Key works in English literature

The Telegraph & Argus gives more information concerning the upcoming auction of a first edition of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (and Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey, by the way):

Bronte Parsonage librarian Ann Dinsdale said: "There are very, very few copies about because there was such a small print run. Both Emily and Anne had to pay towards the cost and they were told they would get a percentage of the sales refunded.
"But they never got anything and it was left to their sister Charlotte, after their deaths, to get something back. When you think of the amount of money which will change hands for this book and how little was made by the Brontes, it's very sad."
What made the first edition so precious was that it was printed without corrections Emily wanted.
"The book was rushed out by the publisher in December 1847 hopefully to cash in on the huge success of the publication of Charlotte's Jane Eyre in October, so he didn't bother to make her corrections." she added.
Miss Hall said: "It was quite a wrench to part with it after all these years but the money's going to my education."
The course fees are £1,000 a term and money from the sale of the rarity will not only finance her course in full but also pay for living accommodation.
Simon Roberts, a Bonhams book specialist, said: "I have been in the book trade nearly 20 years and I've never handled a copy of the first edition. I took the call when the book came in and it was very exciting to see it. It is one of the books you want if you're putting together a collection of key works in English literature." (Clive White)

The Tampa Tribune reviews the Gorilla Theatre performances of Polly Teale's Jane Eyre (more information on this previous post):

The Gorilla Theatre has brought Polly Teale's highly symbolic adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's novel 'Jane Eyre' to Tampa. While faithful to the original story published in 1847, this contemporary play further explores Jane's true nature with visual interpretations of her often-hidden emotions.
Immediately, the audience is informed that this production is no stodgy rehashing.
The play opens with young Jane (Katherine Michelle Tanner) poring over an illustrated travel book that fires her imagination. A wild-haired woman (Shana Perkins) dressed in tattered underwear dances around her in unsuppressed glee, in tandem with Jane's excitement.
This strange figure is Bertha, who in the novel is Rochester's mad wife but here also represents Jane's unspoken desires and frustrations. She symbolizes the qualities that Victorian society deemed improper for women to express but that Jane nevertheless feels. (...)
Under the direction of Nancy Cole, this production burns with a controlled intensity. Each detail - from casting to lighting to staging and set design - brings import to the play's heavy use of symbolism.
Cole uses a handful of actors to portray several characters in rapid succession. With a few simple costume adjustments to cue the audience of a change, the actors seamlessly move from one role to the next. The tactic sets just the right pace for sustaining the story's impact.
Most compelling are the interactions between Perkins and Tanner. Professional dancer Perkins rises and writhes to the emotional pitches like an animal too beautiful to be caged, while Tanner's poise and refined acting counterbalance this ferocity.
Ned Averill-Snell plays Jane's rotten cousin, John Reed, and Edward Rochester, easily transitioning from overgrown child to sexy-ugly man. Rochester is such a distinctive character, the wrong actor can easily botch the job of conveying his complexities (for example, see the 1983 televised version starring over-actor Timothy Dalton). It is both a relief and pleasure to watch Averill-Snell 'get' it.
Scenic and lighting designer Keith Arsenault crafted a stark, precarious set that emphasizes the play's message. Steep, curving stairs lead to a second level that includes Bertha's attic prison, and the narrow spaces leave the actors little room for missteps.
Arsenault's use of warm lighting in Perkins' scenes contrasts well with the pervading flat, gray tones.
These visual elements, in step with the other production parts, indicate the bleak horizon awaiting most Victorian women and the repercussions for those who tried to elude it. (Kathy L. Greenberg)

The Guardian interviews Jung Chang, author of Mao: The Unkown Story. She reveals some unexpected Brontë background:

When Chang was young, books were banned across China, her only material those publications her brother bought on the black market, sold by people who couldn't bear to see them burn. She read Chinese and foreign classics, and was particularly influenced by Victorian female writers such as Jane Austen and the Brontës - "I felt an affinity with them; the sensibility and sensitivity expressed by them somehow struck a chord" - as well as 19th century Russian writers. (Natalie Hanman)

Do you remember the sponsored walk from Haworth to Top Withens in the Pennines? The Hampshire Chronicle publishes the results.

Finally, Girlebooks reviews Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea.

Categories: In the News, Jane Eyre, Theatre, Wide Sargasso Sea, Wuthering Heights