Approaching a Haunting

The Rumpus reviews Deborah Lutz's This Dark Night:

A lifelong Brontë reader, I received the book eagerly, but did not take its editor’s words literally. Having read it, I realize she meant them that way. There are biographers desperate to know a life from the outside in and the inside out, and there are biographers aware that their subject is fundamentally unknowable. Lutz is the latter, and she works instead to produce a social and domestic history of those closest to Emily, a natural history of the West Yorkshire moors Brontë immortalized in Wuthering Heights, and a material history of Emily’s writing practice which, in the hands of Lutz’s meditative attention, approaches the mystical. “Expertise,” dry and academic, is the wrong word to characterize Lutz’s understanding of the Brontës. Victorianists tend to work exclusively with the established texts of their subjects, but Lutz spent several years immersed in Emily Brontë’s hand-written manuscripts (detailed photographs of these are included in the book) and inhabiting Brontë’s hometown of Haworth, West Yorkshire, and Brussels, where she studied alongside her older sister Charlotte at the Pensionnat Héger. Lutz pored over the local weather reports of Emily’s lifetime and learned the flora and fauna of the moors so integral to Brontë’s life and work (Emily could identify local birds by their song and kept a collection of their feathers she found on her daily walks). In This Dark Night, Lutz’s deep knowledge of Emily Brontë transcends biography and—appropriate for her subject, who wrote one of the most famous ghost stories in Western literature—approaches a haunting. (Emily Van Duyne)

The Jane Eyre performances at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London: get a review by a young student in London Now:

Jane Eyre, the classic novel by acclaimed author Charlotte Brontë, has been beautifully reimagined by director Lily Dyble, as it tours across England, where it made its second stop at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, from 13th - 24th October 2026.

What captured the imagination of its spellbound audience, was the accuracy to the timeless storyline, which is what makes it one of the most read novels of our age, whilst also portraying Jane in an incredibly genuine and down to earth way, which could perhaps be argued is missed by the countless movie adaptations of the book.

When asked about her thoughts on the play, actress Aamira Challenger, who played both Grace Poole and Diana in this production, commented, "There are so many angles that a director could choose to explore and, in our production, director Lily Dyble wanted to highlight Jane’s capacity for emotion and self-determination. Jane has big feelings, strong will, and the tenacity to challenge the society she is within".

Moreover, the staging and special effects utilised in the play, while at first appearing quite modern for such a classic, allow for thought-provoking ideas on dynamics between various characters, as well as showcasing Jane's internal struggle throughout the play. (Ava Sims)

GBOpera reviews the Wuthering Heights performances in Roma: 

Nella scrittura di Brontë, il paesaggio non accompagna i personaggi: li determina. Il vento, l’isolamento e la natura ostile costituiscono un’estensione delle loro contraddizioni. Evocare la brughiera non basta; occorrerebbe farne una presenza drammatica. Altrimenti lo Yorkshire diventa una cartolina piuttosto malinconica, con il vantaggio di non richiedere neppure un viaggio. Il limite maggiore dell’operazione rimane tuttavia l’incapacità di distinguere la passione dalla sua rappresentazione esteriore. Il tragico nasce dalla tensione fra ciò che viene espresso e ciò che resta impronunciabile. Quando ogni sentimento pretende immediatamente il proprio culmine, la progressione drammatica si annulla. Persino Wagner, che aveva una certa familiarità con gli amori impossibili, sapeva alternare il fortissimo al silenzio. Qui l’intensità rischia di diventare una condizione permanente, con il prevedibile risultato di non impressionare più nessuno. Cime tempestose richiederebbe una regia capace di interrogare l’ambiguità morale dei protagonisti, anziché illustrarne incessantemente le sofferenze. Brontë non aveva scritto un manuale di educazione sentimentale, ma un romanzo nel quale l’amore diventa una forma di sopraffazione. La differenza è sostanziale. Quando il tormento si trasforma in maniera e la crudeltà in convenzione melodrammatica, anche la più feroce delle passioni perde la propria capacità di inquietare. Heathcliff, in fondo, non ha bisogno di gridare per essere terribile. Gli basta esistere. Il resto è meteorologia. (Davide Oliviero) (Translation)

Haworth is a popular destination this Halloween, according to the BBC:

With its dramatic landscapes and links to the Brontë sisters, Haworth has long been a popular destination for tourists.

