The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Oh what a hateful book! Long, boring, and with main characters I found tedious and annoying. It has claims to being one of the first feminist novels and I guess I can't disagree with that-Helen certainly has a mind of her own and she, when pushed far enough, takes her life into her own hands which is not something expected from your traditional 19th century heroine. But she also gets herself into the sort of trouble that you can't really align with her experiences in other parts of the book...but then again, she falls in love with not one but two absolute dolts in the course of the novel so maybe it is consistent? And our hero, the teller of the tale, is a real piece of work. He's a selfish, lazy guy who pursues his self-absorbed activities to the detriment of his land, his tenants and his family. Though he expresses admiration for his sister, love for his mother and a stereotypical rivalry with his little brother, he is a horrid friend at one point literally attacki