S2:E1 | The Brontë Myth

Le Salon Literary Discussions

Welcome back to the Le Salon Literary Discussions podcast! In this series we are talking all about the Brontës. Chances are you’ve heard of the novel Jane Eyre and maybe even Wuthering Heights, but over the next six episodes we’re going to look at the women behind these lasting novels—sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—and their legacy. In this first episode we’re tracing their early family life and writings but also exploring the myth around these siblings as secluded literary geniuses.

[2:54] “That’s right: the famous last name that would become known to readers centuries later, Brontë, was NOT Patrick’s original last name.”

[10:41] “In a letter, Charlotte writes that ‘we did not like to declare ourselves women, because… we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice.’”

[12:02] “There is something gendered about this myth. The words “untaught” and “naïve” lend themselves specifically to women of the era. It reinforces the idea that the sisters produced excellent art despite their limitations.”

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• The Cottage in the Woods by Patrick Brontë
• The Maid of Killarney by Patrick Brontë
• Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell

More resources for you:

• See what books are on the virtual literary salon schedule.
• Follow me on Instagram @lesalonreads.
• Visit my website.