But recently, the West Yorkshire village has been busier than ever, according to some residents and business owners, and is now attracting a new type of visitor - one brought in by how picturesque the place looks on social media, particularly during autumn.

A quick search on platforms like TikTok or Instagram shows a whole host of content promoting Haworth as a must-visit this October.

Posts also highlight the queues that can form outside shops, especially during the weekend. (...)

Karen Roberts has worked at The Cabinet of Curiosities for nearly 20 years and says the shop has been especially busy this year.

"It suddenly started about six weeks ago to the point where we've had queues outside every weekend waiting to come in," she says.

"This week, with it being half-term, we've literally had people outside every day."

An old-fashioned shop front with large windows showing a Halloween display, with pumpkins and autumn leaves. A queue of people can be seen standing outside the door. 

Although the business previously had a social media presence, she thinks the reason it "all blew up like this" is due to the sheer amount of people posting independently about the shop, and the village, on their own accounts.

"We've always let people film, we've never had a problem with that, but definitely people are asking me now, can they come in and film?," she explains.

"Then they share it, and every day you turn on Facebook and you go, 'oh my God, there is more'."

Many customers know about the connection to the Brontë family, and the parsonage where they lived is now a museum.

Emerald Fennell's 2026 adaption of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, also sparked an interest in Brontë country. (...)

Enjoying a day off work, Ella and Brian Thomas travelled from Greater Manchester to visit Haworth, inspired by a friend's Instagram post.

"With Wuthering Heights coming out, I think a lot of people have been seeing it on TikTok and making videos, so it was me who suggested to come here," Ella says.

The couple wanted to find somewhere "nice and autumnal" for a walk, and say they've previously visited York and Edinburgh for a "similar vibe".

"I knew it was the home of the Brontës, but I didn't know much more of the history than that," Brian explains. (Fiona Callow)

Leicestershire Live insists in the wonders of Haworth, "Britain's prettiest village":

Haworth has been hailed as one of Britain's prettiest villages, drawing visitors with 70 independent shops, the Brontë Parsonage Museum and stunning autumn countryside walks to the Brontë Waterfall. (...)

Haworth is inextricably linked with literary heritage, having been home to the Brontë sisters, whose celebrated works including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights have left an indelible mark on English literature. The village is currently adorned in its autumnal finery, though visitors keen to soak up its seasonal splendour are fast running out of time. (Jamie Barlow and Alycia McNamara)

And, of course, being Halloween and all, we cannot avoid having the usual spooky stuff with ghosts, hauntings, and, well... the usual suspects of the season. The Telegraph is full of them in this article about the Brontë Birthplace:

Wandering through the Birthplace, one can imagine the young Brontës scurrying around, conjuring up stories. Their move to Haworth, then a poverty-stricken town on the edge of the moors, helped to inspire some of the greatest works in literature – but also brought huge tragedy as death and disease destroyed the family. So it’s no wonder their father, Patrick, always associated Thornton with joy.

The recent paranormal occurrences may be a figment of people’s overactive imaginations – a trait abundant in the magnificent Brontë brains. But perhaps the property’s ambitious restoration has inadvertently disturbed the spirits of the country’s most famous literary dynasty, desperate to return to the place where they were happiest and where the spark of genius was first lit. (Lisa Byrne)

Well, if you know us for some time, you probably know what we think about all this hogwash. It makes for some nice nonsense laughs, but the moment people take it too seriously, we don't play the game. Sorry. No.

Polish horror films are vindicated in TVP World:

Indeed, Janusz Majewski’s 1970 classic Lokis is widely credited as Poland’s first color horror film and a cornerstone of Polish genre cinema after World War II. (...)

