Tales of Angria

the long version

In 1834, Charlotte Bronte, together with her brother Branwell, created the imaginary kingdom of Angria, of which she was to write prolifically for the next five years. The five 'novelettes' in this volume are the last of her Angrian tales. Written from the viewpoint of the cynical, gossipy Charles Townshend, they offer an ironic portrait of the intrigues, scandals and passions of an aristocratic beau monde. With their varied cast of characters - ranging from the ageing rake Northangerland and his Byronic son-in-law Zamorna to Elizabeth Hastings, the respectable young governess - they provide a glimpse into the mind and creative processes of the young writer who was to become one of the world's great novelists.