Anyone who has paid attention to the library’s collection in the last few years has probably noticed the great influx of books written about Jane Austen or, indeed, the several fan-fiction prequels and sequels of her classic novels. There is even a term in the dictionary for her followers: Janeites. I, along with several other library staff members, count ourselves among her advocates. Now it seems that Jane might have to start sharing more shelf space with Charlotte, Emily and Anne: the Bronte sisters, of course. “Brontëites” will be pleased to hear that the library has acquired two new biographical fiction books, “Becoming Jane Eyre” by Sheila Kohler and “The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë” by Syrie James.On the subject of reading and the Brontës, the Arizona Daily Star's Student of the Week is reported to be currently reading Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea and The Hindu goes through popular titles among children and includes Jane Eyre.
While titled to make you think you’re only getting Charlotte’s story, “Becoming Jane Eyre” switches perspectives and employs multiple narrators including her sisters, father, and even the ailing father’s nurse. Though Charlotte and her inspiration for the writing of “Jane Eyre” are the main focus, Kohler also gives a glimpse at the writing styles of Emily and Anne and the relationship between these three brilliant and talented sisters. Kohler portrays the sisters as ultimately loving and supportive, but with a competitive streak. The sibling rivalry is especially noticeable between Charlotte (“Jane Eyre”) and Emily (“Wuthering Heights”). The audience is also introduced to their brother, Branwell, an extremely talented man whom the family has indulged to his own detriment. Their widowered clergyman father, Patrick, is portrayed as somewhat self-absorbed and dependent. Being a man of his time, he was not terribly keen on his spinster daughters’ literary efforts even though they were published under male pseudonyms: Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
The driving force in Kohler’s vision of Charlotte’s writing of “Jane Eyre” is her deep attachment to her married Belgian professor, Constantin Heger. Charlotte’s husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls, is almost a nonentity in Kohler’s book. He is not mentioned until the very end even though he was part of Charlotte’s world for most of the last decade of her life.
“The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë” by Syrie James is Charlotte’s story in a more wide-ranging novel that includes several flashbacks to childhood as well as examining the interaction between the bookish sisters as well as their pitifully self-destructive alcoholic brother. Old Mr. Brontë fares better in James’ narrative; when he finds out about his daughters’ authorship, he proudly displays the three novels.
While the supposed romance with Heger is part of this book, the most interesting is Charlotte’s turbulent relationship with Nicholls. Though Charlotte (to my eternal dismay) in real life denounced the writings of Jane Austen as dispassionate, it seems that her love/hate relationship with Nicholls had something of a “Pride and Prejudice” air about it. They even get off on the wrong foot because she overheard him insulting her. James’ splendidly finishes out her novel with several pages of Charlotte’s actual letters and several poems by each of the Brontes including their father, Patrick, and brother, Branwell.
Reading biographical fiction inspires me to learn more about the subject and the real details of a life. It has also encouraged me to read the canon of Brontë literature. Each of the Brontës led tragically short lives, but it is amazing how much talent resided in this one family. Personally, I never cared for Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.” Perhaps I was too young when I read it; I certainly didn’t appreciate it for the Victorian novel it is. Maybe this Janeite should give these Brontë ladies another chance.
These books, Brontë fan-fiction, true biographies, and much of the Brontë catalog are available at the Knox County Public Library.
Well, that yen for pen and parchment probably served you well for Cary Fukunaga’s remake of Jane Eyre.The Guardian says that last 'Saturday/Sunday was the country's National Moth Night' in the UK. Emily Brontë is enlisted for the cause:
Yes, we just finished. I had a wonderful time, gallivanting around hills in bonnets.You’re playing Blanche Ingram. That character is not exactly beloved in the book. What’s she like in the movie?
In the book, I think she comes across as quite conniving, but what we wanted to do was a different feel. We kind of played her as seriously flabbergasted that Rochester isn’t going to marry her. We don’t want Blanche Ingram to be the kind of stereotypical rival — she’s just really confused as to how it all turns out.You have to sing 1830s operetta in this movie, don’t you?
I did! How horrendous is that? I’ve been an alto my whole life, so that was a challenge, but I enjoyed it because Cary, the director, handled it with a lot of humor. Michael Fassbender and I have to do this duet together, which was the bane of our lives, but we had a wonderful singing teacher who helped us through it.So what was Cary’s approach like? After Sin Nombre, I’m really curious as to what he would do with this material that hasn’t been done in other adaptations of Jane Eyre.
I think it’s much younger, especially with the cast. You have Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as Rochester. It’s kind of a new Jane Eyre for a new generation. Of course, it’s still very sinister, but I think he’ll be bringing that visual aspect from Sin Nombre to Jane Eyre. (Kyle Buchanan)
Atropos and Butterfly Conservation do a marvellous job in encouraging this, but as well as the eco-concern, let's remember the need for wonder. Fix the fun night in midsummer – when even Emily Brontë on her bracing moor top could write of watching "the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells" in the memorable conclusion to Wuthering Heights. (Martin Wainwright)And here's an alert for later today at the Green Man in Rackheath, Norwich (UK), as reported by EDP24:
Music: Jazz singer Val Wiseman returns to the Green Man in Rackheath tonight for a concert with the Mike Capocci Trio. Val has just completed an album dedicated to the Bronte family called Keeping the Flame Alive. Admission is free and the music begins at 8.30pm.Take a look at this old post to find out more about Keeping the Flame Alive.
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