🤯 How have I not read Tenant yet?! Thank you for the recommendation! Also the contrast between your hair and shirt are just 😍 So pretty in this video!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Aw, thanks Christy! I love that shirt. Yes, Tenant is amazing and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you end up reading it!

i simply adore your videos. i just found you. your love for literature is infectious. pls keep making them!!!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, Parker!

Enjoyed your video (the first of yours I've seen). I like the independence of your evaluations, and that they are honest, personal, and therefore authentic. I'll be checking out more of your vids. :)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

My hands down favourite is Wuthering Heights, and for me personally, Emily was easily the most talented of the three sisters. But I would probably put the Tenant of Wildfell Hall into second place instead of Jane Eyre. It is such a brilliant study of the wreckage that alcoholism leaves in the lives of those closest to the addict, and the difficult choices that ultimately have to be made. Anne's characterization of Huntingdon in the TOWH was amazing, and of all the villains in the Bronte's novels, he is probably the nastiest of the lot. I left the novel actually loathing him! I also really loved the central theme of the story as it related to Helen's development, namely the importance of moral character, and persistence through trials without succumbing to bitterness or despair while always being true to oneself. A fantastic read.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, amen to your analysis of Tenant! Such a good book filled with valuable themes and messages. I wish I liked Wuthering Heights more because it is objectively brilliant 😆

Yes!! I’m so happy you put Anne on top! 😭 The Tenant is my favourite as well, although I have still 3 novels to go (all by Charlotte). I loved the last scene in Agnes Grey as well, it was so beautiful how the setting changed so completely together with Agnes. Loved this video!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, that is so true that the setting reflected Agnes's journey. I loved it!

I need to explore more of Brontë Sisters novels. The only full novel I read was Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë and I fell in love with it immediately. Anne Brontë captivates her readers through her very simple yet heart touching words. The story was so charming. You own such beautiful editions of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Can you tell me the name of your edition? I started reading Shirley for Victober but haven't finished it yet. I tried reading Wuthering Heights the previous year but in vain it went. But I would buddy read it soon with one of my friend and hope it helps! I enjoyed learning about your thoughts. And I savoured the fact that it was completely spoiler free. Classics are a perpetual joy. Happy Reading 📚

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed Agnes Grey. It is absolutely lovely! The edition I have of Jane Eyre is from Signet Classics and my Wuthering Heights is from Splinter. I like them too 😊 I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I agree - classics are a perpetual joy!

Yes! My friend Amy and I made a running gag out of how long it took Shirley to show up. You’ve definitely gotten me excited for Anne Brontë. Well, I was already excited about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but now I’m intrigued by Agnes Grey, too.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

That's great! I definitely enjoyed both Anne Bronte's novels much more than Shirley. And Agnes Grey is present in the story right from the start, shocker!

@freshparchment

3 жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 What a novel idea!

I picked up Agnes Grey today for a casual Sunday afternoon read, at your recommendation, and ended up smashing half the book very quickly! It's great.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

That's great! Glad you're enjoying it :)

@jackjones5920

Жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 i also have to tell you: i cross-referenced all the Brontë ranking videos on youtube and it turns out Tenant is the most popular of all by a comfortable margin!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

@@jackjones5920 Really?? I would have assumed it would have been Jane Eyre or maybe Wuthering Heights. Anne is finally getting her due!

@jackjones5920

Жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 yeah you would've thought! Wuthering Heights is 2nd, and Jane Eyre 3rd (Shirley & Agnes Grey equal 4th) i finished Agnes Grey last night. loved it.

Seeing people put both Anne books at the top is just my favorite thing :)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yay, me too!

I don't like Wuthering Heights either, but I haven't read it in a couple of decades. I'm thinking about giving it another chance. I love hearing all your thoughts about these books!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I would love to hear your updated thoughts on Wuthering Heights if you ever decided to read it again!

FINALLY someone who appreciates my girl Anne!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

So glad you're an Anne fan! She's the best Bronte!

I’ve been hearing so many good things of The Tennant of Wildfell Hall! I hated Wuthering Heights as a teenager but maybe the time has come to try the Brontes again. (Also I love to come across other Canadians on booktube 💜)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Another Canadian! I will check out your channel. I agree with you about Wuthering Heights. If you end up reading Tenant I would love to hear what you think of it!

