A Vain Talent? The Question of Female Artistry in the Life and Work of Anne Brontë

I enjoyed the anthology immensely. As an art historian and not a literary scholar, I was not familiar with several of the works discussed within the anthology. This was not a negative, as the authors utilized and explained the texts effectively. Their findings made me appreciate the complexity of Anne Brönte’s oeuvre as her characters navigate through the challenges of being a woman in the nineteenth century. All the authors highlight the struggles these women face in searches for education, work, recognition and love.

Prof. Jennifer Bates Ehlert

Department of Art and Art History

Salve Regina University

“A Vain Talent?” provides scholars and students with a much-needed positive appraisal of Anne Brontë. Not only does the anthology give voice to this often-overlooked youngest sister’s life, it also discusses how she utilized the theme of artistry in her poetry and novels to explore women’s experiences in the Victorian age. “A Vain Talent?” helps fill a void in the Brontë conversation, which is good news for those who wish to recognize Anne as one of the greatest writers of her time.

Dr. Laura Johnson Dahlke

University of Nebraska at Omaha