It seems that the creator of the Harry Potter saga,
J.K. Rowling is not only a Janeite but also in some degree a Brontëite. Several newspapers
carry this news today concerning an article published in the 2006 issue of the
Royal Society of Literature magazine (not available on their web yet):
The writers were among those asked by the Royal Society of Literature's RSL magazine to name 10 books children should read before leaving school.
Rowling's list includes such classic works as Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. She also recommends such 20th century novels as Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger and Catch-22 by Joseph Hell.
In The Times we find some other lists. On Andrew Motion's Jane Eyre is included.
What do you think? Among the Brontë opus, is Wuthering Heights the most suitable for children? Or maybe Jane Eyre?
Categories: In_the_News, Wuthering_Heights, Emily_Brontë
Well, I would recommend both of them. From Jane Eyre they will learn about the courage to love, a healthy sense of self-respect, the strenght to hold on to principles in times of doubt and the importance of forgiveness. From Wuthering Heights, they will learn where hate, selfishness and revenge leads ..... "the shadows are as important as the light" :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with all you say about Jane Eyre.
ReplyDeleteFrom Wuthering Heights there's also loyalty to be learned. And that there's no such thing as totally good or totally evil. And also to see that most people have motives for their actions springing from their experience.
I love that quote from Zefirelli's JE :)
Cristina.
What you say about WH is true... perhaps, I`m too harsh on Heathcliff & Cathy...
ReplyDeleteyeah, it´s a great movie, despite its inaccuracies :-)