was published in June 1848 by T. C. Newby. In an attempt to capitalise on the success of Charlotte Brontë’s
Jane Eyre, the unscrupulous Newby advertised
The Tenant of Wildfell Hallas 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
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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 19 April 2024.]
