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Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 11:40 am by Cristina in , , , , ,    No comments
Daily Mail picks up the story of the sale of Moorseats Hall adding a somewhat unreliable profile of Charlotte Brontë at the end.
The historic six-bedroom mansion that inspired Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre has gone on sale for £3million, set in a stunning 25-acre settlement and replete with a helipad, tennis court, and swimming pool.
Moorseats Hall, based in Hathersage, at the heart of Derbyshire's Peak District National Park around 10 miles southwest of Sheffield, was visited by the eldest of the three Brontë sisters in the 1840s.
It has undergone quite the transformation since the mid-19th century, as it was developed by the then-owner Thomas Eyre - after whom she named the titular character Jane Eyre - into a resplendent mansion.
The current owners of Moorseats Hall, which may have inspired Brontë's Moor House where Jane Eyre lives for a time, have redeveloped the grounds, adding a helipad, swimming pool, and tennis court.
Prospective buyers travelling by helicopter could get to London in under an hour, whilst the six-bedroom, five-bathroom luxury estate boasts gorgeous panoramic views of the valley.
The area is famous for allegedly inspiring one of the settings in Brontë's Jane Eyre, and many scenes from the BBC adaptation starring Ruth Wilson were filmed on nearby moors. [...]
Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen also filmed Pride and Prejudice in the beautiful landscape, while Robin Hood's right-hand man Little John is buried in the village of Hathersage, along with the Eyres.
Estate agent Nick Riddle, director of Riddle and Co, said: 'It's a slice of English history.
'It is very tastefully decorated inside, the owners haven't done anything to ruin the style of the hall. They've just brought it up to date internally - it's double glazed with an efficient central heating system.
'The rest of it is as was, when it was built centuries ago. Hathersage is a very well sought after village.' [...]
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist noted for her 1847 work Jane Eyre. Born in 1816 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, her two younger sisters, Anne and Emily, would also go on to become acclaimed novelists.
She was raised the family in Haworth in the 1820s, where he father served as an Anglican clergyman. She studied at Roe Head school, near Huddersfield, in 1831 - but after a year, she returned home to teach her sisters.
In 1835, she went back to the school - as a teacher. There followed a stint as a governess for the Sidgwick family.
After a few months, she decided to open a school with her siblings but the venture failed. It was then the trio turned to writing, with Charlotte, Emily and Anne using, respectively, the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
Charlotte's first novel, The Professor was rejected by publishers. Her second novel was Jane Eyre - a classic story of a penniless orphan who becomes the governess to a ward of the mysterious Mr Rochester, with whom she falls in love, only to discover his terrible secret.
The book, first published under her Bell pseudonym, revolutionised fiction with its intimate first-person narrative by the title character, and was an immediate success.
Charlotte began work on her second novel, Shirley, in 1848, and her third, Villette, was published in 1853. She died on March 31, 1855 - a year after her marriage to her father's curate Arthur Bell Nicholls - from suspected tuberculosis. (Jack Wright)
The Times reveals that writer Marlon James is definitely not a fan of Victorian literature in general and Wuthering Heights in particular.
The Brontë sisters, he claims, do not get human emotion; E M Forster is a “snob first, novelist second”, while Charles Dickens proves “problematic” for backing the brutal suppression of a 19th century anti-colonial rebellion. [...]
James, 49, made the withering remarks during a new podcast series in which he and his editor give their candid views on dead authors, safe in the knowledge that they cannot complain — or sue — from the grave.
He discloses a particular dislike for Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, saying that he has abandoned the book three times because the characters are “unabashedly cruel, for no reason”.
“Every time I start reading Wuthering Heights, I actually find it refreshing that the characters are unlikeable, at the outset. Then you realise, ‘hold on I’m going to spend quality time with these people’,” he said.
“There are parts that are overwritten, there are parts where I’m like ‘these Brontës really don’t get human emotion do they?’” That criticism could be applied to all three of the sisters, with the possible exception of Anne, he said. “Their frame of references aren’t human emotion — they’re what they’ve read about human emotion.” (Matthew Moore)
That's the magic of literature, isn't it? Some like the Brontës, some don't. Some like Marlon James, some don't.

