3.5
The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë
ByPublisher Description
Pursued by the twin demons of drink and madness, Branwell Bronte created a private world that was indeed infernal. As a bold and gifted child, his promise seemed boundless to the three adoring sisters over whom his rule was complete. But as an adult, the precocious flame of genius distorted and burned low. With neither the strength nor the resources to counter rejection, unable to sell his paintings or publish his books, Branwell became a spectre in the Bronte story, in pathetic contrast with the astonishing achievements of Charlotte, Emily and Anne. This is the biography of the shadowy figure of the "unknown" Bronte.
"Miss du Maurier has brought to the art of the biography the narrative urgency which gives such animation to her storytelling."-New York Times Book Review
"Miss du Maurier has brought to the art of the biography the narrative urgency which gives such animation to her storytelling."-New York Times Book Review
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities23 Reviews
3.5
ila
Created 6 months agoShare
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““Noble writings, works of art, music or poetry, now, instead of rousing my imagination, cause a whirlwind of blighting sorrow that sweeps over my mind with unspeakable dreariness, and if I sit down and try to write all ideas that used to come clothed in sunlight now press round me in funeral black; for nearly every pleasurable excitement that I used to know has changed to insipidity or pain.”
Poor Branwell… & happy birthday!”
Abigail
Created 10 months agoShare
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“Written in a poetically brilliant style perfectly fitted for a Brontë biography, Maurier portrays Branwell in a sympathetic yet starkly honest light. I gained a lot more respect for Branwell by reading this; rather than simply the alcoholic deadbeat brother of the most famous sisters of 19th century British literature, he was a deeply relatable boy who, facing epilepsy and mental illness in an era when such issues were not understood, was compelled to pull inward and self-destruct. While most biographies are written about people who were very successful in life, this narrative describes a man who failed over and over, inevitably believing he had no more to live for. Though his tale is tragic, there is something so fascinating and utterly human about it too.
The only thing that keeps this from a perfect read for me is Du Maurier's tendency to tell a non-chronological narrative, which didn't work so well for biography. She alludes to scenes from his adulthood that will be while discussing his boyhood years, etc., making the order of some events a bit hard to track.”
HowNovelJo
Created over 1 year agoShare
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Chloe
Created over 1 year agoShare
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“4.5*”
Alyssa
Created over 1 year agoShare
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About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907-89) was born in London, the daughter of the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of the author and artist George du Maurier. Her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published in 1931, but it would be her fifth novel, Rebecca, that made her one of the most popular authors of her day.
Besides novels, du Maurier wrote plays, biographies, and several collections of short fiction. Many of her works were made into films, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, My Cousin Rachel, "Don't Look Now," and "The Birds." She lived most of her life in Cornwall, and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1969.
Besides novels, du Maurier wrote plays, biographies, and several collections of short fiction. Many of her works were made into films, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, My Cousin Rachel, "Don't Look Now," and "The Birds." She lived most of her life in Cornwall, and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1969.
Other books by Daphne du Maurier
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