The Brönte Sisters revisited and a new book, well, two! @LucciaGray revisits #JaneEyre

Hi all:

As  you know I’ve dedicated (and hope to carry on soon) some posts to classic writers. More recently it struck me that there are modern books, many times by indie writers, that either revisit old classics, giving them a twist, or like in the case of today’s author, tell us ‘what happened next’ for some of our favourite books.

I decided to share again my post on the Brönte Sisters when I saw that Luccia Gray had the second book book of her series The Eyre Hall Trilogy available in pre-order (for only $0.99). But a bit more about that later. First, my original post.

Another Friday and another guest post. This time I’ve decided to bring you a classic writer, or rather, three!

English: A painting of the three Brontë sisters; from left to right, Anne, Emily, and Charlotte. In the center of portrait is the shadow of Branwell Brontë, the artist, who painted himself out. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m sure you’ve read about them. The Brönte sisters. These three talented women, Charlotte, Emily and Anne lived in the XIX century in England, Yorkshire to be more specific. And specific we must be, as particularly in the case of Emily, the setting is paramount in their stories. Their father was an Irish clergyman (Patrick) and their mother Maria died shortly after Anne’s (the youngest) birth, of cancer, when Emily was three. The family moved to Haworth were their father was given a parsonage. (It has now become a museum of all things Brönte and I thoroughly recommend a visit. Haworth is a beautiful place and if you love steam engines and nice shops and tearooms, and the odd pub or two, you’ll love it.)  Their aunt Elizabeth moved in with the family, to look after the children.  Two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died of tb in their childhood. Due to this, the girls were removed from school and spent most of their childhood at home, where they entertained themselves reading and writing stories (and creating beautiful miniature manuscripts that you can see if you visit the museum). The girls used male pseudonyms (Currer, Ellis and Acton) as their pen-names. Charlotte worked as a teacher and Emily attended her school for a while but felt homesick and went back home. She worked as a governess in Halifax and then the three sisters went to Brussels, Belgium (1842) to educate themselves, planning on setting up a school. Emily left to attend her aunt’s funeral and did not return and eventually Charlotte and Anne abandoned the idea of setting up their own school and went back home. Their brother, Patrick Branwell (‘Branwell’), who loved painting (although from the works I’ve seen…anyway…) became dependent on alcohol and opium and died in 1948. Emily died shortly after (as I’m a doctor I doubt it was of a ‘chill’ she caught at his graveside but…). Anne also studied with Charlotte and Emily and later worked as a governess for many years, obtaining inspiration for her novel Agnes Grey that was published (under name Acton Bell) to mixed reviews in 1847. Next year she published The Tenant of Wilfell Hall. She caught tuberculosis and died in Scarborough in 1849. With the dead of Anne, Charlotte was the only surviving member of the family. The poems of the three sisters were published in 1846 and Wuthering Heights, Emily’s novel, a year later, to some mixed reviews. Charlotte, the oldest of the three, had been writing since her time as a teacher, and during the sisters’ stay in Brussels she wrote Villete and The Professor. She submitted The Professor to publishers before Jane Eyre but it was not published until after her death. Shirley had mixed reviews but opened the London literary world for her and she met other writers like William Thackeray and Elizabeth Gaskell. She decided to edit the work of her sisters. The curate of Haworth, Arthur Nicholls, proposed in marriage (her father did not see it with good eyes and Arthur left) and they got married some time later. Unfortunately, Charlotte died shortly after, whilst pregnant.

Bronte Parsonage Haworth West Yorkshire (Photo credit: iknow-uk)

Links:

Emily:

http://www.online-literature.com/bronte/

This link offers you information about Haworth, the family and even a 360º panoramic of the parsonage.

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/emily/emily.asp

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/80966/Emily-Bronte

BRONTE SISTERS STATUE (Photo credit: summonedbyfells)

Charlotte:

http://www.online-literature.com/brontec/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/80962/Charlotte-Bronte

Anne:

http://www.online-literature.com/brontea/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/80959/Anne-Bronte

Books: 

Jane Eyre (Charlotte)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GHNIR0/

The Professor (Charlotte)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082RXVCM/

Villete (Charlotte)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008494WR6/ 

WutheringHeights (Emily)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UJAOLM/

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UK2FCC/

Agnes Grey (Anne)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UJAP0M/

Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell (the three sisters)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TPEEQS/

And now, a little about Luccia Gray‘s books:

All Hallows at Eyre Hall by Luccia Gray

All Hallows at Eyre Hall: The breathtaking sequel to Jane Eyre (The Eyre Hall Trilogy) (Volume 1) by Luccia Gray

Experience the mystery and magic of a Victorian Gothic Romance, set in Eyre Hall, and rediscover the charm of Jane Eyre in this stunning sequel. Twenty-two years after her marriage to Edward Rochester, Jane is coping with the imminent death of her bedridden husband, while Richard Mason, Rochester’s first wife’s brother, has returned from Jamaica, revealing unspeakable secrets once again, and drawing Jane into a complex conspiracy. Everything Jane holds dear is threatened. Who was the man she thought she loved? What is she prepared to do to safeguard her family and preserve her own stability?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2G4SXW/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K2G4SXW/

Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall by Luccia Gray

Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall: Book Two Eyre Hall Trilogy (The Eyre Hall Trilogy 2) by Luccia Gray

Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall is the second volume of The Eyre Hall Trilogy, which will chronicle the lives and vicissitudes of the residents of Eyre Hall from the beginning to the height of the Victorian era.
Following Edward Rochester’s death, Jane Eyre, who has been blackmailed into marrying a man she despises, will have to cope with the return of the man she loved and lost. The secrets she has tried so hard to conceal must be disclosed, giving rise to unexpected events and more shocking revelations.
Romance, mystery, and excitement will unfold exploring the evolution of the original characters, and bringing to life new and intriguing ones, spinning a unique and absorbing narrative, which will move the action from the Yorkshire countryside, to Victorian London, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Colonial Jamaica.

Available on pre-order (for $0.99). Due out on the 28^th of August

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010KFLAVC/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010KFLAVC/

Thanks so much to the Brönte Sisters for the many hours of joy (and suffering) they’ve given us, thanks to Luccia Gray for bringing back some of our favourite characters, and thanks to you for reading, and you know what to do, like, share, comment, and CLICK!