S2:E5 | Damaging the Brontë Legacy

Le Salon Literary Discussions

A super juicy look at how Charlotte Brontë negatively influenced the popularity of her sister’s works and how we remember them today. Did Charlotte believe she was acting with her sister’s best interest when it came to their legacies? Or did she have ambitions of being the Brontë sibling we remember the most?

• Don’t forget to register for the August 2023 virtual discussion on Anne’s novel Agnes Grey. Click here to sign up and don’t forget to use code podcastlove to get 20% off your ticket to participate in the discussion.

[8:24] “After the death of both Emily and Anne, Charlotte took the step to reach out to her publisher proposing she edit a new edition of her sisters’ works.”

[17:25] “In her Biographical Notes on the Pseudonymous Bells, she went even further, hinting that it was the toxic and difficult novel that brought about Anne’s demise.”

[23:24] “It has also led many scholars, and Emily and Anne fans, curious (and maybe even furious) to wonder if Charlotte went so far as to destroy other sources or even draft manuscripts.”

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Biographical Notes on the Pseudonymous and the preface to Wuthering Heights.
• Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• The Professor by Charlotte Brontë
• Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
• Read some of Emily’s poetry online.
• The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell

More resources for you:

• Sign up to participate in the virtual discussion on Anne’s Agnes Grey. It's better than a book club.
• Follow me on Instagram @lesalonreads.
• Visit my website.