Jane Eyre's 11 lessons

Given that Jane Eyre was published yesterday 166 years ago, The Huffington Post shares '11 Lessons That 'Jane Eyre' Can Teach Every 21st Century Woman About How To Live Well'.

Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" was published on this day in 1847.
While I'm a very big fan of most Victorian literature, "Jane Eyre" made an impression on me that other novels formerly hadn't. "Jane Eyre" is not just a gothic romance novel. It's a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story. It is the first of its kind in some ways, as it's written by a woman about the interior life of a woman. Female thoughts and feelings were exposed. Brontë has been referred to as "the first historian of the private consciousness."
I love that Jane Eyre is an unconventional heroine. She is not beautiful, but instead is rather plain looking. She is an underdog who the reader roots for through the entire novel. I love that Jane Eyre overcomes her troubled, impoverished past. I love that Jane Eyre does the right thing for herself. She is the epitome of a strong woman. She teaches the importance of self-reliance. She supports herself at a time when it was extremely hard for a woman to do such a thing on her own.
The novel was very shocking for its time. One reviewer said that the book "might be written by a woman but not by a lady." People were scandalized that Eyre returned to Rochester. However, the first edition still sold out in six weeks.
Every time I encounter a woman who hasn't read this book, I advise reading it immediately. Women can learn so much from this great Victorian heroine.
This is not to suggest that Jane Eyre didn't have flaws. She continues to call her love interest "master," which is pretty bizarre. She can be semi-subservient to him. She isn't a perfect character, which I love about her, too.
Still, there's much to be learned from the way she chooses to live. Here are some pieces of wisdom that women could learn from "Jane Eyre": (Zoë Triska) (Read more)

The Keighley News features Charlotte Cory's Capturing the Brontës exhibition at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

The Brontë Parsonage in Haworth sees thousands of visitors each year, but its latest visitor may be the strangest one yet – a stuffed giraffe named Arthur!
The piece of taxidermy is part of an exhibition by surrealist photographer Charlotte Cory entitled ‘Capturing the Brontës’ – an installation in the sisters’ home that presents an alternate Victorian history.
He is joined by animal-headed Victorian gentry, images of whom are spread out through the Parsonage museum for the exhibition, which started on Saturday.
The artist and Brontë fan joined the Brontë Society aged ten, and is famous for ‘Visitoriana’ – an alternative Victorian world where animals dominate. Her images are of period picture – from an era when photography was becoming available to more people – with the heads of animals.
Inspired by the sisters and their books, several of her characters are alternate versions of people from their lives, such as the cockatoo-headed biographer Mrs Gaskell.
The giraffe, possibly the most striking piece of the installation, represents Charlotte Brontë’s publisher, George Smith, who put his neck out by releasing the untested author’s work, and is wearing a collar similar to Emily Brontë’s pet dog Keeper.
The artist said: “I’ve found and collected these Victorian photographs.
“It is quite sad someone has been photographed in their Sunday dress and then years later no-one wants it. These people have been shot for a photograph and the animals have been shot to be stuffed. It is bringing these ideas together and having fun with it.”
Parsonage arts officer, Louisa Briggs, said: “It is intended to challenge people and have them question their relationship with the parsonage and the Brontës.
“The exhibits will make people who are familiar with the house look at things in a different way.”
Parsonage collections manager, Ann Dinsdale, said: “It is important to show the Brontë family continues to influence works of art.”
A similar exhibition is being held in the Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate. (Chris Young)

Picture source

The Keighley News also shows a new wall hanging featuring the Brontë sisters.

