A Real Enigma

It's not the first time we read Samantha Shannon is a fan of Villette, but it's always nice to report it. In the New York Post:

Villette by Charlotte Brontë
It took me a long time to get into “Villette,” as the narrator’s voice was quite unusual: cold, distant, emotionless — but I soon saw Lucy Snowe as one of Charlotte Brontë’s greatest creations. She’s a real enigma. She hides information from the reader and seems to go out of her way to conceal her identity. It’s still the most memorable book I’ve read by any of the Brontë sisters. (Barbara Hoffman)

The Independent (Ireland) reports the death of the Irish actress Susan FitzGerald (1949-2013). She was the original older Jane in the Alan Stanford adaptation of Jane Eyre which was premiered at the Gate Theatre in Dublin in 2003. Recently, the piece was revived with Andrea Corr in the title role (in her younger version).

Western Australia Today reports another piece of news we have discussed before. Sass & Bide's new fashion line apparently inspired by a poem probably by Charlotte Brontë but sometimes attributed to Emily (more information about the Charlotte-Emily debate on the authorship of Often rebuked, yet always back returning here):

Renowned for their skilled use of proportion and embellishment, designers Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke returned to the brand's signature silhouettes, mixing sleek dresses and tapered pants with sharp, tailored jackets and cinch-waisted bodices.
The collection is inspired by Emily Brontë's poem Often Rebuked. ''I wanted to create an almost timeless feel,'' Middleton says. ''I trusted my instincts and really revisited the spirit and essence of our heritage.''
Navy and crisp ivory dominated the colour palette with feminine accents of antique gold and rust red. Show-stoppers included a multilayered, metallic mini dress, twisted gold cuffs and an exquisitely embroidered evening gown with a delicate peplum. (Paula Joye)

The Sunday Times reviews Marriage Material by Sathnam Sanghera:

Giving classic novels a modern makeover is very much in vogue nowadays. Not the least engaging feature of Sathnam Sanghera’s venture into this genre is that it bypasses the authors who most usually attract thistreatment: Jane Austen, Dickens, the Brontës. For Marriage Material, his enormously enjoyable first novel, he has, he explains, “shoplifted characters and elements of plot” from Arnold Bennett’s Edwardian masterpiece, The Old Wives’ Tale. (Peter Kemp)

Winnipeg Free Press discusses the cast of the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation:

Fifty Shades is not an A-list project. In fact, it could end up being a career-killer, the Showgirls of 2014. But the fans still want their A-listers. They clamoured for Ryan "Hey, girl" Gosling and for Michael Fassbender, who's already been cruel and cold in the much classier Jane Eyre. They hoped for Alexis Bledel and Scarlett Johansson for Anastasia, but we suspect these talented women are tied up, so to speak, in other projects. (Alison Gillmor)

The Independent publishes early titles for well-known novels:

Nor, Tom Chivers, was 'Wuthering Heights' going to be called 'Captain Zapstar and the Death-Robots of Omnicron 19'. (John Rentoul)

Which is truly a pity.

Libreriamo (Italy) talks about books and film adaptations:

Anche “Wuthering Heights” del 2011 diretto da Andrea Arnold si discosta significativamente dal romanzo omonimo di Emily Brontë (in italiano “Cime tempestose”) – tralascia infatti tutta la seconda parte del libro, come il precedente adattamento del 1939 –, ma ha convinto critica e spettatori. Il cast è composto per lo più da volti nuovi, ma l’interpretazione è potente e straordinaria la fotografia. (Translation)

Allocine reviews Giorgino, a 1994 film by Laurant Boutonnat:

On sent tout particulièrement l'influence de David Lean et son mythique Docteur Jivago. L'atmopshère n'est pas sans rappeler celle des Hauts de Hurlevent. (Translation)

What She Read... posts the Stephen Dunn poem Charlotte Brontë in Leeds Point; on the Parsonage's Facebook, Charlotte Brontë's 1830 portrait of Maria Brontë.