But after the crushing disappointment of A
Haunting on the Hill (2023), I wasn't all that interested
anymore, as the premise of Wylding Hall sounded too much like A Haunting
on the Hill. If those theatre types annoyed me to no end, I could only imagine how members of a rock band would be much better. Since Wylding Hall was written first, there's a chance it's better written.
Anyway, I still wanted to read the Anne Bronte novel. I got this Arcturus trade paperback from Indigo for only $7. They had a 3 for
$12 classic fiction deal but the ones I wanted
were sold out.
Surprisingly, my friend, who was visiting from Winnipeg at the time, and who's read a lot more classic fiction than I have, was also not aware of The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I think its obscurity (at least compared to Wuthering
Heights and Jane Eyre) was due to its rather scandalous and shocking
content - at least, according to Victorian standards. It was deemed "coarse" and "brutal" for its unflinching depictions of alcoholism, adultery, marital abuse, and a wife leaving her husband—which was apparently illegal at the time.
I
wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew to not expect any romance. In the end, I really enjoyed TToWH. It was very well-written, a colourful cast of characters and had some keen insights about Victorian society. And there was
some romance after all, mainly from the perspective of Gilbert Markham,
as the lovesick protagonist.
The novel began with a letter written by
Gilbert to a friend, describing the recent arrival of an attractive
young widow and her son as the new tenants of Wildfell Hall and how it
was drawing much gossip and curiosity amongst the small community. When Gilbert met Helen, he found her proud and aloof, and they
didn't get along very well at first. Over time he became drawn to her
honesty, intelligence and depth of character which was very different from
the superficial wiles of the local girls. But Gilbert was still
immature in many ways and made the wrong assumption that Helen was having an affair with her landlord Frederick Lawrence. This forced Helen to show Gilbert her journal which explained her entire backstory of
how she ended up at Wildfell Hall. The whole story was long and drawn out like a
Jane Austen novel, but well worth the wait, for there was a happy
ending. Phew!
After
the dark cesspool of despair and deviance in Grotesque, it was nice to
read something "lighter" in tone. Although I was expecting a rather
violent depiction of domestic discord, I was nevertheless affected by
Helen Huntington's plight being married to an irresponsible and
alcoholic narcissist. Even though Arthur Huntington was never physically
violent, he was very controlling, as well as verbally and
emotionally abusive. He was also unfaithful -- his relationship with
his friend's wife was an open secret among his circle of wealthy
gentlemen. The depiction of their partying was something to behold.
Most
of the classic lit that I've read were of fairly "respectable" people
with the odd character, like George Wickham, who was the black sheep.
In the world of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, we were given a firsthand
perspective of what it's like to live in a toxic marriage. Bronte
presented all the red flags early on in the courtship between Arthur and
Helen. He would play mind games with the young Helen, who fell for it
hook line and sinker through her naivete. In Victorian times, a woman
would be trapped in such a marriage with no hope for divorce. Even
though Arthur Huntington was a fairly wealthy gentlemen, he was a
boorish man and indulged in licentious, hedonistic behaviour. He and
his circle of friends often got together to carouse and were basically
party animals. As a wife, you either put up with it, or you joined
them, like Lady Lowborough, who becomes Arthur's mistress.
There
was a scene where Arthur's friends were staying at his estate,
Grassdale Manor, for weeks and weeks. Not only did Helen have to endure
the infidelities of her husband and his mistress, but also the
disrespectful behaviour of his awful guests. Finally, when Lord Lowborough
found out about his wife and Arthur, it was a bit of relief as the whole scene was
getting quite awful. Arthur and Helen also had a young son, Arthur Jr, a
sweet boy who was becoming wild and out of control under his
father’s influence. With help from her brother, Helen was finally able
to escape Grassdale Manor with her son and devoted maid.
I heard that Anne Brontë based a good deal of Arthur Huntington on her own brother, Branwell Brontë. Arthur resembled Branwell in three ways: physical good looks; sexual
adventures (before his affair with his employer's wife, Mrs Robinson,
Branwell may have fathered an illegitimate child who died at birth) and lastly, his alcoholism. Arthur Huntington was terribly flawed and unlikeable, but he felt very real.
A
minor complaint of mine was how Helen Huntington was just a little too
perfect. Her character was
imbued with dignity, pureness of heart and an unwavering faith in God.
Her one
mistake was marrying Arthur Huntington when she was young and
naive. However, I did admire her courage in leaving her awful husband
and her ability to use her painting skills to support herself and her
son. The only help she had was from her loyal maid and her brother. I
also liked how Gilbert had a good character arc. He began as a rather
immature, cocky young farmer but over the years his love for Helen
remained true, and he became someone who was worthy of Helen's love.
I
saw the 2022 film Emily, which was loosely based on Emily Bronte. It
didn't depict sister Charlotte in a great light, and portrayed Anne as
rather meek and passive. I was never able to finish Wuthering Heights,
but I loved Jane Eyre when I read it during my first year at
university. It still remains my favourite of all the books by the
Bronte sisters, with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a close second!