A wall hanging that was a year in the making has been unveiled.
The 10ft work of textile art has panels featuring, amongst other things, Haworth’s legendary Brontë sisters.
As the drapes came down unveiling the ‘Threads That Bind Us’, the fruits of many months of hard work and commitment to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee project were revealed for all to view.
Among the audience in the banqueting hall at Bradford City Hall, were the young and older members of the community who had collaborated with ideas for the scheme.
Roger Bowers, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, who unveiled the wall hanging, said it had been made possible by many sponsors and supporters.
The Midland Hotel in Bradford and the Lord Mayor’s Sprinkle Sunshine Appeal, set up by Councillor Dale Smith during his mayoralty in 2012/13, also contributed to the project, accomplished under the instruction of local artist Morwenna Catt and her partner Lucas Stephens.
They interpreted the children’s story scrolls, along with the textile badges and brooches created in the workshops, into designs using donated materials, including from Denholme Velvets.
Co-ordinated by Patrick Kerry, practice support officer at City Hall, Mr Bowers said the wall hanging was a “long-lasting legacy” created by a group ranging in ages from six to 76.
“The work has been designed and made to fit into this splendid banqueting hall,” he added.
“The dramatic colours reflect the wonderful stained glass.
“The predominant colour is green, which reflects the number of Bradford parks, a Victorian legacy of the textile industry and, of course, the beautiful countryside.”

Not leaving Yorkshire just yet, as the Spenborough Guardian reports that,

Scientists, exlorers, artists and pioneers from Yorkshire were depicted in one of two flower festivals in Spen over the last fortnight.
The first event was at Gomersal Methodist Church with displays created by Spen Valley Flower Club.
Pam Jones, from the church, said: “It was a fantastic weekend, and we had more than 400 people through the door.
“The displays were wonderful and the flower club did an incredible job of depicting famous Yorkshire people.”
Among those depicted were artist David Hockney, Captain James Cook, aviator Amy Johnson, scientist Joseph Priestley, Sir Titus Salt, Joseph Rowntree, TV personality Alan Titchmarsh, Olympic medallist Jessica Ennis, the Brontës and Mary Taylor.
A file of facts and pictures relating to those depicted was also available for people to peruse.

The New York Times reviews Eleanor Catton's novel The Luminaries:

It’s a lot of fun, like doing a Charlotte Brontë-themed crossword puzzle while playing chess and Dance Dance Revolution on a Bongo Board. Some readers will delight in the challenge, others may despair. (Bill Roorbach)

The Times also talks about the new Booker winner and lists other writers that published when they were 28 years old:

Written when its author was 28,  Brontë's debut novel of Gothic romance on windswept Yorkshire moors remains her only published novel - she died of tuberculosis a year later.

Diario Uno (Argentina) interviews writer Susana Tampieri. One of the questions concerns her reading history.

–¿Ese fue el comienzo?–Sólo el primer impacto. Contrariamente, a lo que suele pasarles a muchos que empiezan con poesías, a mis 9 años escribí un cuento: El señor del castillo, del que aún conservo el borrador. Soñaba con tener un hermano o una hermana, mi madre había perdido un bebé por un aborto espontáneo que también puso en peligro su vida. El golpe fue importante. En ese momento, además, mi mundo literario transcurría por las hermanas Brontë, Charles Dickens, esa literatura gótica (inglesa) me encantaba y también influía. (Cecilia Osorio) (Translation)

Ahguapas (Argentina) interviews another Argentinian writer, Malena Pichot.

¿Tenés un costado cursi en las relaciones?–Yo soy re cursi, no en la vida real. Pero soy cursi en que me gustan los musicales, las comedias románticas, Jane Austen, Emily Brontë y "Cumbres Borrascosas". Todo eso me encanta, me encanta, me encanta. En la vida real no. No soy cursi, porque me da vergüenza conmigo misma. Lo descargo viendo esas pelis, leyendo esas cosas. De "Cuando Harry conoció a Sally" me sé los diálogos de memoria y todos los musicales te los canto y te los bailo. (Melisa Miranda Castro) (Translation)

A Mumsnet user has written an article for The Independent where she admits to her nickname being

boring, I'd love something esoteric like Heathcliff's Window but I expect moniker's already floating around in cyberspace. (Kirsty Grocott)

The Brontë Parsonage Facebook page shares a video from Emily Brontë's birthday celebrations earlier this year. SusieBookworm has reread Jane Eyre.