Student newspaper Scholastic interviews Laura Betz, assistant professor of English and Director of Undergraduate Studies in her department at the University of Notre Dame.
1. What is your favorite publication about?
It is difficult to choose. Over time, two novels I have loved rereading and teaching are Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.”  Of course, I am not the only one to name these books as favorites. But I am always amazed at the new things I notice each time I teach them. With “Pride and Prejudice,” I enjoy the narrator’s voice, the energy of and around Elizabeth Bennet as a figure in the novel and the way Austen is constantly busy highlighting certain characters and also grouping and comparing characters.
With “Jane Eyre,” I always find power in Jane’s story of self-discovery, which is at times heartbreaking but ultimately triumphant, as well as in the novel’s figurative richness and the intensity and drama of its language more generally. I cannot answer this question without also mentioning John Clare, the late Romantic poet on whom my work has recently focused.  I enjoy Clare for his concrete, on-the-ground treatments of nature, the ease and yet at times mysterious quality of his poetic voice and his totally provocative, unconventional use of received forms like the sonnet — all of which is exciting because it invites us to rethink how we define “the Romantic.” (Michael Lee)
The Sudbury Star features a local woman who 'reads a book every 1.87 days' and who
disdains most 19th-century authors, including Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters and Jane Austen. (Bruce Deachman)
This Infobae (in Spanish) columnist doesn't really like Louisa May Alcott.
Solapada en esa sola frase de Marmée, Mujercitas es un manual de buenas costumbres para niñas de finales del siglo XIX en Estados Unidos. Publicado por primera vez en 1868, el libro recibió inmediata recepción en una nación que buscaba una creciente independencia cultural de la Inglaterra victoriana a la vez que intentaba, tardíamente, repetir los patrones de una sociedad que a esa misma altura, y del otro lado del atlántico, estaba recibiendo con brazos abiertos autoras como las hermanas Brontë, Jane Austen, George Elliot o Mary Shelley. Autoras todas que, desde principios del siglo XIX y con una perspectiva más auténtica y prosa mucho más elaborada, encontraron en la literatura una forma de defensa de las mujeres y una crítica social dura en referencia al rol que ocupaban en la sociedad. (Flavia Pittella) (Translation)
ED Times (india) lists several 'Classic Romantic Novels Idolised For Years [with] Super Dark Pasts', such as
3. Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre)
Jane Eyre’ novel by Charlotte Brontë
Even after two centuries, Jane Eyre remains a popular feminist icon. But, the fact that she forgave Mr. Rochester for deceiving her doesn’t sit well with me. Nineteen-year-old Jane falls for her employer Mr. Rochester, but on the wedding altar receives the news that he already has a wife who is not of a sane mind and is kept locked up in a room.
Jane comes to know that Mr. Rochester already has a wife when they’re about to get married
Orphan Jane had very few things in life- her dignity, honor, and self-worth. These were things she couldn’t let go of. Mr. Rochester cites the lunacy and devilish nature of his first wife as the cause of his unhappiness and tries to convince Jane to stay as his mistress.
The readers are sympathetic towards him so it’s no wonder that Jane decides to leave in the middle of the night. The wife conveniently dies to make room for a happy ending for our governess but I don’t think a person who lies to you is an ideal choice for a husband. His treatment of little Adele is also horrible. Mr. Rochester is somewhat negligent towards her and chides her for being vain. However, she’s just a child who likes having gifts, like any normal person. [...]
5. Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
Wuthering Heights’ novel by Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë made anti-heroes popular among the masses. The readers generally try to argue that Heathcliff was just a victim who became a villain due to circumstances. He was abused and humiliated in his childhood but this does not justify all his wrongdoings.
He hangs his wife’s dog, loathes her fiercely, so much so that he doesn’t allow her to sleep on the bed when heavily pregnant.
The list of all the cruel things that he has done is a separate article of its own but people still regard the love story between him and the heroine Catherine as one of the greatest love stories of all times as they believe that both these flawed characters are a perfect match for each other.
Cathy herself admits to this when she declares, ‘I am Heathcliff’. It is an excellent novel, but it is by no means an idealistic romance for fangirls to swoon over. (Ishita Bajpai)
A radically different approach on Romper, which lists 'The 10 Most Popular Romance Books Of All Time, According To Goodreads':
5. 'Jane Eyre' By Charlotte Brontë
When I was in college, a sorority sister begged me to read Jane Eyre after she found out that my book-loving self had never opened this classic. To this day, I'm so glad she did. This novel is a classic not to be missed. Although the romance between Jane and Rochester is a central part of the story, and there are multiple disheartening plot points, Jane's independence and strength is undeniable and inspiring. [...]
8. 'Wuthering Heights' By Emily Brontë
The first edition of Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 and the story of Heathcliff and Cathy has stayed at the heart of lists like this one for many decades. Classic literature may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to embrace the ins and outs of a true, obsessive, no-holds-barred love affair, this eternal tale is the perfect choice to read this Valentine's Day. (Ashley Jones)
Another list on Exitoína (Brazil) lists both Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall as some of the most wished-for books on Amazon. Wuthering Heights makes it onto another list: the best love stories selected by Diari de Tarragona (Spain).

The Yorkshire Post is worried about the Calder Valley, which has been flooded (again) as a consequence of Storm Ciara.
Storms like Ciara will become more commonplace and ferocious.
And with that, we need those in power to reconcile urgently that the flood defence measures in place for the majority of Yorkshire are simply not fit for purpose.
The Calder Valley in particular deserves better.
What chance does this region stand of attracting investment, jobs and industry when it is so imperilled by the weather?
So to for the prospects of people moving to the region.
Why would anyone consider buying a property in an area which has been extensively flooded twice in five years?
This prohibitive state of affairs is a disaster for local employers who will find accessing the best talent increasingly a hard sale.
If there is no intervention then the glorious land that inspired the works of Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and Emily Bronte is destined to become a place for which a vibrant future looks a bleak prospect. (Mark Casci)
Revista Yume (Costa Rica) recommends reading Jane Eyre. Inspired Prompt posts about Jane Eyre. Finally, the Brontë Parsonage is giving away two signed copies of Isabel Greenberg's Glass Town.

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