"Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontes" by Isabel Greenberg

First, a word from the publisher: “Glass Town is an original graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg that encompasses the eccentric childhoods of the four Brontë children–Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The story begins in 1825, with the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, the eldest siblings. It is in response to this loss that the four remaining Brontë children set pen to paper and created the fictional world that became known as Glass Town. This world and its cast of characters would come to be the Brontës’ escape from the realities of their lives. Within Glass Town the siblings experienced love, friendship, war, triumph, and heartbreak. Through a combination of quotes from the stories originally penned by the Brontës, biographical information about them, and Greenberg’s vivid comic book illustrations, readers will find themselves enraptured by this fascinating imaginary world.“

What Worked For Me:

The work offers an intimate exploration of creativity and imagination by way of the Brontë siblings. Though it is often unclear what parts of the work came from the siblings and what sprang from Greenberg’s imagination, the work remained compelling regardless.
The work tackles heavy subjects (death, disease, the constraints on women in the 1800s and more), but never becomes melodramatic (or misery porn). In short, it humanizes while it mythologizes.
You don’t need to be a Brontë scholar or super-fan to enjoy Glass Town. In fact, not even a passing familiarity with the Brontë’s work is required. With that said, having some foreknowledge of their lives and works will only enhance the experience.
I can appreciate that the work was short and self-contained. I’m not always looking for a sprawling, multi-book epic, after all.

What Didn’t:

The art style is an acquired taste. It initially reminded me of Hark! A Vagrant, but that comparison fell apart as I delved further into the work. While I found the visuals of the work captivating, I wouldn’t call them “polished,” like “Hark!” can be. I understand that this is almost assuredly a stylistic choice on the part of the author, but I would still recommend setting your expectations accordingly.
Though the work is pitched as “the imaginary world of the Brontës,” it focuses mostly on Charlotte. This isn’t a bad thing, per se, but I left the story wanting to know more about Anne and Emily.
I may just have been my copy, but some of the pages of the work were surprisingly pixelated. This was especially frustrating on the two-page spread introducing each of the story’s major players; I found it next to impossible to make out some of the names listed.

Conclusion:

As I said above, you don’t have to be a super-fan of the Brontës to enjoy this work. Though Glass Towns is a work of historical fiction it still feels real, which is a testament to the research and creativity Greenberg must’ve poured into this work. Perhaps the greatest complement I can give this work is that it has sparked a desire to read more of the Brontës’ fiction and poetry … once my to-be-read pile is a bit smaller, that is.

Check it out here.