"Charlotte Bronte's novels have retained a strong appeal for readers from her own time to the present day. Her rich and subtle writing rewards careful study, revealing a fine balance of comedy, romance and passion, and touching on contemporary social realities. In this guide, detailed analysis of extracts shows how common-sense approaches can be used to reach into the different layers of meaning in her writing. Readers are encouraged to participate in the analysis, to have confidence in their own responses, to think out their own interpretations and to explore creatively the unique blend of realism and fantasy underlying the psychological power of the novels."--BOOK JACKET.