The Brontës Own Cultural Legacy

The Independent reports that two new adaptations of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations are in the works and remarks on the fact that

Great Expectations is among those novels (Sense and Sensibility, Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights) that have acquired their own cultural legacy, as much known for their repeated adaptations as the ink-and-paper originals. (Arifa Akbar)

Coincidentally, The Salem State Log has an article on 'Hollywood and Literature: Sometimes a Perfect, if Unlikely, Marriage'.

So, after weighing the possibility, I decided to take the $2.99 gamble and rent Hollywood's latest literary rendition, Cary Fukunaga's "Jane Eyre," which is a decision that I'm so glad I made.
Fukunaga's adaptation of "Jane Eyre" is a refreshing take on Charlotte Brontë's classic. He uses panoramic views of the English moors to evoke the romantic elements, and the camera focuses on meaningful details such as the way in which a character clears his throat or clasps her hands. In so doing, Fukunaga is able to show the audience all the major plot lines and character back-stories in only 120 minutes. He does this by mostly telling the story in a series of flashbacks.
Like the BBC's 2008 version of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," the 2005 Oscar-nominated "Pride and Prejudice," and the heartbreakingly beautiful 1998 rendition of "Les Misérables," Jane Eyre proves that a faithful adaptation doesn't mean that every line has to be spoken or that creative liberty always results in disaster. A truly great film captivates an audience by building upon the great platform that has already been established by the author, and in turn inspires others to read the book on which the film is based. On an unusually muggy, gray and stiflingly hot day this past August, I found myself in front of my laptop, debating with myself about what's probably one of the most common and confusing questions known to literature-loving humans:
Should I dare watch one of my favorite novels portrayed (or possibly mangled) on the big screen?
This may seem like an absurd question, but it isn't. When viewers watch a film based on a literary piece, they're essentially witnessing the interpretations of various individuals, such as the actor's understanding of the character and the director's view of how the plot should be presented. (Tiffany Ashton)

And Reuters's The Great Debate goes along the same lines:

Nothing can be more nationally rooted than the novel. Recall your mental images of the squalid alleys of Dickensian London and the stormy moors of the Brontës (both Emily’s and Charlotte’s, the latter beautifully photographed in the latest film reworking of “Jane Eyre”) (John Lloyd)

The Vancouver Sun puts together books, adaptations and fashion.

The literary is resurfacing in theatres, too. This year I've seen more beautiful, wish-fulfilling film adaptations of good novels than I had in the previous two-and-a-half decades. Tran Anh Hung's Norwegian Wood was a delicate realization of Haruki Murakami's cult classic, with girls in demure '60s-ish dresses and collars that could've been Carven. Made again, and better, were films of Brighton Rock (starring new fash-mag favourite Andrea Riseborough) and Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska). I have much cooler feelings toward the 3-D Baz Luhrmann remake of The Great Gatsby (Carey Mulligan), but, like Ralph Lauren, J. Crew's all over it; their fall lineup is inspired by Jay and Daisy both. (Sarah Nicole Pricket)

Variety's On the Air 'knows' Mia Wasikowska from way back.

On Saturday, I saw "Jane Eyre" with Mia Wasikowska in the title role, two weeks after seeing her in a key supporting role in Glenn Close starrer "Albert Nobbs." Those of us who watched Wasikowska shine in the first season of "In Treatment" quickly pegged her as a talent, but I'm not sure I would have predicted how fast the film world would grasp it. But after "The Kids Are All Right" and now this year's films, it's clearly happening. (Jon Weisman)

The Brimbank Weekly uncovers a new Brontëite:

VINH Nguyen is just starting to get into the literary classics, but he's already written a memorable volume of his own, winning the teenage short-story category at this year's Brimbank Literary Awards.
The 16-year-old from Derrimut was presented with the award at Overnewton Castle in Keilor on September 23.
"I just wanted to enter the competition to see if I would place, but I was surprised to hear I'd won," he says.
"Writing is one of my hobbies and I like to write fantasy and read classics like Jane Eyre."
Vinh's fictional story, Guilty, is about a child who turns to crime after being bullied at school. (Anthony Loncaric)

Another author mentions Jane Eyre in the Morris Daily Herald:

[Denise Baran-Unland] said the book [Bryony] is not a horror novel, though, but a Gothic one, rather in the style of “Jane Eyre.” (Jeanne Millsap)

And The Sidmouth Herald 24 writes briefly about a local Jane Eyre gala:

Sidmouth Rotarians and their guests enjoyed a gala showing of Jane Eyre at the Radway cinema on Thursday evening.
A delicious finger buffet was provided by the ladies of Inner Wheel and £600 was raised from the event for Rotary charities. (Diana Bowerman)

StudioCityPatch associates the writing of the Brontës and autumn and The Durham Herald-Sun has a profile of a freshman student who says Wuthering Heights is among her favourite books. Slate mentions the madwoman in the attic in its Dear Prudence section while Retail Jeweller discusses the Byronic hero's influence (giving way to other heroes such as Heathcliff). Dehparadox, JoanPique (both in Spanish), Cine Dimension (in Italian), Not Just Movies review Jane Eyre 2011; Newly Impassioned Soul posts about the Brontës, in particular Anne Brontë. We Read Romance reviews Kate Walker's The Return of the Stranger; Bookface reviews Wide Sargasso Sea among other novels by Jean Rhys; Lit Lovers & Corset Laces reviews J.L. Niemann's Rochester; Thinker Reviews and Il Recensore (in Italian) post about the original Charlotte Brontë novel and Misty's Book Mess about Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.