I thought this was so interesting to read. I was curious about Branwell since you usually only hear about the sisters and I ended up really enjoying this book even though it's hard to say what's true and what isn't.

sympathetic take on branwell’s life, which is more uncommon in brontë biographies. very interesting and very detailed, which i have mixed feeling about (especially when du maurier supposed a lot of internal thoughts and reasonings). crazy read tho

Absolute must for Du Maurier and/or Bronte fans. I've had this on my reading pile for quite a few years and have finally gotten around to reading it. I was spurred on as well by the wonderful book "Daphne" by Justine Picardie which I listened to earlier this year.

This is a biography of Branwell Bronte, brother and only son in the Bronte family of Haworth. Really, it doesn't need any explanation, because they are so famous. Du Maurier writes so well, that it is an easy and informative read, well researched and fascinating. It's interesting to read the Bronte story, but from the perspective of someone more from the sidelines of the three famous sisters, and especially of someone who would have loved to have been just as sucessful. Also perhaps a reflection that it's not just raw talent that brings a successful life, but also some luck and chance. It's easy to look down on people who "fail", fall to addiction, or for whom life doesn't work out, but given the right circumstances, anyone of us could go that way. Also, if you took away the famous sisters, would this be a tale that anyone would remember now, read of, or study at all academic levels? One might say, in his own right, Branwell couldn't stick at anything, failed at every endeavour and left nothing of note behind him (harsh way of putting it, I know). He is remembered because of his sisters. But perhaps it's also that there is a story to be told, and worth to every life, even those who do not become published writers. I find it all so intriguing. I also ponder over this whole Robinson affair that was supposedly the final downfall of Branwell. Was it the mother or the daughter Lydia that really caused the trouble for him? Or perhaps neither? Was that just a fantasy tied in with his alter ego world, and it ended up being a lie he felt forced to embellish and continue with, for telling the truth that it was all just in his head was far worse? I'm left pondering on a great many things.

Researching Branwell. Would modern studies reveal anything more specific about him? Daphne du Maurier wrote a very compelling book, but it does not hold up well. Full of her own opinions.

I've always been a little obsessed with the Brontes- I don't know, maybe I was their cousin or something in a past life. I'm also a proclaimed Daphne DuMaurier fanatic. So imagine my excitement to find Ms. DuMaurier's biography of that mysterious, supposed-genius brother, Branwell Bronte. This book is short, as was the life of its subject and his sisters. But this review's gonna be long, so bear with me.

Now, I'd heard rumors- mostly college professor gossip- about Branwell during the years. That he really was the one who wrote Wuthering Heights (!!), that he was an addict, a failed genius, tortured, the real Heathcliff, etc. Never having read about him, I concocted a vision of him. In my vision, he was a tall, brooding pale male specimen, with auburn curls and possibly a beard. Hazel eyes, a reproachful voice, cigarette in hands. A nineteenth-century James Dean. I was a little upset to read that I'd gotten only the hair and skin color right. Apparently Branwell Bronte resembled a red-headed Woody Allen more than the fifties film icon.

Sadly, the rumors about the tortured mind were true. Honestly, the first couple of chapters were so dry that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to continue. But I did. The Bronte siblings had a sad early life: their mother and two older sisters passed away when Branwell, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne were all children. They had a loving father and aunt to take care of them, though- and although they weren't well-off, it doesn't appear that they were suffering for money either.

The Bronte siblings wove stories at a young age, collaborating on romantic epics when most people their age were probably playing kick-the-can or whatever 19th century kids did. Branwell was apparently the most prolific. He was "The Boy." And being the "Boy" in an all-girls family in the 1800s, big dreams were pinned upon him. Branwell was a genius- a multi-talented prodigy. He would shine, he would make his family proud.

Then things went downhill. First of all, his father refused to send him to school with his sisters. No reason for this decision is provided. Du Maurier speculates that something was wrong with him emotionally. She carries these speculations throughout the book- that maybe Branwell was epileptic or had some form of schizophrenia. But there is no concrete evidence that supports her speculations.

