Reappraising Emily Brontë

Posted on June 11, 2018

Emily Brontë’s incomparable Wuthering Heights is, for many of us, one of our most cherished novels, with the character of Heathcliff being the ultimate romantic hero – and villain. It is a work that has bewitched us for almost 200 years. But Emily herself remains an enigmatic figure, often portrayed as awkward, as a misanthrope, as “no normal being”. But is that accurate?

Emily Brontë Reappraised, published by Saraband on June 15, 2018, conjures a new image of Emily and rehabilitates her personal reputation.

In this “biography with a twist”, Dr Claire O’Callaghan claims that the characterisation of Emily as an oddball is undeserved – and that she would probably fit in better in modern society, where independent, unconventional women are more likely to be celebrated than maligned.

Emily Brontë Reappraised takes in the themes of her life and work – her feminism, her passion for the natural world – as well as the art she has inspired, and even the “fake news” stories about her.

This highly accessible companion to the popular Charlotte Brontë Revisited is full of contemporary references – and ideal for millennial students and Brontë admirers.