A superb, engaging and satisfying read that continues to resonate and contain relevance for a contemporary reader. The novel embraces the themes of love, marriage and commitment, as well as betrayal, adultery and alcoholism. To a modern reader, much may seem commonplace, but for Victorian sensibilities, this combination would certainly have shocked. As the introduction to the Oxford edition highlights, the novel's power also lies in its frank depictions of states of subjection and powerlessness. It shows us how it feels to be thwarted, betrayed, dominated and trapped in situations from which we cannot escape. In exploring these states, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall presents a sharp critique of a brutal and brutalising society. The novel's structure also bears mention. It is epistolatory in format, with Gilbert (the beau) describing the action in letters sent to a friend. Within his letters are the contents of Helen's (his eventual belle) diaries. This is perhaps fitting, since Helen is also the eponymous "tenant" — the property is not hers, and nor, de facto, are the words. The characters speak in words that have been spoken by and belong to others. The inevitable parallel relates to Helen's initial predicament too. As a wife (to a dissolute husband), she lacks rights and is subjugated. Resolution at the novel's conclusion is fully deserved. 9/10.
By Anne Brontë