This Dark Night by Deborah Lutz review – Emily Brontë’s world
Deborah Lutz’s biography of Emily Brontë offers a fresh, grounded portrait of the author, focusing on her practical habits and tactile creativity rather than the sensationalized image of her as deranged. By anchoring the narrative in everyday objects and habits, Lutz shows how Brontë’s disciplined…
Deborah Lutz’s latest biography of Emily Brontë, This Dark Night: The Life of Emily Brontë, turns a century‑old myth on its head. For decades, writers and readers have pictured the Yorkshire novelist as deranged or unhinged, a view that has been amplified by recent film adaptations. Lutz, whose 2015 work The Brontë Cabinet already impressed scholars with its focus on tangible artifacts, now turns the spotlight on Brontë’s everyday life, revealing a woman who was practical, grounded, and remarkably disciplined.
From a Short Bed to a Long Legacy
Lutz opens the book by describing the small bed in which Emily slept—a bed too short for her, yet one that became a symbol of her constrained yet determined existence. The author notes how Emily would fill her pockets with paper, pencils and moorland treasures, turning each item into a tool for her creative process. Even the laundry she tended—stockings marked with “AB5” to indicate Anne’s fifth pair—shows a meticulous attention to detail that would later surface in her writing.
Brontë’s habit of writing “while baking, in front of a peat fire perched on a little stool, or while walking” illustrates how she used tactile surroundings as a catalyst for imagination. Lutz argues that this close relationship between the physical and the poetic is what made Brontë’s prose feel so vivid and grounded.
Early Writings and a Tactile Voice
One of the book’s most compelling arguments is that Brontë’s earliest extant writings—such as the sampler she stitched at age ten—are more than mere copied platitudes. Lutz points to a line taken from Proverbs, “Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?”, as evidence that even as a child Brontë was already contemplating themes that would later surface in Wuthering Heights. The author also highlights the tiny books the Brontë children made, describing them as “delightful, tiny objects to match their toys and still‑small selves.” These artifacts, Lutz notes, reveal a secretive, insular quality that would later surface in Brontë’s narrative voice.
Perhaps most intriguing is Brontë’s one‑page diaries with her sister Anne. Lutz describes them as a “new writing practice, one that feels distinctly modern, even avant‑garde,” noting that they contain stream‑of‑consciousness descriptions of cooking, chatter, animals, and invented heroines—an early form of the free‑flowing style that would later be associated with Virginia Woolf.
Re‑examining the Myth of Madness
While Lutz does not shy away from Brontë’s more dramatic moments—such as the alleged incident where she supposedly bit a rabid dog and cauterised the wound herself—she frames these events within the medical knowledge of the time. The author argues that Brontë’s actions were not signs of madness but rather adherence to contemporary medical advice. Similarly, the speculation that Brontë had a romantic affair with a working‑class man or a female teacher is treated as a possibility, not a fact, and is contextualised by the author’s broader interest in Brontë’s potential influence from the nearby figure of Anne Lister.
One of the more controversial inclusions is the story of Brontë beating her dog Keeper—a tale that Lutz suspects may have been invented by Charlotte’s first biographer, Elizabeth Gaskell. The author’s careful treatment of such anecdotes underscores her commitment to a balanced, evidence‑based portrait.
Grief, Gravediggers, and the Haunted House
Lutz spends considerable time exploring Brontë’s relationship with grief. She suggests that watching her mother spend seven months in a “liminal state” may have influenced the recurring themes of death and longing in Brontë’s work. The author describes the vault built to bury Emily’s mother inside the church and how it was reopened for each sister and brother, drawing a parallel to Heathcliff’s obsession with digging up Catherine’s grave. This comparison helps readers understand the psychological underpinnings of the novel’s haunting atmosphere.
By situating Brontë firmly in the texture of her everyday life, Lutz reframes Wuthering Heights not as a product of a “crazed bodice‑ripper” but as the debut of a virtuoso novelist who had honed her craft from childhood. The biography also offers practical insights for writers, showing how to carve out time for creativity in the midst of domestic responsibilities.
Process, Possibilities, and the Lost Novel
Lutz delves into Brontë’s writing process by analysing Charlotte’s correspondence with potential publishers. She proposes that Brontë began with an “inner core of drama,” built a backstory around it, and finally added a narrative frame that “ensnared the narrative.” This methodical approach counters the myth that Brontë simply blurted the novel onto the page.
On the enduring question of a lost second novel, Lutz expresses confidence that Brontë was indeed working on another manuscript, possibly inspired by European political upheavals. She speculates that the manuscript could have been hidden in a wall at Brontë’s house or buried on the moors—an idea that invites both scholarly investigation and literary imagination.
Overall, Deborah Lutz’s biography is a refreshing, well‑researched counter‑to‑the‑myth narrative that invites readers to see Emily Brontë as a practical, disciplined writer whose life and work were deeply intertwined with the tactile world around her.
What Happens Next?
Readers interested in a deeper dive into Brontë’s life can purchase the book from Bloomsbury or support the Guardian’s bookshop. Scholars and fans alike will find Lutz’s meticulous research a valuable resource for future studies of the Brontë sisters.
Why it matters
By challenging the sensationalized image of Emily Brontë, Lutz’s biography offers a more nuanced understanding of how personal habits and everyday environments shape literary creation, enriching both literary scholarship and public perception.
Key points
- Lutz focuses on Brontë’s practical habits rather than sensational myths
- Early writings reveal a tactile, disciplined creative process
- Grief and domestic rituals influenced the themes of Wuthering Heights
- The author presents a methodical view of Brontë’s writing process
- Speculation of a lost second novel opens new research avenues
Frequently asked questions
What new perspective does Deborah Lutz bring to Emily Brontë’s life?
She emphasizes Brontë’s practical habits, tactile creativity, and disciplined routine, challenging the myth of her being deranged.
How does Lutz explain Brontë’s writing process?
She argues Brontë began with an inner drama core, built a backstory, and then added a narrative frame, showing a methodical approach.
Is there evidence of a lost second novel by Brontë?
Lutz believes Brontë was working on a second novel, possibly inspired by European politics, and speculates it might have been hidden or buried.
