Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was at the forefront of first-person narrative storytelling and is beloved for its ability to put the reader in a fictional character’s head in a setting that, while realistic, also has fantasy and Gothic elements as well. With strong themes of classism, individualism, feminism, and a strong sense of morality, Jane Eyre is an important piece of classic English literature, and remains impactful to a modern audience.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Published a year before her death at the age of thirty, Emily Brontë's only novel is set in the wild, bleak Yorkshire Moors. Depicting the relationship of Cathy and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights creates a world of its own, conceived with an instinct for poetry and for the dark depths of human psychology.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

Agnes Grey is a young woman determined to prove to her family that she is mature and able to contribute financially to the household when her father’s investment plan goes awry. Agnes seeks out placements as a governess, and her jobs takes her between wealthy households far from home with unruly children and untidy houses.

Despite her self-perceived independence and maturity, Agnes lives an isolated life that is full of oppressive rules and strictures. Though she is constantly surrounded by people, she has to sacrifice close supportive familial and romantic relationships in her pursuit of her career. The events in the novel have close ties to Anne Brontë’s real experiences as a governess, and it has been suggested that this semi-autobiographical narrative opened readers’ eyes to the unfair and restrictive lives of 19th century governesses. A realistically humanizing story told in beautifully simple prose, Agnes Grey is a delightful Brontë novel that is not to be overlooked.

Sarah Coomes