The Brontësaurus: An A-Z of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (and Branwell)

Was Rochester a murderer? Did the Reverend Brontë carry a loaded pistol? What,precisely, does ‘Wuthering’ mean? Did the Brontës all have tiny feet?To celebrate the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth, eminent Victorian scholar John Sutherland takes us on an A to Z ramble through the world of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (and not forgetting their dissolute brother Branwell).For fans of __Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights__ and __The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,__ here is a lighthearted miscellany freighted with a working lifetime’s scholarly expertise. With his reputation for intensely close reading of Victorian literature, John Sutherland explores the Brontës’ lives, their characters, their novels and poems, and the ways in which we interpret them today — and above all he digs out those unexpected nuggets of fact that illuminate their perennially popular works. Was Rochester a murderer? Did the Reverend Brontë carry a loaded pistol? What,precisely, does ‘Wuthering’ mean? Did the Brontës all have tiny feet? To celebrate the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth, eminent Victorian scholar John Sutherland takes us on an A to Z ramble through the world of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (and not forgetting their dissolute brother Branwell). For fans of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, here is a lighthearted miscellany freighted with a working lifetime’s scholarly expertise. With his reputation for intensely close reading of Victorian literature, John Sutherland explores the Brontës’ lives, their characters, their novels and poems, and the ways in which we interpret them today — and above all he digs out those unexpected nuggets of fact that illuminate their perennially popular works. Did Charlotte Brontë take opium? Did the Reverend Brontë carry a loaded pistol? What, precisely, does ‘wuthering'mean?Distinguished literary critic John Sutherland takes an idiosyncratic look at the world of the Brontës, from the bumps on Charlotte's head to the nefarious origins of Mr Rochester's fortune, by way of astral telephony, letterwriting dogs, an exploding peat bog, and much, much more. Also features ‘Jane Eyre abbreviated'by John Crace, author of the Guardian's ‘Digested Reads'column – read Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece in five minutes! Did Charlotte Bront take opium? Did the Reverend Bront carry a loaded pistol? What, precisely, does wuthering mean? Distinguished literary critic John Sutherland takes an idiosyncratic look at the world of the Bronts, from the bumps on Charlottes head to the nefarious origins of Mr Rochesters fortune, by way of astral telephony, letter-writing dogs, an exploding peat bog, and much, much more. Also features Jane Eyre abbreviated by John Crace, author of the Guardians Digested Reads column read Charlotte Bronts masterpiece in five minutes! "Did Charlotte Brontë take opium? Did the Reverend Brontë carry a loaded pistol? What, precisely, does 'wuthering' mean? Distinguished literary critic John Sutherland takes an idiosyncratic look at the world of the Brontës, from the bumps on Charlotte's head to the nefarious origins of Mr Rochester's fortune, by way of astral telephony, letter-writing dogs, an exploding peat bog, and much, much more."--Back cover