The Brontës

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Jan 2, 2026

Explore the captivating lives of the Brontë sisters as they navigate tragedy and creativity. Discover their journey from a Yorkshire parsonage to literary fame, crafting novels like *Jane Eyre* and *Wuthering Heights* using gender-neutral pen names. Delve into their challenging experiences as governesses and the heartbreak of family loss. With humor and sketches, the podcast brings their remarkable story to vivid life, highlighting their enduring legacy and the impact on literature.

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ANECDOTE

Haworth Beginnings And Family Loss

Patrick and Mariah Brontë raised six children and moved to Haworth where the famous Brontë Parsonage still stands.
The family's early life included creativity and tragedy that shaped the siblings' future writing.

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ANECDOTE

Tiny Books And Home Schooling

The Brontë children received a broad home education after school tragedies and created tiny, doll-sized books together.
These miniature fantasy worlds and their extensive reading fueled the sisters' later novels.

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ANECDOTE

Teaching Jobs Turned Into Fiction

Charlotte, Emily and Anne all worked as teachers or governesses and hated the experience, which they later used as material in their novels.
Charlotte and Emily also studied in Brussels, and those experiences fed into books like Jane Eyre and Villette.

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Family background and Parsonage move

01:17 • 2min

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Mother's death and schooling hardships

03:07 • 2min

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Home education and tiny fantasy books

04:51 • 59sec

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Teaching, governess work and its influence

05:50 • 55sec

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Brussels, failed school plan, and writing turn

06:45 • 52sec

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Gender-neutral pen names and early publishing

07:38 • 54sec

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Novels' receptions and financial terms

08:32 • 2min

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Branwell's decline and siblings' illnesses

10:24 • 33sec

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Anne's death and Scarborough burial

10:56 • 36sec

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Charlotte's continued writing and editorship

11:33 • 33sec

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Marriage, pregnancy and Charlotte's death

12:06 • 1min

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Legacy: adaptations and cultural impact

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Villette

Charlotte Brontë

Villette est un roman de Charlotte Brontë qui raconte l'histoire de Lucy Snowe, une jeune femme anglaise qui travaille comme institutrice dans une pension de jeunes filles à Villette, une ville fictive basée sur Bruxelles. Le roman explore des thèmes tels que l'identité, l'amour, la religion et le féminisme. Le style d'écriture de Charlotte Brontë est connu pour sa profondeur émotionnelle et ses descriptions détaillées des émotions et des expériences de Lucy. Villette est un roman qui continue de captiver les lecteurs aujourd'hui grâce à son histoire captivante et ses personnages mémorables.

#510

• Mentioned in 52 episodes

Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

Published in 1847, 'Wuthering Heights' is a novel that tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and the foundling Heathcliff, whom her father brings home to Wuthering Heights. The narrative, framed by the visitor Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, explores themes of love, revenge, and the cyclical nature of life. Heathcliff's bitter vengeance against those who wronged him drives the plot, which spans generations and delves into the dark, passionate, and often destructive aspects of human nature. The novel is renowned for its dramatic and poetic presentation, its unique structure, and its vivid depiction of the Yorkshire moors as a reflection of the characters' inner lives.

#8700

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

Shirley

Charlotte Brontë

Shirley, published in 1849, is Charlotte Brontë's second novel. It explores the lives of Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar, two women from different social backgrounds, as they navigate love, friendship, and societal expectations in early 19th-century Yorkshire. The novel delves into themes of female independence, social change, and the complexities of relationships amidst the turmoil of the Luddite uprisings.

#7533

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Agnes Grey

Anne Brontë

Anne Brontë's "Agnes Grey" is a novel that offers a realistic portrayal of a governess's life in 19th-century England. The novel explores themes of social class, morality, and the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society. Brontë's detailed descriptions of Agnes's experiences and her insightful observations on human nature make the novel a compelling read. The novel's exploration of the complexities of human relationships and the importance of personal integrity continues to resonate with readers. The novel's realistic portrayal of social inequalities and the struggles faced by women remains relevant today.

#2813

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Brontë

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell, is the second and final novel by Anne Brontë. The story is framed as a letter from Gilbert Markham to his friend and brother-in-law, detailing his encounters with Helen Graham, a mysterious and secretive widow living at Wildfell Hall with her son. As Gilbert's fascination with Helen grows, he discovers through her diaries the details of her tumultuous past, including her marriage to the abusive and alcoholic Arthur Huntingdon and her subsequent escape to protect herself and her son. The novel is a classic of English literature, known for its unflinching portrayal of social issues such as marital cruelty, infidelity, and the rights of women to choose their own path in life.

#322

• Mentioned in 72 episodes

Jane Eyre

Edmund Morrison Wimperis

Edmund H. Garrett

Jant van der Weg-Laverman

Charlotte Brontë

The novel follows Jane Eyre from her childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is mistreated by her aunt and cousins, to her education at Lowood School, and later her employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she falls in love with her enigmatic employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester, but discovers a dark secret about his past that forces her to make a difficult choice. The novel explores themes of love, independence, and social justice, and is known for its realistic portrayal of the inner life of a woman during the Victorian era.

Dead Funny History: The Brontës.

Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the lives of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, three literary legends whose tragic family story inspired some of the greatest novels of the 19th century.

This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From their Yorkshire parsonage to their tiny books written in doll-sized handwriting, the Brontës were bursting with creativity. But their lives were also filled with heartbreak, illness and rejection.

Discover how the sisters used gender-neutral pen names to get published, how their brother Branwell tried (and mostly failed) to join in, and how their novels, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey, were shaped by their real-life experiences as governesses, teachers and grieving siblings.

Expect parodies, sketch comedy, and a quiz to test what you’ve learned. There’s a mournful bell for every tragic twist and a goat who’s surprisingly good at literary criticism. It’s history with heart, humour and high production value. Perfect for curious kids, families, and fans of You’re Dead To Me.

Written by Jack Bernhardt, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Dr Emma Nagouse Host: Greg Jenner Performers: Mali Ann Rees and John-Luke Roberts Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Associate Producer: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill Researcher: Dr Emmie Rose Price Goodfellow Script Consultant: Dr Amber Regis Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Production Manager: Jo Kyle Studio Managers: Keith Graham and Andrew Garratt Sound Designer: Peregrine Andrews

A BBC Studios Production

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