Ingrained

That the Brontës are ingrained in popular culture comes as no surprise. But this post proves the matter even more.

The exhibition ArchiTEXTure: Reinventing the Book at the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Denver which opens next April 27 through August 18 is carefully examined by The Denver Post. An exhibition worthy of a visit if you're in the area and interested in books in general. What we liked was the following:

"The book is becoming reinvented through computers. We all read computer screens, but after I saw these beautiful hand-made books, I asked, 'What about the texture of books? What about the feel of paper?' There's something missing when we read digitally,"' said Leitner, who counts "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" among the books she has most frequently reread. (Colleen Smith)

Something also out of a (permanent) 'exhibition' is this post from the Brontë Parsonage Blog. It compiles several comments taken from the visitors' book at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. It's interesting to see how wide-ranging the visitors at the Parsonage are.

Sandy Lender, author of Choices Meant for Gods, admits to having been influenced by Charlotte Brontë and Jane Eyre when writing her novel.

The Women in the Attic of Choices Meant for Gods
Or...how Charlotte Bronte influenced my fantasy novel
Yes, I will openly admit that there are allusions to Jane Eyre in Choices Meant for Gods. Now, I didn't lift any text -- no plagiarism for me. (I went in and fixed that moment of insanity during editing. Yeah, believe it or not, I had a scene almost verbatim from the garden when Rochester proposes. Can you imagine? I was horrified when I figured out what I'd done.) Anyway, on this, the birthday of Charlotte Bronte, I wanted to pay homage to her and do my daily marketing for my fantasy novel. [...]
Okay, yes, I had purposefully included a scene where Nigel tells Chariss she's his "lifeline" and there's a "string" tied to his heart between them. Oh, how very "Rochester" of him. But I didn't realize as I wrote his lines that I lifted the entire scene between Rochester and Jane in the garden and nearly got myself sued by some estate (probably the Bronte Society of which I'm a member!).
So there I sat stupefied by the fact that Charlotte's subconscious influence had directed much of the novel without my knowledge. I started seeing similarities. The Taiman Estate, Arcana, bears many similarities to Thornfield Hall, complete with passageways no one's allowed to go into for which only the master keeps a key. Loetha could be Mrs. Fairfax (if she were straight). The family keeps a variety of secrets. Chariss arrives as an orphan with a troubled past. The master of the house falls in love with her but the reader is led to suspect a reason she cannot return the sentiment, despite an ardent desire to. The family takes in another orphan, Sorne, whom I see as a variant of Adele Varens in this list. And the list could go on... It's insane. I had no ideaSo, for Book II, I just gave in and named a character General John Riverson. Blatant. You'll hate him instantly because of it. [...]
Exploring the ways Choices Meant for Gods was influenced by Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was an interesting exercise for me. Interesting and fun because I adore Charlotte, and I had no idea I was letting her characters and her themes manipulate me. After you've read Choices, you'll have to let me know what other similarities or influences you noticed.

Funny, it's usually reviewers who trace and are surprised by these influences. Never the authors themselves :P Sandy Lender also has a post celebrating Charlotte Brontë's birthday yesterday.

We also find celebrations of Charlotte's birthday on شباهنگ (text in English, however) and Mysterious Musings.

This post from The Spuffy Realm has brough to our attention yet another piece of FanFic. This one turns out to be a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Jane Eyre. Don't believe it? Here you are:

1. Chapter 1 ~ New Beginnings by Vampgirly (NC-17) [Reviews - 18] Characters: Genres: RomanceWarnings: Adult Language, Sexual SituationsSummary: Elizabeth Summers takes a position as Governess at Thorndale Hall, owned by the charismatic William Rochester. Things are not always as they seem though; as Elizabeth soon discovers. Love, Passion and Betrayal are all combined as Elizabeth fights to find herself and her true love. Will she succeed? Based on the novel Jane Eyre, only with a Spuffy Twist! Nominated at the Spark & Burn Awards round 2 for Best Fantasy and Best New Author

The links to the following chapters are available here.

To end on a funny note. A Stolen Season writes:

Charlotte: The Juvenalia [sic]
Since Charlotte functions as my child in every way but the natural, I've been doing what lots of mothers do once they see what it's like to have a little one around the house: I'm planning for another one. Charlotte follows me everywhere and I worry she will be lonely without me when I'm working in the fall. So, I have a plan: Brontë Puppies Unabashed. I want to get another puppy, probably another Welsh terrier, and name her Emily. Then Charlotte and Emily can spend their days happily cooped up in their big house, dreaming up stories and carving their initials into the table. If only we lived on the moors...In anticipation of the highly successful literary career of my girls I am publishing Charlotte's first story on my blog.
Playing Fetch at Sunrise (read and look at the story)

Yet another Charlotte Brontë the dog/pet. They're becoming fashionable, you know ;)

Categories: Art-Exhibitions, Brontë Parsonage Museum, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, References, Weirdo