This is one great classic. So far I have read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, which I loved, and Wuthering Heights by Emily, a book which I absolutely hated (Cathy and Heathcliff, I loath you with all my heart). But The Tenant of Wildfell Hall outshines both these books in my opinion.
I really enjoyed the realistic setting of this book. Anne Brontë deals with a topic which is as relevant today as it has been when Brontë has written it. What happens when your beloved husband turns into a different kind of person after you have married him and love starts to fade? Nowadays you would divorce that guy but what kind of choice would a woman in Victorian times have?
Which brings me to Helen, our heroin in this story. I pretty much love everything about her. She has her flaws and she has made some bad decisions in her life, but she doesn´t blame other people for these faults and she is very aware of the things she has done wrong. And instead of succumbing to her fate, she takes matters in her own hand and turns into a very strong and independent woman. She is one awesome character.
I have to admit that I haven´t been particular fond of the male characters in this novel. In comparison to Helen they felt like a weak bunch and I actually felt the need to slap some common sense into them or just slap them in general because they were awful beyond words.
If you are in for the classics and you haven´t read a book by Anne Brontë just yet, you should pick this one up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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