Separated at birth: Heathcliff and Gollum

The Todmorden News carries an article on Ian Emberson's new book of Brontë-inspired poetry, Mourning Ring:

A book of poems relating to the famous literary Bronte sisters, their lives and the landscapes which influenced them, has been published by a Calder Valley author this month.
Mourning Ring: Bronte Related Poems is the latest work by artist, author and poet Ian Emberson, although some of the poems had their genesis in the past and three have appeared before.
But with extra poems added and illustrations completely reworked, the new volume finally sees them published in the way the Todmorden-based author is very happy with.
"It's a collection gathered over the years, some of the poems were written 30 years ago and the latest a few months ago. It wasn't originally planned as a whole," he said.
Some years ago Ian had produced a slim volume called Three Bronte Poems, which came from a reading at Haworth in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Bronte Society in 1993.
But he was never really happy with it from an illustrative point of view and these years later decided to rework it.
"I like unified illustrations and the like and decided to revamp the whole thing.
"The illustrations, apart from the cover, I did in water soluble pencil and the cover in ink.
"Some of the ideas are ones I am using again but they have all been done this year," he said.
Ian said he wanted to thank Chris Hall at Lambert's Printers for the work he had done to realise the book exactly as he wanted it.
Some of the poems, such as "Anne" and "Cross Stone Vicarage" (the latter is a strong local link with the Brontes) relate directly to the sisters, while others, including "Mourning Ring" and "Ignus Fatuus" are inspired by their work.
Aspects of the Yorkshire and Lancashire landscapes which featured in the lives of the sisters are present in virtually all of the poems.
At the end of the nine-poem work Ian has included a short page of brief notes which explain where the inspiration for many of the poems came from.
This serves not only to enhance enjoyment of the poems themselves but also to send readers back to original Bronte texts to read again the context.
Lovers of the powerful landscapes which shaped Bronte lives will enjoy them too as they are very evocative.
Composer Robin Terry is already working on a song-cycle based on the poems which it is hoped will be debuted at Haworth next year.
Mourning Ring: Bronte Related Poems costs £3 and is published by Ian's Angria Press imprint. It is available from the Border Bookshop, Todmorden, Todmorden Tourist Information Centre and Lyall's Bookshop, Todmorden, The Bookcase, Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge Visitor and Canal Centre and from the Bronte Parsonage gift shop in Haworth.

Stay tuned for our review of Mourning Ring.

Mr Emberson's book could be a nice Christmas present for a Brontë, although The Times does not feature it on its 'Christmas Books 2008: Gifts'. However, it does feature White's Books Jane Eyre:

I was pleased to receive a copy of one of my favourite novels, Jane Eyre, produced by White's Books (£19.95; www.whitesbooks.com). Designed by David Pearson, the man responsible for Penguin's dashing “Great Ideas” series, these clothbound hardbacks with stylish covers are a treat. (Erica Wagner)

The Guardian Books Blog touches on the topic of happy endings vs not so happy endings.

But it made me wonder which stories would suffer most from a tacked-on happy ending. Anna is saved from the train by Vronsky! It was all a big misunderstanding – Oedipus isn't really part of the family! Cathy and Heathcliff enjoy a long and happy marriage! Over to you… (Alison Flood)

We are very sorry for Heathcliff, Cathy and the rest of them all but that would have indeed been Mills & Boon-y.

The Australian newspaper The Age apparently has Heathcliff currently inhabiting the Snowdonia area in Wales:

There's nobody else up here. Listen and you can almost hear Gollum snuffling around the perimeter. "Yesssss, my precioussss." Well, it's him or that chap Heathcliff. (Keith Austin)

Because, you know, Gollum and Heathcliff are like two peas in a pod.

The Boston Globe alerts us to a new production of Irma Vep - with its Wuthering Heights connections - going on stage tonight at the Lyric Stage through December 21.

Categories: Books, Jane Eyre, Poetry, Theatre, Weirdo, Wuthering Heights