I am currently reading Agnes Grey , and realised how sad it is that Anne Bronte's books are always overshadowed by the other Brontes' . And I was also surprised to see how much I am enjoying Anne's writing and I'm flying through Agnes Grey

@meghanthestorygirl4581

2 жыл бұрын

So glad you're enjoying it. I agree - Anne is totally underrated!

@ReligionOfSacrifice

9 ай бұрын

I have only come across two Anne Brontë poems, but in my esteem they blow out of the water the complete works of poems written by either of her two sisters. I am really trying to get Anne's complete works of poems. 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 20) "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Brontë 68) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 97) "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë 139) "The Professor” by Charlotte Brontë 163) "Shirley" by Charlotte Brontë 1 73) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë

I recently read Wuthering Heights and was wondering if i was missing something because I just didn't have the opinion that it is a great novel. I just got very little out of it and it didn't resonate. And i agree, I don't want to read depressing stuff unless there is value in the understanding of it. I will try a re-read in the future and see if anything changes!

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is so underrated as well as Agnes Grey, I only just finished reading them both. Really agree with your comments, however, my favourite is Jane Eyre, and I agree a great one to start with when reading a Bronte book. Great recommendations and comments, it was interesting to hear your views on them. From WA.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed Anne's work :)

I'm team Charlotte Brontë lol I enjoyed all of her novels, especially Villette and Jane Eyre. And Wuthering Heights by Emily is my favourite Brontë novel. That's my top three. Wuthering Heights/Villette/Jane Eyre.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

Ahh I so like Wuthering Heights, but I definitely get why you don’t! There are some tough parts to get past!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, I knew you'd understand!

I'm a super noob to Victorian literature and the Brontes, but I just finished Wuthering Heights and loved it. I am planning to read at least one more novel by Anne and Charlotte too, but probably I'll read something a little easier in between. I find what little Victorian literature I have read very interesting, but dense and difficult (for me). [Edit: My sister has read Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and she likes Tenant of Wildfell hall the most, so there's that.]

@meghanthestorygirl4581

2 жыл бұрын

So glad you're getting into Victorian literature! I love that your sister likes Tenant the most. It's just so good!

This is great, I think I'd probably rank their books in the same order for the most part. I love Anne Bronte!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

2 жыл бұрын

Yay! I'm glad you love her too!

It’s interesting that you talk about a beautiful ocean setting at the end of Agnes Grey (not a spoiler everyone) because Anne Brontë was really sick and asked to go to the beach to help improve her health, so Charlotte’s best friend Ellen took Anne to the sea and that is where she died.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

Wow, that's super interesting to hear how her own dreams and desires for the ocean affected her writing.

The general public only knows Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights (partly from popular movies) but kid sister Ann gets the respect she deserves from those who have read all the Bronte novels. Anne's characters to me seem the most believable.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

26 күн бұрын

Agreed!

Charlotte Brontë is my 7th favorite author and my favorite female author. The only woman to write a book in my top ten books of all time. 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 68) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 139) "The Professor” by Charlotte Brontë 163) "Shirley" by Charlotte Brontë 20) "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Brontë 97) "Agnes Grey" by Anne Brontë 173) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë The 1943 "Jane Eyre" is the best movie version of this story. FAVORITE AUTHORS must have two books in the top 100 books of all time. 1) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 2) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 3) James A. Michener (Chesapeake) 4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 5) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot) 6) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew) 7) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette) 8) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit) 9) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire) 10) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice) 11) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) 12 Anne Brontë (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) 13) George Eliot (Silas Marner) 14) Anthony Trollope (He Knew He Was Right) 15) Dr. Burrhus Frederic (B. F.) Skinner (Verbal Behavior) 16) Charles Dickens (Hard Times) 17) Thomas Hardy (Jude the Obscure)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

9 ай бұрын

Those are great choices!

Tenant of Wildfell Hall is so wonderful! My favorite so far.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

That's awesome!

Meghan, The Bronte sisters are among my favorite authors. The first Bronte novel I actually read was Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and I completely fell in love with it as it was a beautiful story about a woman’s beliefs as a governess. Anne Bronte was such a talented writer, but she was never as appreciated during her lifetime as her sisters. You need to read Emily Bronte’s poetry, for it is so magical and vivid. I tried to read Wuthering Heights last year and I was not able to finish it. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is sublime because of the themes it expresses, but I would say that The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte is my favorite Bronte novel. I love you

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad you love the Bronte sisters and particularly Anne!

