Heathcliff, punk rocker

It's definitely that time of the year again and we are starting to see the first Brontë recommendations for Christmas. Vanity Fair includes the Coralie Bickford-Smith designs for Penguin Classics in its 2010 Gift Guide.

Penguin Classics has introduced a set of eight classic novels with beautifully reinterpreted covers: Cranford, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and Wuthering Heights. The hardcover editions feature gold foil inlay, stamped linen, colored endpapers, and ribbon markers—ensuring a decadent reading experience this holiday season. (Bramble Trionfo)

Not to boast or anything but we already included them in our 2008 'gift guide'.

Associated Content lists 'The Best Novels to Read for a High School Book Report'. Among them is

1) Jane Eyre- This book is great for female high school students to read, as it really gives a lot of deep feminist ideas to think about while at the same time not being overbearing about it. The book's basic plot is that of an abused orphan girl, Jane, who finds strength in herself after undergoing many ordeals throughout the book, and eventually she finds love in a most unexpected place. Although this novel can be considered quite lengthy, any high school student with a firm grasp of the English language should be able to understand and enjoy it. (Pauline Enid)

It's sad to see only 'female high school students' are encouraged to read it, though.

And the Guardian has published a correction to their recent article on Heathcliff:

Timothy Dalton was 24 when he played Heathcliff in the 1970 film of Wuthering Heights, not 36 as we said in Pass notes No 2,886 on 24 November, page 3, G2.

Books in the Spotlight has posted an interview with April Lindner, author of Jane, in two parts: Part 1 and part 2. This is particularly interesting:

Rummanah: I heard through the grapevine that your next writing adventure will be a modern retelling of Wuthering Heights, which happens to be my favorite book of all time. Please spare me from the suspense and anxiety and say that it’s true. *Crosses fingers*
April: It’s true.
Rummanah: Yes! *Pumps fist in the air* Er, sorry. Please continue. *Blushes*
April: The setting is a night club on New York’s lower east side. The Heathcliff character is a punk rocker, and Cathy is the club owner’s daughter. (Rummanah Aasi)

Novel Pretender writes about Jane Eyre and Flickr user tinyearthquakes has uploaded a festive picture of the novel.

EDIT: Finally, an alert from Bozeman, Montana:

Bozeman Public Library
Wednesday, Dec.1: 7.30 pm
"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. Classic novel of consuming passions, played out against the lonely moors of northern England, recounts the turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff. A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the story remains as poignant and compelling today as when first published in 1847. Discussion led by Jack Kligerman. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

Categories: Books, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights