![Novelist Charlotte Brontë](https://www.onthisday.com/images/people/charlotte-bronte.jpg?w=360)
Profession: Novelist
Biography: Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, one of the three Brontë sisters—alongside Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë—who have left an indelible mark on English literature. She is best remembered for her novel Jane Eyre (1847), which is considered a classic of English literature and has been adapted numerous times for film, television, and stage.
Jane Eyre, published under the pen name Currer Bell, blended elements of social criticism with a unique narrative voice. The novel's innovative structure, along with its exploration of social and feminist themes, garnered significant acclaim. This was a seminal contribution to the genre, particularly for its use of an inner-directed narrative from the perspective of a woman.
In addition to Jane Eyre, Brontë penned several other novels including Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853). While these works didn't receive the same level of recognition as Jane Eyre, they further established Brontë's reputation as a skilled and innovative writer.
Born: April 21, 1816
Birthplace: Thornton, West Yorkshire, England
Star Sign: Taurus
Articles and Photos
First Faltering Steps of Jane Eyre
With hope, pride – and some subterfuge – Charlotte Brontë sent her hefty manuscript of Jane Eyre to publishers in London on this day, then crossed her fingers.
August 15, 1847Wuthering Heights Author Dies at 30
Emily Brontë, author of the classic novel Wuthering Heights, died on this day. Like her sisters Anne and Charlotte, she passed away at a tragically young age.
December 19, 1848
Married Life
- 1854-06-29 English Novelist and author of "Jane Eyre" Charlotte Brontë marries curate Arthur Bell Nicholls
Historical Events
- 1837-03-12 British poet laureate Robert Southey writes in reply to 20 year-old Charlotte Brontë "Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life, and it ought not to be."
- 1846-05-07 First printed copies of "Poems" by Emily, Charlotte and Anne Brontë received, published under pseudonym of Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell (2 copies sold)
- 1847-08-24 Charlotte Brontë finishes her manuscript of "Jane Eyre"
- 1847-10-16 Charlotte Brontë's book "Jane Eyre" published
- 2019-11-18 Book written by Charlotte Bronte aged 14 for her toy soldiers bought by the Bronte Society for €600,000 at auction in Paris
- 2022-04-25 Charlotte Brontë’s "A Book of Ryhmes" (10cm x 6cm), written when she was 13, sells at auction in New York for $1.25 million to Friends of the National Libraries for the Brontë Parsonage Museum
Biographies and Sources
- A Tiny Brontë Book, Sold for $1.25 Million, to Return Home - NY Times
- Letter from Robert Southey to Charlotte Brontë, 12 March 1837 - British Library