Careful how you phrase it!

The Washington Times and many others write this:

An apology letter from Charlotte Bronte to avoid a possible libel suit over her portrayal of a school in her novel "Jane Eyre" has just come to light.

Waaaait a minute! No such letter has come to light - there are a few letters that claim that such a thing existed but no one can either confirm it or deny it at this point. Totally different things.

The Scotsman, however, does comment further on the matter:

[This first bit is for the guys at the Washington Times, etc.] But the newly found letters, written by Carus-Wilson's grandson Edward in 1912, show Bronte dissuaded him from pursuing his case by sending him a 1,400 word sketch, expurgated of the offending passages.[...]The letters are expected to fetch 70 to 100 pounds but Westwood-Brookes said the manuscript, if found, could go for a lot more. "If it (the manuscript) was to be found, the value at auction could well be 100,000 pounds. It's of incalculable importance," he told Reuters. "Jane Eyre, after all, is known all over the world as one of the most important books of the 19th century."

If the manuscript hasn't come to light yet it is highly unlikely that it will do so now. Consider it stored - if it ever existed, that is - with Emily's second novel and the Gondal prose. But do take a look around your attic anyway - just in case :P

Alan Bentley, director of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, the former Bronte home, said the sweeping sagas and mythical tragedy surrounding the Brontes' short lives carried their popularity far beyond the borders of their village.
"There's a touch of the James Dean or Marilyn Monroe -- people who die before their time," he said. "You always have a feeling they never fulfilled their potential."

Totally different circumstances, but we get the point :)

Categories: Brontëana, In_the_News, Jane_Eyre, Charlotte_Brontë