Brontë comics II: Deleers & Leclerq's Hurlevent

Some days ago we presented Siku's graphical adaptation of Wuthering Heights that was scheduled to appear next September. September is also the month when it will appear Hurlevent, a graphical novel by Jérôme Deleers (illustrations) and Yvan Leclerq (text), published by Éditions Casterman.

Although the name seems to suggest another Wuthering Heights adaptation, the fact is that Hurlevent is more focused in the Charlotte and Emily Brontë staying in Brussels. With some biographical data and a lot of imagination, the story recreates those days in the whole sense of the word... a fictional account that is summarised like this in the original leaflet, kindly provided by the publishers:

1842 Two young English women, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, arrive in Brussels to live in a pensionnat and polish their French.

In exchange for their accommodation, Charlotte will have to impart several English lessons, and Emily will keep company to a young blind woman: Katherine Murmaul't, sister to the German artist Oskar Murmaul't.

The first meeting with the brother and sister marks the grounds on which their relation will stand: an atmosphere of troubled, sensual, intriguing passion. Each little gesture and each little word seem to hide part of their secret madness.

Yves Leclercq offers in this one shot an obscure as well as original take of the events which were to shape the literary destiny of Emily Brontë, author of the well-known novel Wuthering Heights.

Young artist Jérôme Deleers illustrates this surprising story with gripping power, halfway between the Gothic tradition and computer imagery.

Click on the images to enlarge them.



Categories: Comics, Fiction