Yes, I did read that; in fact, that's the book that re-invigorated my interest in the Brontes when I was home earlier this year with a broken leg! It was very vividly written & incorporates all of the Bronte myths, but in terms of accuracy, it's a little dicey. Still, Hughes knows enough not to be dangerous, & I found the book quite enjoyable! If you're looking for other bios, I high recommend Rebecca Fraser's THE BRONTES; Lyndall Gordon's CHARLOTTE BRONTE: A PASSIONATE LIFE; Helen Moglen's Charlotte ronte: The Self Conceived;l Juliet Barker's massive THE BRONTES; and especially, Margaret Smith's LETTERS. I just read Maria Frawley's lit. crit on Ann & Katherine Frank's bio of Emily, which were both excellent too. I now have an entire shelf filled with Bronteana, & more to come!!

I'm a little undecided on "Bronte". I remember nodding my head in emphatic agreement at some points, and then hurling it across the room in violent disagreement more than once. Generally, I thought it was probably good with Charlotte, okay with Anne, and pretty awful with Emily. But that's in accoradance with how much authobiographical material in the form of letters and such that each sister left. Emily, leaving the least behind, is subject to more varying interpretation. I did like the scene of her figeting in the church during her father's sermon as a child, however. In terms of bio-fiction, I liked "Heathcliff - The Return to Wuthering Heights". Scenes with Charlotte and Emily were interspersed with the main text of the novel. I thought it was excellent on Emily, if just a shade unkind to Charlotte. There is another work along the lines of the Hughes book called "Dark Quartet", the name of the writer escaping me at the moment. It goes up to Anne's death, and was followed by a second novel which I don't have that covered the remainder of Charlotte's life.

There is also a new Juliet Barker one out here now. It reproduces alot of their letter and correspondance. My mum's bought it for me for christmas but won't let me get my hands on it until then.....I think I'm going to go mad waiting!!!

I do have the new Barker -- I bought it up at the Bronte Parsonage. It is massive & I've yet to take a look at it. I also bought Emily & Anne's Belgian Essays (the devoires) which I'm really curious to read. And my fiance loaded me up with Bronte bios so my shelf is now groaning with them! I just received HOLY GHOSTS: THE MALE MUSES of Charlotte & Emily B. from the Internet Book Store, & am very anxious to read that too...

Since Anne was never IN Belgium, the above should read Charlotte & Emily's essays!!! I'm just now reading Winifred Gerin's bio of Emily -- I think it's the best one on Emily I've come across yet. It's a very balanced, scholarly account. Gerin also wrote one on Charlotte, which I have & I'm anxious to read.