Of opening and apocryphal lines

The Independent wonders about the best opening lines in literature.

Richard Madeley, the TV presenter turned novelist, concurred, saying: "The stories of Jane Austen and so on are wonderful but the days are gone when you could take a leisurely approach to writing. Other distractions mean you really have to grab the reader by the throat."
I think that by the phrase "the stories of Jane Austen and so on", Mr Madeley means "the classic English novel". Has he or Mr Kernick opened one lately? Wuthering Heights begins, "I have just returned from a visit to my landlord – the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with", which pitches you straight into the story. (John Walsh)

And writing for The Huffington Post, Danish comedian Sofie Hagen wonders about where in literature this sentence appeared first:

Was it not Romeo who first said the words, "Meh, you'll do." or was it Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights?

Here's what the Daily Mail highlights from the forthcoming Chipping Norton Literary Festival (24-27 April):

They do things differently in Chipping Norton, as some of the Oxfordshire area’s illustrious residents, such as Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, have revealed. So perhaps it is not surprising that the ChipLitFest is promoting an event called Shoot, Shag, Marry.
‘We’ve been pondering a less-than-cerebral question: which literary hero is the marrying type?’ declares the festival’s website. ‘Pride And Prejudice’s Darcy? Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff? Or Jane Eyre’s Rochester? The perfect light relief for a Saturday afternoon.’ You bet. (Sebastian Shakespeare)

Here's the actual event, as listed on the Festival's website:

Saturday 26th April 2014
15:30 - 16:30 at The Methodist Church Hall
Shoot, Shag, Marry
Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) and Rochester (Jane Eyre) are the triumvirate of romantic heroes. Each one has captivated readers for centuries, their appeal as enduring as their differences are marked. A panel of best-selling novelists, Fanny Blake, Harriet Evans and Janey Fraser (also writing as Sophie King), with Veronica Henry, who will chair and play devil’s advocate, debate their strengths and weaknesses and discuss what it is that makes each of them so compelling. But who will come out on top - aloof and arrogant Mr Darcy, vengeful and tormented Heathcliff or taciturn and troubled Mr Rochester? Each panel member champions their favourite in a full and frank discussion, before the audience vote on the ultimate ChipLitFest literary hero.
Sponsored by:
Hookline Books
Author Information: Fanny Blake, Harriet Evans, Veronica Henry, Janey Fraser
Ticket price: £8.00 each

The Yorkshire Post reports that Oakwell Hall has received 'a £257,000 grant from the Arts Council to improve its facilities' and will now

see a new interpretation programme which will tell Oakwell’s story from the English Civil War, though its Brontë connections and to its more recent ‘career’ as a Kirklees’ visitor attraction and TV and film location. (Andrew Robinson)

dVerse writes briefly about the Brontës' juvenilia. Bookalibre (in Italian) features the Italian translation of Jane, le renard et moi. World Cinema Review posts about Jacques Rivette's take on Wuthering Heights. The Blurb reviews the The Australian Shakespeare outdoor performances of Wuthering Heights.