The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful and sometimes violent novel of expectation, love, oppression, sin, religion and betrayal. It portrays the disintegration of the marriage of Helen Huntingdon, the mysterious 'tenant' of the title, and her dissolute, alcoholic husband. Defying convention, Helen leaves her husband to protect their young son from his father's influence, and earns her own living as an artist. Whilst in hiding at Wildfell Hall, she encounters Gilbert Markham, who falls in love with her.
On its first publication in 1848, Anne Brontë's second novel was criticised for being 'coarse' and 'brutal'. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall challenges the social conventions of the early nineteenth century in a strong defence of women's rights in the face of psychological abuse from their husbands. Anne Brontë's style is bold, naturalistic and passionate, and this novel, which her sister Charlotte considered 'an entire mistake', has earned Anne a position in English literature in her own right, not just as the youngest member of the Brontë family.
Wow, the above text (from the back of the book) is so exhaustive I feel like there is very little to add. It's been a good long while since I finished this book now, so what I write here will be from memory. On the other hand, perhaps what I can remember has made such a strong impression that it actually shows what a terrific writer Anne Brontë really was?
As mentioned above, the novel is about Helen Huntingdon, who runs away with her young child, in order to take him away from the bad influence of her husband. While she is hiding out at Wildfell Hall, her mother's old home (?), she meets the kind neighbour Gilbert Markham, and they take a liking to one another. Of course, nothing can come of it - her husband is still very much alive.
