth a watch.

Did one of them write 'Shirley'? I'll google. If so, I read that when I was in my teens. Luddites? Robert Someone?
I read WH when I was in my teens but have never read JE.

Yes, Charlotte Bronte wrote Shirley.

I hated Wuthering Heights as teen. Every character is either an utter cunt or a wet blanket. It put me off the Brontes for years,

About 10 years ago I went through a phase of reading classic novels, one of which was The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and I was astounded by how "modern" it was in its depiction of domestic violence and a woman's efforts to escape.

When I was younger I loved all the Brontë novels except Wuthering Heights, which I think is overheated tripe.

Tenant is a wonderful story and all the better for the story not being so well known. I loved Agnes Grey too. There is a radio 4 adaptation on 4 Extra at the moment btw

I put Jane Eyre down for a rest many moons ago. As I recall someone on here saying, "The book would have been significantly improved if Jane had caught consumption from Helen and died, which would have spared us a lot of mimsy nonsense", which is my favourite book review in the world!

I should get around to trying some of the other books by the Bronte sisters. I mean, I've been to the parsonage and everything, after all!