@imaginativebibliophile549

3 жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 The Bronte sisters were amazing.

I love Anne too! And not too much charlotte bronte that much. I love your top 3!!

For Victober I read The Bronte Myth and How to be a Victorian and BOTH books spoiled different books for me. I was so disappointed. Thank you for this video. I think I need to read Agnes Grey. =)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Oh no! That's too bad. I'll have to read The Bronte Myth one of these days now that I've read all the novels.

Nice video.

Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my top Bronte novel too! I've only got Villette and The Professor left to read, and I'm a little apprehensive as I haven't enjoyed Charlotte's books as much as the others so far. I would say my current ranking is Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, Shirley.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Love it! Tenant is just the best. I wonder if it's becoming more popular with a 21st century audience, especially since the #metoo movement.

@VoyageofaTimeWanderer

3 жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 It would be really interesting to see an age breakdown of favourites!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

@@VoyageofaTimeWanderer Oh, that would be so interesting!

My favourites are Jane eyre and wuthering heights but Anne’s novels are very close behind 😊

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

They really all are amazing even if I don't "like" all of them 😆

Yes, I agree with your opinion about “Villette.” There were some passages with beautiful landscape descriptions however, overall it was a slog for me. Lucy Snow was not an appealing character. I became indifferent to her fate. “The Tenant” is my favorite Bronte novel. It’s a long time since I read “Jane Eyre”, however, I remember enough that I would rank it ahead of “Agnes Grey” or “Shirley.”

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Loved hearing your ranking! A slog is good way to describe Villette 😆

Hi Meghan! There's a new Anne of Green Gables devotional book which just released! I just received my copy. Would you be interested in this too?

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

That sounds amazing! I'll have to look into it.

Hello Megs, Villete irritated me because of all the untranslated French, but overall I didn't enjoy it either. The Professor is nothing to talk about. Wuthering Heights is just weird! Villette is an imperfect and badly constructed novel. I have read Jane Eyre twice. The second time I hated the ending, but enjoyed the writing overall. For some reason I can't remember Agnes Grey, so I need to re-read it! But, I do so agree with your top pick. When I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall I thought the writing was absolutely beautiful and I absolutely loved it . I must read it again!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

I love your mini reviews here! The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is truly amazing and I would definitely recommend Agnes Grey.

@thebooktraveller1901

3 жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 Thanks, Megs!

It's been years since I have read any of these books, but I really loved the Anne Bronte books. I think Jane Eyre is my comfort read of all of them, as that is the one I am most likely to go back to. I have my issues with Wuthering Heights, and I think it is because of the 1939 film, which promotes it as a great romance. The book was bound to be a disappointment if I was expecting romance. I remember reading The Professor and Villette, but I have forgotten everything about them. I have never read Shirley.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

That's the thing about the Bronte books - they're marketed as romances when they're really not. I was expecting a revenge tale with Wuthering Heights but I still didn't like it 😆 I'm glad you love Anne Bronte. She's my favourite!

@chanahminuk8485

3 жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 I've only read Anne's books once each approximately twenty years ago, (though it is possible I read Agnes Grey twice) but I always thought she was the best. On the other hand, I have read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights several times. You have encouraged me to try Villette, The Professor and Shirley again. Hopefully in the next while I will have read at least one of them.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

@@chanahminuk8485 Good luck with them!

I don't like wuthering heights either 😂, i also love Agnes Grey but I wouldn't consider a romantic novel, however the message that transmites is really good

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, interesting! There's definitely a lot more to it than romance that's for sure.

I appreciate the love for Tenant. Anne is so underrated next time her sisters. It's an amazing book. Personally I like wuthering heights better but I like the Gothic creepy element. And I simply adore the twisted relationship as opposed to the traditional "bad boy changing for a good girl" thing of most other novels of this nature. I get why people don't like it but I also think people don't understand that it's not meant to be a romantic book to idolize. The beauty is in Emily's writing and making you react to these characters whether you hate them or love them. She was simply that brilliant of a writer. She went completely against the rules.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you love Tenant too! Very true that Emily's writing is brilliant, and that she was bold and audacious in writing what she wanted to write instead of being confined by literary formulae. You're so right that it's good Heathcliff doesn't change for Cathy. In real life abusive people usually stay abusive (unless they have good therapy and a strong desire to change). I think it's actually dangerous and a disservice to the reader to write bad boys (aka abusive jerks) who then reform because of the heroine's magical love. Readers sometimes take this as something to be replicated in their lives. Thankfully, Heathcliff does not reform, and most people don't want to be with a man like that! You can tell I have strong feelings on this 😂

