Brontë
In this graphic novel, Santoni, an illustrator and comic artist, brings the lives and achievements of the 19th-century Brontë sisters to adolescents ages 13 to 18. The classic novels of Emily Brontë (Wuthering Heights, 1846) and Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre, 1847) are often studied in college courses and dramatized in films. Santoni combines visual text with written language. Illustrations and context cues make the work easily accessible. She uses bold, sweeping lines in black and white. Text is sparse, making this a quick, fluid read. Charlotte, the oldest and strongest character and driving force behind their writing and publication, is presented with pronounced cheekbones and dark clothing. Emily is depicted as proud, stubborn, and talented. Anne, the youngest and sweetest, is drawn with soft lines.
The novel opens on the windswept moor, not unlike Wuthering Heights, using pathetic fallacy—nature reflecting the trials of the sisters: their ailing father, dwindling finances, and alcohol and opium-addicted brother, Branwell, who’s lost his position due to adultery. The sisters support each other emotionally. They decide to publish. Emily balks as “most people think that literature isn’t a woman’s business,” making the reader aware of the 19th-century chauvinistic climate limiting decent women to marriage and governesses. Charlotte proposes male pseudonyms. Sadly, all three sisters perish young, but not before leaving a literary legacy. I personally disliked the cover as too cartoonish with an alien look to the sisters. Would it encourage young readers to seek out the original novels or complete further reading of their biographies? Excellent timelines and notes on chapter designs are appreciated. Santoni has also produced graphic novels on Jane Austen and Mary Shelley.
