Wow. Incredible review for a devastating story. And like you wrote so eloquently, while we now have a language dear Helen never had—to speak up, advocate, heal—we still have so much more work to do. You have a superb ability to digest a book, reflect on all the essential themes, and offer them up with compelling weight.
Thank you so much for your kind words! This, digesting books, is one of the greatest joys of my life and getting to talk about them is a gift. Thank you for reading.
this sounds like the passion of an editor! and I have a sense that a writer, also known as the curious platypus😉 may perhaps be a great benefactor of your editorial enthusiasm😁 I wonder if you get to do what you love for your work life... any publishing house would benefit from your passion too.
This essay gets more than an A+. I feel like the proper words fail me because there is so much to say. First of all I am embarrassed to say that in 174 years this is the first I've heard of this book, yikes! Thanks Evelyn for bringing it to my attention and in such a brilliant way.
I chuckled when you said the leads are more likeable than Kathy and Heathcliff because I've always felt I was alone in not really loving those two🤣
Your point about women not having the language back then, and many women still not having the language now, is so important. It is a cornerstone of our reality but if we don't have the fundamental tools then our reality is shaped different than our neighbor. There remains so much work to be done.
Yes, I believe in the immense power of language (which is probably very unsurprising as a writer), but it really is how we shape the world. If there was no word for blue, then blue does not exist.
There is always so much work to be done, and it can be overwhelming but it’s also a gift to. A chance to be kind in an unkind world is the greatest gift I think.
I definitely endorse reading this one. The best Bronte in my humble opinion.
WHUFFFF... yes, absolutely. I'm a Gen-Xer and we still didn't have the language to describe what we were, in spite of all the progress, constantly experiencing. And yes. When it's just...normal...learning all these terms, I have had to go back and totally rewrite my own history through this lens. That's why I give thanks for Substack's glorious and easy-peasy footnotes. Because it means that every time I get to a red flag in one of my own tales about this stuff, an action that I know to call "abuse" I can leave a footnote and love-note to my younger self, as well as anybody reading, saying, "No, darling. That's not affection. That's called love-bombing and he's setting you up to be dependent on him and isolated from everyone who actually does love you."
The language is such a crucial thing. Because back then, the only way that I understood I was being abused was when it finally escalated into physical violence and by then...way too late. The damage was already marrow-deep. I'm so glad you got out too! 🤜💥🤛
Thank you for painting it so clearly. I've never heard of that book either. Looking at what these old tales demonstrate about the insidious nature of how common these things were, we really can see how common some of it still is and yes! Be sooooo thankful for the progress as hacked out by brave souls before us, and especially for the ability to finally name it for what it is. Because if we can name it, if we can recognize it, then we can stop accepting it as "how things are." Whuff! That'll get me going in the morning, especially when fueled by coffee. Hahaha!
I really appreciated how your review of the particulars of Bronte’s novel built inertia into a stirring reflection on societal norms and the price of progress. This review begins in a light jig before busting into a proper sprint.
And your point about language really landed. It’s not just having a term to describe the thing that makes access to these terms valuable but their power to communicate with others. It’s a shared vocabulary: I have some sense of the mind “games” being played when someone invokes gaslighting, for instance—that wasn’t the case even ten years ago.
Maybe the most impressive thing I pulled from your discussion here is this: Brontë effectively described the situation within her own cultural lens, but you still recognized the behavior. That sucks to think about, since it means those abusive behaviors are still around, but also an achievement in writing.
(Unrelated to this piece: I’m several chapters into Ninth House. Enjoying it so far.)
Thank you for your thoughtful comment at always Michael!
Yes, it seems that as humans not much about our behaviour really changes over time, just the ways in which we understand it and create meaning. Bronte is timeless in this regard. But this novel could be written now, but the language would be very different.
Wow. Incredible review for a devastating story. And like you wrote so eloquently, while we now have a language dear Helen never had—to speak up, advocate, heal—we still have so much more work to do. You have a superb ability to digest a book, reflect on all the essential themes, and offer them up with compelling weight.
