Let's stop patronising women

Bustle quotes what 15 famous authors wrote about other famous books and so...

Charlotte Brontë on ‘Emma’
Jane Austen just can't catch a break. Charlotte Brontë was also an outspoken critic of Austen, finding her books to be somewhat lacking in emotion: "I have likewise read one of Miss Austen’s works — Emma — read it with interest and with just the right degree of admiration which the Miss Austen herself would have thought sensible and suitable. Anything like warmth or enthusiasm—anything energetic, poignant, heartfelt, is utterly out of place in commending these works... Jane Austen was a complete and most sensible lady, but a very incomplete, and rather insensible (not senseless) woman. If this is heresy, I cannot help it." (Charlotte Ahlin)

According to The Mary Sue, it's time to 'Stop Romanticizing Mr. Darcy When There Are Way Better Options in Literature'.

Question: What’s more attractive than an intelligent, compassionate, rugged Professor, who has tumbling brown hair, cares for orphans, and loves to hear about your work?
Answer: A rich, rude snob, who despises dancing, scoffs at your family, and calls you “tolerable, but not handsome enough,” behind your back.
Apparently.
Little Women’s male romantic lead, Professor Friedrich Bhaer, is often overlooked for his contemporary in 19th century literature, Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Described as “one of the most adored romantic heroes ever,” Mr. Darcy’s fans are steadfast in their devotion. But should the qualities of this prideful man, who doles out kindness only selectively, really be the epitome of literary romance?
This year is the 150th anniversary of Little Women’s first publication, providing us with an ideal window to update our amorous ideals and redirect our Darcy-veneration to a more modern, unconditionally kind leading man. [...]
It’s this villain-to-hero transition that Louisa May Alcott directly rebels against in Little Women and her other novels. Dr. Christine Doyle, Professor of English at Central Connecticut State University, said, “The 19th century feminist in her, is that she doesn’t have any faith in heroes that the villain can supposedly turn into.”
The transformation is a common character development among Victorian romances, most notably also seen in the classics Jane Eyre, with Rochester, and Wuthering Heights, with Heathcliff. Said Doyle, “That kind of pushy, older guy, she resists that.” She continued, “The women’s role is not to save the guy, there’s no equality in that relationship.” (Clare Church)

We don't aim to criticise Louisa May Alcott's work, which is great, but why the need to take the fun out of reading? What if we like reading about Rochester and Heathcliff but still are smart enough to know that they are not male role models and might not be ideal partners in real life? We find it rather patronising and belittling to women, to be honest. We don't see any articles telling men to stop romanticising, say, Holly Golightly and settling for Maria von Trapp.

Benzine (France) finds echoes of Wuthering Heights in the film Jersey Affair.

« Jersey affair » : quand Emily Brontë rencontre la « bête de Jersey » [...]
Jessie Buckley (récemment découverte dans la série Taboo avec Tom Hardy) et Johnny Flynn (entraperçu dans Sils Maria), sensuels et troublants tous les deux, magnifient leur rôle d’amants terribles, sauvages comme Catherine et Heathcliff chez Emily Brontë, et le film, il faut bien l’avouer, leur doit beaucoup, leur doit énormément, beaucoup à leur alchimie, à leur fièvre et à leur fougue les portant loin, et jusqu’à l’abîme. (Michaël Pigé) (Translation)

An article on commuting in the Los Angeles Review of Books:

Such optimism seems more prevalent among the young. For those of us who are now on the cusp of middle age, a commute isn’t so much a journey of progress as a footpath around regrets and deferred ambitions. By the time they were my age, Emily Brontë had penned Wuthering Heights and the Buddha had renounced all worldly possessions, but all I have to my name are a handful of publications and one year toward tenure at a small Midwestern university. (Barrett Swanson)

Beauty and Lace posts about Michael Stewart's Ill Will.