Sitting in a waiting area awaiting plastic surgery (Plastische Chirurgie) is not my idea of fun. I looked around the waiting area wanting something to take my mind off of the procedure ahead and I spotted the book Jayne Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. One of the Bronte sisters. I looked to the side of this and noticed a book on the history of the Bronte Sisters.

I had already read the book Jane Eyre so was intrigued to learn about the literary works of these three sisters, who had all become well known authors. All three of the sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte lived at Harworth parsonage from 1821 to 1861. This parsonage is now a museum. On 15th of September 1821 Charlotte, Emily and Anne’s mother died of cancer and it was left up to her sister Elizabeth Branwell to look after the six children who were left in the parsonage. In 1825 Elizabeth and other members of the family died and Charlotte, Emily and Anne stayed on at the parsonage. This is when they wrote their books.

I found the history of this family really interesting and I found it most incredible that through a series of family tragedies fine books were written by all three of the sisters left. Still waiting to be called in for plastic surgery I started to read one of Charles Dickens classics A Christmas Carol. I had already read other books of Charles Dickens which included Great Expectations, The Tale of Two Cities and the Chimes. I really enjoyed reading these novels and thought that his history of going from rags to riches made interesting reading. Although the practice that I was sat in awaiting plastic surgery did provide magazines I found that reading literature took my mind off the procedure ahead far more. There was a Charles Darwin book on the side that I had noticed called The voyage of the Beagle but this did not interest me as much as his other novel The decent of man.

Reading through the novels on offer at the practice was a much needed break from the thought of what was ahead of me. By reading the about the Bronte Sisters I almost found myself in a dream like state wondering about what it would have been like to have lived in their time and their time spend in the parsonage with other members of their family. I wondered just how Emily and Anne had coped after their sister Charlotte died at the young age of 38 during child birth.

Books and literature are a great way of escape from reality. I often find myself picturing me in the book and put myself as one of the charactors in it and imagine what kind of emotions the person is feeling. I would have thought that most people who enjoy reading and collecting literature then one of the Bronte Sisters novels will have been one of the ones that they will have read. So while sitting waiting for my name to be called I will continue to read literature whilst awaiting my plastic surgery (facelift).