Rochester's Fruity Voice

Anne Billson talks about the best voices in film in The Telegraph:

The only time I ever fancied Mr Rochester was when he was played by Orson Welles in the noirish 1943 version of Jane Eyre. Hard to believe he was still only in his mid-twenties, but then that ripe, fruity voice was always older than the Boy Wonder himself, and no doubt helped him age convincingly in Citizen Kane, as well as run his own theatre company.

The Yakima Herald carries an article about Inga Wiehl, a local retired English professor and author of the book Reclaiming Our Brains Without Losing Our Minds: Some Hows and Whys of a Reading Group:

From Edward Rochester to Shylock and Nora Helmer. (...)
From there it’s been an eclectic, far-reaching and wonderful journey. They solved the mystery of Rochester in “Jane Eyre,” admired Shylock’s soliloquy in “The Merchant of Venice,” debated the dilemma faced by Helmer in “A Doll’s House.” They forged through references to French cakes in “In Search of Lost Time,” battles in “War and Peace” and match-making in “Emma.”  (Jane Gargas)

The Telegraph & Argus talks about a recent event taking place in Horsforth:

The group enjoyed the last talk in the current programme on December 4 from Stuart Rawnsley, a trustee of The Leeds Library. Stuart gives talks to publicise the library and attract new members, a departure from the attitude of its founders which was exclusive and elitist, certainly not courting the interest of the general public. Many Leeds people would still see it this way but Stuart hopes to win their support. Now a charity, it should be attractive to visitors with its elegant period building and rich archive of rare books and first editions, a magnet for research students. He talked about the foundation of the library, its historic role, its three homes, members and librarians and its role in Leeds, illustrating his talk with wonderful material from the library. It is a genuine historical monument. The first proposal for a subscription library was made in 1768 at a time when scientists and entrepreneurs were meeting to exchange ideas and the local intelligentsia included Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen, and Benjamin Franklin who visited at his invitation. Among its rare books is Mandeville’s Travels to the Holy Land printed in 1494. Arthur Ransome’s father, a professor at Leeds University, and Charlotte Brontë’s friend Mary Taylor were both shareholders, as members had to be and it is significant that women could be shareholders in their own right. There was so much fascinating material in Stuart Rawnsley’s talk.

Dawn (Pakistan) gives tips to learn Excel:

While learning a new thing, don’t be impatient. For instance, those ambitious students who aspire to master their books the very first time later find themselves lost in its pages. So, no perfections please! I remember how I never finished Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë just because I tried to understand each and every word of it — though I was reading for fun! (Saanwal Karamat Barlaas)

World Magazine recommends Tina Connolly's Ironskin (now that the sequel is already published, Copperhead):

This Nebula-award-nominated dark fantasy blends ancient Celtic myth with a plot loosely based on Jane Eyre. Scarred by the evil Fae during the Great War, Jane Eliot must wear an iron mask to keep others safe from the scar’s angry magic. Forced by her deformity to take a governess position at a remote estate, she soon finds herself falling in love with a mysterious nobleman/artist. The secrets of the estate may soon be Jane’s undoing: Debut author Tina Connolly cleverly undermines reader recollections of Brontës famed story in a moody, brooding gothic novel with unforeseeable twists. As Jane learns how to turn physical deformity into moral strength, she experiences self-discovery, triumph over tragedy, and victory over vanity. (John Ottinger III)

The novel is also reviewed on Provo City Library Staff Reviews.

The Charlottetown Guardian (Canada) talks about the local photographer Louise Vessey who has been chosen Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) Wedding Photographer of the Year:

Vessey’s image titled Love on the Rocks received first place in the wedding portrait class. It was selected the best image from the PPOC competition to be entered into the World Photographic Cup, and was described in a release as “a wedding photo that conjures up a blend of East Coast and Wuthering Heights to dramatic effect.” (Mary MacKay)

The Times-Union has an article about the Cozy Classics illustrated board books including Jane Eyre.

It has nothing to do with the Brontës but we found this extremely amusing: a news piece published on The Pioneer Press where a Charlotte Brontë-saurus appears in an article with the name "I couldn't believe that something so amazing was right up there in the attic."

Divineknits with Infiknit has read Jane Eyre; ifallelseperished tumblr has a beautiful Jane Eyre 2006 collage; Fellhunter on Flickr publishes a nice picture on his way to Top Withins.