Thank you so much for your kind words! This, digesting books, is one of the greatest joys of my life and getting to talk about them is a gift. Thank you for reading.
this sounds like the passion of an editor! and I have a sense that a writer, also known as the curious platypus😉 may perhaps be a great benefactor of your editorial enthusiasm😁 I wonder if you get to do what you love for your work life... any publishing house would benefit from your passion too.
That’s incredibly kind of you! No, I do not get to work with words in that sense. But it’s not a bad idea…
This essay gets more than an A+. I feel like the proper words fail me because there is so much to say. First of all I am embarrassed to say that in 174 years this is the first I've heard of this book, yikes! Thanks Evelyn for bringing it to my attention and in such a brilliant way.
I chuckled when you said the leads are more likeable than Kathy and Heathcliff because I've always felt I was alone in not really loving those two🤣
Your point about women not having the language back then, and many women still not having the language now, is so important. It is a cornerstone of our reality but if we don't have the fundamental tools then our reality is shaped different than our neighbor. There remains so much work to be done.
Thank you! That is very high praise!
Yes, I believe in the immense power of language (which is probably very unsurprising as a writer), but it really is how we shape the world. If there was no word for blue, then blue does not exist.
There is always so much work to be done, and it can be overwhelming but it’s also a gift to. A chance to be kind in an unkind world is the greatest gift I think.
I definitely endorse reading this one. The best Bronte in my humble opinion.
I will definitely read it!
I know what you mean about blue, I need to write it to figure out what I think.
I will be very interested to hear your thought on both the book and blue.
WHUFFFF... yes, absolutely. I'm a Gen-Xer and we still didn't have the language to describe what we were, in spite of all the progress, constantly experiencing. And yes. When it's just...normal...learning all these terms, I have had to go back and totally rewrite my own history through this lens. That's why I give thanks for Substack's glorious and easy-peasy footnotes. Because it means that every time I get to a red flag in one of my own tales about this stuff, an action that I know to call "abuse" I can leave a footnote and love-note to my younger self, as well as anybody reading, saying, "No, darling. That's not affection. That's called love-bombing and he's setting you up to be dependent on him and isolated from everyone who actually does love you."
The language is such a crucial thing. Because back then, the only way that I understood I was being abused was when it finally escalated into physical violence and by then...way too late. The damage was already marrow-deep. I'm so glad you got out too! 🤜💥🤛
Thank you for painting it so clearly. I've never heard of that book either. Looking at what these old tales demonstrate about the insidious nature of how common these things were, we really can see how common some of it still is and yes! Be sooooo thankful for the progress as hacked out by brave souls before us, and especially for the ability to finally name it for what it is. Because if we can name it, if we can recognize it, then we can stop accepting it as "how things are." Whuff! That'll get me going in the morning, especially when fueled by coffee. Hahaha!
Thank you for your thoughtful response. In sharing my own story I am learning it is still all too common.
And as word-smiths ourselves we know the power of language.
I hope you are now safe and healing!
Absolutely! 🥰 We do at that.
Amazing Chicken. A book review with a powerful and deeply important takeaway.
You amazing me with your empathy and your passion to stand up and speak out for others. You are incredible! :)
Thank you! I couldn’t do any of it without you!
❤️🐥😘
I really appreciated how your review of the particulars of Bronte’s novel built inertia into a stirring reflection on societal norms and the price of progress. This review begins in a light jig before busting into a proper sprint.
And your point about language really landed. It’s not just having a term to describe the thing that makes access to these terms valuable but their power to communicate with others. It’s a shared vocabulary: I have some sense of the mind “games” being played when someone invokes gaslighting, for instance—that wasn’t the case even ten years ago.
Maybe the most impressive thing I pulled from your discussion here is this: Brontë effectively described the situation within her own cultural lens, but you still recognized the behavior. That sucks to think about, since it means those abusive behaviors are still around, but also an achievement in writing.
(Unrelated to this piece: I’m several chapters into Ninth House. Enjoying it so far.)
Thank you for your thoughtful comment at always Michael!
Yes, it seems that as humans not much about our behaviour really changes over time, just the ways in which we understand it and create meaning. Bronte is timeless in this regard. But this novel could be written now, but the language would be very different.
I'm glad you're enjoying it!