was published in June 1848 by T. C. Newby. In an attempt to capitalise on the success of Charlotte Brontë’s

, the unscrupulous Newby advertised

as being by the same author, “Currer Bell”. This move angered both Anne and Charlotte; the latter had promised her next novel to Smith, Elder & Co. at Cornhill. In an unprecedented move, Anne and Charlotte travelled to London by overnight train to convince Smith, Elder & Co. that they had separate identities.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall attracted negative criticism for its subject matter; it was described as “disagreeable” in Athenaeum, and “revolting”, “coarse” and “disgusting” in Sharpe’s London Magazine. Similarly, reviewers complained about its

1617 words

Citation: Sullivan, Lindsay. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 January 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7906, accessed 26 November 2024.]