The tragic lives of the Brontë sisters hold a romantic fascination as great as that of the stories into which they poured their rich imaginations and experiences. Following their first appearance in 1847 and the deaths of Emily (1818–48) and Anne (1820–49), these two classics of English literature – one an impassioned tale of doomed love, the other a quietly intense portrait of the governess in Victorian society – were published together with poems and a biographical notice in this revised 1851 edition. It was prepared by the authors' sister and fellow novelist, Charlotte (1816–55). Wuthering Heights was Emily's only novel, and although it received mixed reviews upon first publication because of its stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty, it has since become an icon of its genre. Agnes Grey, Anne's debut novel, astutely shows the governess to be an often invisible and abused member of the household.
