After a bitter argument, the three sisters eventually agreed to publish a collection of their poetry, which came out in 1846 as ‘ Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell‘. In September 1845, Charlotte had discovered, although of course we’ll never know how ‘accidental’ the discovery was, a hidden book of Emily’s poems. Whilst Agnes Grey, the first of Anne’s two novels, was introduced to the public at the end of 1847 its origins were earlier, possibly much earlier. They had been writing both prose and poems together since their childhood, at that time in conjunction with their brother Branwell although by the time 1847 came around he was too lost to alcohol and opium to even realise that his sisters were writing let alone collaborate. Of course, we know these writers better today by their real names of Anne Brontë and Emily Brontë, rather than the pen names that they, together with their sister Charlotte who masqueraded as Currer Bell, adopted to keep their identities and gender secret.
The beginning of December 1847 was a time of great excitement in the Brontë Parsonage at Haworth, but it was nothing to do with the impending arrival of Christmas it was the month that saw the joint publication of Agnes Grey, by Acton Bell, and Wuthering Heights, by Ellis Bell, and the gestation of these great novels had been anything but smooth.
Slight age-toning to the endpapers and the blank outer margins of otherwise flawless pages. Excellent interior with sound, secure hinges but with slight cracking to the top 1 1/2" of the paper seam over the rear hinge. Just slight shelf wear to the edges and one small shallow indentation on the front board and otherwise unworn with very bright gilt lettering. Very bright, very clean book with no sunning. 382 pages followed by two pages of publisher's current catalog. "Routledge's Hearth & Home Library" blind-stamped into the cloth at the top of the front cover. Medium-blue full-cloth binding with gilt lettering on the front cover and spine. Published separately but in uniform bindings with two volumes by Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre and Shirley. Scarce first edition thus, first printing, with title page dated 1892.
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