Ranking the Brontë Sisters' Novels: From The Professor to Villette
As Emerald Fennell's film adaptation of Wuthering Heights ignites fresh discussions, we celebrate the groundbreaking work of the Brontë siblings. Their novels, penned under pseudonyms in the 19th century, continue to captivate readers with their raw emotion and social commentary. Here, we rank their major works from least to most celebrated, delving into the stories behind each book.
7. The Professor (written 1846; published 1857) by Charlotte Brontë
This was the first novel Charlotte Brontë ever completed, yet it faced rejection from publishers nine times. Narrated by William Crimsworth, a male protagonist, it tells a subdued tale of middle-class ambition as he journeys to Brussels to build a teaching career. The final publisher to review it noted potential but deemed it too brief and lacking in excitement. Fortunately, Charlotte had Jane Eyre in progress, which soon filled those gaps and was eagerly accepted. Although The Professor remained unpublished during her lifetime, Charlotte maintained it was "as good as I can write," showcasing her literary finesse through its subtly ironic male voice.
6. Agnes Grey (1847) by Anne Brontë
In 1846, the Brontë sisters self-published a poetry collection under pseudonyms, selling only two copies. Turning to more marketable fiction, each sister began a novel. While Charlotte worked on The Professor, Anne crafted Agnes Grey, drawing heavily on her own experiences as a governess. The first-person narrative follows a heroine initially thrilled to earn her independence, only to face underpayment and disdain from affluent employers. Her charges include a cruel boy who tortures sparrows. Overshadowed by Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights upon release, this novel might have stirred more attention as an early exposé of governess life.
5. Shirley (1849) by Charlotte Brontë
This follow-up to Jane Eyre was written under tragic circumstances, as Charlotte's brother Branwell and both her sisters died during its creation, causing a hiatus. Described as "unromantic as Monday morning," this "condition of England" novel explores the Luddite riots, capitalism, and women's roles through a third-person narrative that lacks a central protagonist, making it feel scattered. Charlotte, a political conservative despite her proto-feminist themes, might have argued this diffuseness mirrors real life.
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) by Anne Brontë
Anne's second novel stands as the most radical and socially engaged of the sisters' works from a feminist perspective. It follows Helen Huntingdon, who flees her abusive husband to Wildfell Hall with her son, highlighting the era's harsh divorce and custody laws. In contrast to Charlotte's romanticised Mr Rochester, Anne exposes the toxicity behind the Byronic rake archetype. Its frank depiction of addiction and adultery shocked Victorian readers more than any other Brontë book, rooted in Anne's observations of her brother Branwell's turmoil.
3. Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Brontë
The first Brontë novel to be published, Jane Eyre became an instant bestseller with its dramatic story of a governess and a madwoman. Its brilliance lies not in plot but in what reviewer GH Lewes called its "strange power of subjective representation." By adopting a female narrator, Charlotte achieved unprecedented first-person intensity, though sexist critics of the time condemned it as "coarse" and its heroine as overly assertive.
2. Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë
Written alongside The Professor and Agnes Grey at the same dining table, Emily's masterpiece baffled critics upon release as "a strange book." It remains unique, defying Victorian norms and transcending its later romanticised clichés. Though filled with violence, it notably lacks explicit sexuality, featuring sparse, powerful prose. Poet Swinburne aptly compared it to Greek tragedy, cementing its status as a western canon classic.
1. Villette (1853) by Charlotte Brontë
Less renowned than Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, Villette is Charlotte's true masterpiece. Returning to Brussels—inspired by her 1842-4 experiences there—she weaves in her unrequited love for tutor Constantin Heger through narrator Lucy Snowe. This psychologically complex novel blends naturalism, gothic, and autofiction, exploring repression and the unconscious long before Freud. Its depth was only fully uncovered posthumously, revealing Charlotte's innovative push beyond Victorian realism.
