Faith Central - a blog hosted by The Times - wonders why Yorkshire is supposedly Britain's most haunted county. The Brontës are of course mentioned:
Seventy four demons are reported to be living in Yorkshire, a county long-established as a haven for ghosts and gothic legend (no coincidence this was once home to the Bronte family who inhabited a village placed on the edge of a suitably spectral moor). (Bess Twiston Davies)
Anyone interested in that sort of thing might want to take a look at Marie Campbell's Strange World of the Brontës, by the way.
Back to more earthly matters.
The Daily Iowan has an article on writer
Anchee Min and her style is said to be shaped by
Her exposure to classic and modern literature has also left its mark, particularly the writers Charlotte Brontë and Frank McCourt. (Rebecca Koons)
Another style description comes from
The Philadelphia Inquirer, quoting from Nicole LaPorte's new book
The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks.
LaPorte [...] suggests that [Russell] Crowe may have anger issues.
"Crowe . . . chewed up monologues," LaPorte writes in her poetic, Bronte-esque neo-Gothic prose, "spitting out each and every poisonous syllable." (Tirdad Derakhshani)
On the blogosphere,
The Secret Dreamworld of a Jane Austen Fan posts about the
Jane Eyre adaptation curently on stage again in Stockholm (until May 16). Both
Medieval Bookworm and
Passionate Book Lover review
Rachel Ferguson's The Brontës Went to Woolworth's. And
Eggplantia posts a few updates on the
Brontë-Along, including the fact that 43 bloggers have already joined in the initiative! So, congratulations to the organisers.
Categories: Books, Haworth, References
Seeing as it's been brought up... both times that I've been to the parsonage I have had an encounter in what's known as "Charlotte's room". The first time I went with a friend and I thought she was stood behind me, being insistent that we go to the next room, but when I looked round there was no one there - apart, of course, from Charlotte's dress in the cabinet behind me.
ReplyDeleteThe second time was in February this year. I'd told my boyfriend about it and so we were in Charlotte's room and that same sensation was there again. It's between the fireplace and the window. It feels like a woman (whether Charlotte or not I don't know), who is rather confused by all these people being in the house.
I haven't mentioned this before as it might sound rather hysterical and have me noted down as the worst kind of Bronte fan by some people - but I can't ignore what I experienced. There is, or at least, seems to be, some kind of presence in that room. There also seems to be someone hovering in the kitchen. In fact, the whole place feels rather "busy".
And should I mention the man in the black coat in the graveyard, who melted before my eyes? (serves me right for being in a graveyard at night, though!)
Has anyone else experienced these?
I've tried to research this and I can't find any reports online at least about ghosts in the parsonage, but apparently there's a female figure see about the time of the anniversary of Emily's death, going through the Weavers Restaurant (they do a very nice vegetarian shepherd's pie) and in the parsonage grounds. People assume it's Emily.
(sorry to spill my nutter nonsense on your blog. But at least I don't think I'm chanelling the Brontes!).
ReplyDelete@Helen Highwater
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested in these youtube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdQBEpuY2VY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEiHnNALuXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ-T_plUKRc
And also, Helen, you might be interested in watching an episode of Most Haunted that was filmed in Haworth. I found it funny rather than creepy, though.
ReplyDeleteAnd Strange World of the Brontës as I said might interest you as well.
ksotikoula: Oooh, thanks for those links! The photo of the shadow in the doorway is fantastic! (and nice to know I'm not the only slightly unhinged Bronte fan in existence. In fact, knowing that there's others more unhinged than me is quite nice to know).
ReplyDeleteCristina: I've heard about this episode but I've never seen it. I do find "Most Haunted" rather unbearable. I grew up in a house full of bangs and crashes and people wandering about who weren't actually there - and it's just creepy, whereas "Most Haunted" are intent on any spirit being malevolent, which just isn't true. It gives hauntings a bad name! ;) I've ordered "Strange World" as well - should be an interesting read.