Apparently Branwell was cheerful good company, and a little full of himself (he was, after all, "The Son"). But whereas the Bronte sisters make it a point to earn steady incomes and write books, Branwell can't stick to one project, job, etc. He's aimless, and he changes his mind frequently. At 23, the "Son" that everyone had pinned such high hopes on is fired from two jobs as a rail station clerk. He's unemployed and mopes (trust me, in this economy, I can sympathize). He takes a job as a tutor and is fired from that for 'inappropriate conduct.' I think we can all read between the lines there, but it's still pure speculation as to what happened. Branwell tells his family that it was a love affair between him and the employer's wife, but Du Maurier has establised that Branwell often can't distinguish reality from fantasy. After that failed job, Branwell spends his time abusing alcohol and laudanum while his sisters make a living through their writing and teaching.

Branwell's story has a sad end- demise at age 31 from abuse of his body and a broken heart. But the thing is- again, what SPECIFICALLY caused Branwell to take this turn? DuMaurier chalks it up to his sensitive nature, combined with the deaths of his older sisters, the pressure of performing as the brilliant only son, and mental illness. The last factor is never proven- it seems that Branwell did have adult ADD possibly, but that's it. As for the sensitivity and family deaths, his sisters went through the same things he did, so what prompted them to soldier on and him to just give up?

This question got me thinking about larger issues, such as what specifically causes the members of the same close-knit family to diverge in such opposite directions? I think hardiness of character is a big role. DuMaurier doesn't come out and say this in her bio, but it's hard for the reader not to think it. An example:

Both Charlotte and Branwell had sent examples of their amateur work to Wordsworth for his commentary (which is kind of like me mailing my short stories to Margaret Atwood asking her to tell me if they're any good, but I digress). Branwell didn't receive a reply, and as for Charlotte, Wordsworth pretty much thought her a bimbo. Ouch! But where Branwell was floored by this and other failures, Charlotte persevered with her writing, even after her self-published poems and first novel failed.

I'm sympathetic to Branwell- it's hard not to be when you're done reading this book. But I also take it as a warning- make sure you're on the Charlotte path in life and not the Branwell.

Charlotte, the only Bronte sibling left after the fame said this about her brother, when trying to figure out how exactly he went wrong, "I seemed to receive an oppressive revelation of the feebleness of humanity; of the inadequacy of even genius to lead to true greatness if unaided by religion and principle."

It sounds harsh, but I think, and perhaps Du Maurier, if she were alive, would agree, that Branwell wanted the greatness of life, but not the effort that's needed to gain it. Still, he was his sister's muse and joy- I believe that his presence played a role in their feverish literary conceptions, and that's good enough for me.

PS- He didn't write WH, but it's possible that Emily had gotten the idea from him.

This was a lovely biography dedicated to Branwell, the neglected sibling when it comes to non-fiction work. I will have a full review of this on my blog, and it goes live on Wednesday, so definitely give it a follow if you're interested in reading more.

My only qualm with this was the writing style. At times, it felt like it was a story rather than non-fiction. If you weren't that familiar with Branwell's life, or the life of the family, in all honesty, then you may question what du Maurier wrote quite a lot. Although, as someone who is aware of their lives, I quite like the style du Maurier adopted. It was a little bit of a weird situation, and I think whether you like it or not depends entirely on what you like your non-fiction to be like.

Another issue that annoyed me was du Maurier unnecessary and unwarranted comment on Anne's literary merit. Randomly, she suggested that Anne had 'less talent' than her siblings. That's not true, and it's a stupid comparison to make. Anne wrote realistically, whereas Emily, Charlotte and Branwell wrote, more often than not, romantically. It was just a stupid, unnecessary comment that furthers the notion that Anne is the forgotten and less talented sibling.

Other than that, a delightful read on Branwell. The narrative being solely dedicated to him allowed me to reflect on my feelings towards him, whilst being introduced to a lot of new writing from him. I would definitely recommend!