@bmonster

Жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 I totally get it. That's exactly why I argue against Jane Eyre being feminist and ahead it's time. Mr Rochester was manipulative and emotionally abusive. He strung along an innocent woman to make Jane jealous while he was simultaneously hiding his wife from her. And Jane didn't do anything progressive or feminist....she went back to her abuser after his wife had died so she could be with him properly by society's standards of her time. I argue the point with people that this is not healthy in any way and no matter how brilliant their speeches are to each other, in the end he had done nothing to change his ways or redeem himself. He sat at home until she came running back. And she was even wiling to go back not knowing the wife had died possibly to become his mistress. Put this in a modern day setting and we abhor men who behave in this way. But in a Victorian setting give him a romantic speech and he's the best thing on the planet. Why? I digress. I guess this is why I prefer Heathcliff and Cathy. They are both terrible and pretty much deserve each other and end up hurting each other. You can love them and interpret them as misunderstood or hate them and call them horrible people but they still get what they deserve in the end. Cathy screws herself over marrying a man she doesn't love for money and status and Heathcliff is forced to endure a lifetime without her. If you hate them you can laugh at the karma. If you love them you can be happy they finally get to haunt the moors together for eternity. It works either way. But as these novels go Tenant had the best story to teach a lesson about the nature of abusive relationships and how best to handle it (at least at that time in history) Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are great novels to read but not books or characters to model ones life after by any means. Sorry for the long reply. I'm very passionate about this as well lol.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

@@bmonster Yes, yes, and yes to everything you said! If you haven't written a book of literary criticism on this topic yet, you totally should. I would definitely read that!

@bmonster

Жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 That is a great idea!!

i've now moved on to Tenant and am already enthralled!

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

It's so good!

@jackjones5920

Жыл бұрын

@@meghanthestorygirl4581 now finished! she's an incredible author. although i didn't read of any "door slam" in the book -- what was that about?

@meghanthestorygirl4581

Жыл бұрын

@@jackjones5920 Great! It was a later literary commentator's figure of speech :)

i heard Anne was the prettiest too

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, interesting! I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

@staffanlindstrom576

3 жыл бұрын

If you look at the portrait Branwell Brontë painted of his sisters you will see that Anne was the pretty one. Noone could call Charlotte or Emily pretty.

@vinish542

3 жыл бұрын

@@staffanlindstrom576 See, I personally have a crush on Charlotte, but I know that Anne be was objectively the cutest

@staffanlindstrom576

3 жыл бұрын

@@vinish542 I am glad we agree about Anne.

I agree with your rankings but I have not read all of Charlottes. Anne is definitely my favorite Bronte.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

She's just the best!

do you think the Bronte sisters have always tried to present religion as a good deed in their works? Was that one of the intentions of their works?

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment! I don't think it was one of their intentions, but just a subliminal message they picked up from their society and then transferred into their works.

I agree that Villette is pretty boring and just too darn long. I liked the writing itself but I never felt drawn into the story. And I also struggled with Wuthering Heights, especially because it's such a classic, and everyone agrees it's amazing. I was like.....it's okay??? Just kind of dreary, honestly. I also quite enjoyed both Anne books, though I'd put Agnes Grey above Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but not by a lot. And I'm cliché but Jane Eyre is my fave :)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

No worries about it being cliche to have Jane Eyre as your favourite. If so many people over so many years have loved it then that's saying something!

Tenant is SO underrated, it is my favorite as well. I think I would switch Jane and Agnes around but otherwise my top 3 are the same! BUT I haven't read Shirley or The Professor yet. I just read Villette for Victober and it was a struggle but I feel like I want to give it a second chance at some point (not soon though...)

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, that makes sense! That's awesome that Tenant is your favourite too.

Nooooo Wuthering Heights :(

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

😆

Charlotte is also my favorite Bronte! However I feel like all her male characters have the same character traits. Mr. Rochester, St. John Rivers, William Crimsworth, Paul Emanuel, John Graham Bretton. They're all basically the SAME man. The male love interests are extremely similar.

@meghanthestorygirl4581

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, Anne is actually my favourite! Charlotte is lower in my esteem partially for the reason you listed above.😊