Jane Eyre
The best starting point for Brontë's major fiction and her most widely read novel.
Author guide
Charlotte Brontë Books in Order
Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was an English novelist and poet. Her four completed novels include Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and the posthumously published The Professor; she also left the unfinished novel Emma and extensive juvenile fiction, poetry, essays, and letters. With her sisters Emily and Anne, she published Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell in 1846.
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Novels (7)
- Jane Eyre
novel · 1847
"The orphaned Jane Eyre is no beauty but her plain appearance belies an indomitable spirit, sharp wit and great courage. As a child she suffers under cruel guardians, harsh schooling and a rigid social order but when she goes to…
- Shirley
novel · 1849
Set in the industrializing England of the Napoleonic wars and Luddite revolts of 1811-12, Shirley (1849) is the story of two contrasting heroines. One is the shy Caroline Helstone, who is trapped in the oppressive atmosphere of a…
- Villette
novel · 1853
With her final novel, Villette, Charlotte Brontë reached the height of her artistic power. First published in 1853, Villette is Brontë's most accomplished and deeply felt work, eclipsing even Jane Eyre in critical acclaim. Her narrator,…
- The Professor
novel · 1857
The Professor (1857) was Charlotte Bront's first and least regarded novel, rejected by all publishers during her lifetime and published posthumously by her widower A. B. Nicholls. Charlotte herself defended the novel passionately. "I said…
- Emma
unfinished-novel · 1860
In the very last month before her death at the age of thirty-nine, at the height of her powers, Charlotte Brontë set the scene of a new novel called Emma. A child spiritually oppressed, a school run on shallow and mercenary principles, a…
- An Account of Her Honeymoon
nonfiction · 1930
- Five Novelettes
novella-collection · 1971
Short fiction (4)
- Napoleon and the Spectre
short-story · 1919
- The Twelve Adventurers and Other Stories
short-story-collection · 1925
- Two Tales by Charlotte Brontë: The Secret and Lily Hart
short-story-collection · 1978
- Something About Arthur
short-story · 1981
Essays and speeches (1)
- The Belgian Essays
essay-collection · 1996
Children's books (3)
- The Adventures of Ernest Alembert
juvenile-fiction · 1896
- The Violet
juvenile-poem · 1916
- The Four Wishes
juvenile-fiction · 1918
Poetry (10)
- Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell
poetry-collection · 1846
- Poems by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë
poetry-collection · 1902
- Richard Cœur de Lion and Blondel
poem · 1912
- Saul and Other Poems
poetry-collection · 1913
- The Red Cross Knight and Other Poems
poetry-collection · 1917
- The Swiss Emigrant's Return and Other Poems
poetry-collection · 1917
- The Orphans and Other Poems
poetry-collection · 1917
- Latest Gleanings
poetry-collection · 1918
- Darius Codomannus
poem · 1920
- The Poems of Charlotte Brontë and Patrick Branwell Brontë
poetry-collection · 1934
Other (6)
- Letters to Ellen Nussey
letters · 1889
- Legends of Angria
juvenilia-collection · 1933
- The Miscellaneous and Unpublished Writings of Charlotte and Patrick Branwell Brontë
juvenilia-collection · 1936
- The Early Writings of Charlotte Brontë
juvenilia-collection · 1987
Frequently asked questions about Charlotte Brontë
Who was Charlotte Brontë?
Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was an English novelist and poet, and the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who became published writers. She is best known for Jane Eyre, published in 1847.
Sources: poetryfoundation.org (opens in a new tab)bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
What name did Charlotte Brontë write under?
She published her work under the pen name Currer Bell. Her sisters Emily and Anne used Ellis and Acton Bell, partly because women writers faced prejudice at the time.
What jobs did Charlotte Brontë have before becoming famous?
She worked as a teacher and governess, including teaching in Brussels, while trying to establish herself as a writer. She also encouraged her sisters to publish their work.
Sources: bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Charlotte Brontë’s writing?
Her childhood in Haworth, collaborative storytelling with her siblings, the books and journals she read, the surrounding moorland, and her experiences as a teacher and governess all shaped her writing. The Brontë Parsonage Museum also connects her teaching experience in Brussels with Jane Eyre.
Sources: bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
Why is Charlotte Brontë still important today?
She is remembered as a pioneering woman writer whose fiction explores independence, gender, and emotional life with unusual force. Jane Eyre remains a major literary classic, and her work continues to inspire adaptations and contemporary writers.
Sources: sydney.edu.au (opens in a new tab)bronte.org.uk (opens in a new tab)