In a Jane Eyre-esque scenario, the Count’s mother (Zofia Mrozowska) has been locked away for decades, having suffered a mental breakdown after being mauled by a bear on her wedding night. (Maria Kamińska)

La Vanguardia (Spain) talks about the new trends in period dramas:

 La nueva Cumbres borrascosas ha transformado la novela de Emily Brontë en una fantasía gótica-pop de vestuario deliberadamente anacrónico, erotismo exacerbado y banda sonora de Charli xcx. Ya no se trata únicamente de encontrar nuevas lecturas de los clásicos, sino de remodelarlos abiertamente según los códigos estéticos y emocionales del presente. (Carlos Jonic) (Translation)

La Libre (Belgium) interviews Lilia Hassaine, author of JE: 

En prêtant sa voix à Antoinette, enfermée et présentée pour folle dans "Jane Eyre" de Charlotte Brontë, Lilia Hassaine signe avec "JE" un roman subtil, sombre et contemporain. (...)

Quelle est la genèse de "JE" ?

C'est suite à une situation vécue que j'ai repensé à ce personnage féminin et que j'ai relu le livre parce que je me suis demandé pourquoi elle se rappelait à mon bon souvenir. Je me suis rendu compte des correspondances et des liens qui m'attachaient à elle. (...)

Et pour faire du personnage d'Antoinette la porte d'entrée pour évoquer ces drames dont sont toujours victimes les femmes et de montrer que, finalement aujourd'hui, rien n'a vraiment changé ?

Effectivement, ça existe encore aujourd'hui. Il y a des choses qui ont évolué, mais encore une fois, dans la mécanique, dans ce système d'horlogerie qui permet de mettre une femme sous cloche, il y a des mécanismes communs. Comment s'y prend-on pour isoler une femme ? Je voulais vraiment comprendre comment on s'y prenait de manière très concrète.

Vous avez eu l'occasion de répéter à plusieurs reprises que vous détestiez les appellations "pervers narcissique" et "emprise" pour décrire ces mécanismes. Pourquoi ?

Parce que la littérature n'a rien à faire avec ces mots et ces concepts. On n'a pas besoin de mettre une étiquette. En littérature, je trouve qu'ils n'ont pas nécessairement leur place. Cet homme, Rochester, c'est un manipulateur, un homme dangereux et un minable. C'est pour cela que la littérature est utile. Elle universalise. Quand on se rend compte à quel point c'est banal, on se rend compte aussi à quel point c'est grave, paradoxalement. Ce n'est pas parce que ça ne touche qu'une personne que c'est plus grave. C'est précisément parce que ça se reproduit, parce qu'il y a tout un système qui rend ça possible, que c'est très grave. (Philippe Manche) (Translation)

POV (Denmark) reviews the Cathy Marson's Jane Eyre ballet as performed in Copenhagen:

Stærkt understøttet er balletten af dens musikalske underlag i form af en mesterlig og respektfuld behandling af Mendelssohn-søskendeparret Fanny og Felix’ klaverkompositioner og strygekvartetter, der yderligere perspektiveres af Schubert-værker for samme besætninger. Ikke blot er disse musikalske kilder vævet tæt sammen af komponisten Philip Feeney med stemningsfulde og kontrastfyldte effekter, men samtidig sætter det hele samtiden, hvori dramaet udfolder sig, ind i et sitrende musikalsk lydrum, som løfter både sindet og opmærksomheden.

Der er således mange gode takter, musikalsk såvel som koreografisk, i denne ballet. Alligevel reduceres indtrykket noget af den lidt for store trinmæssige monotoni i bevægelsessproget, som med sit forcerede ekspressionistiske udtrykstempo i begge timelange akter fortegner de stærke underliggende følelser. Sikker dans og godt scenisk håndværk er der dog til stede fra først til sidst i dette voldsomme sjælsdrama. (Knud Arne Jürgensen) (Translation)

Far Out Magazine lists the best songs of Jim Steinman. Including It's All Coming Back Now: 

The first version came from the girl group Pandora’s Box, assembled by Steinman, and was followed by Dion’s version, with Meat Loaf releasing the final recorded version in 2006 for Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. For its story, Steinman parsed Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights, imagining the characters in an alternate universe dominated by morbid obsession.

“Heathcliff digging up Cathy’s corpse and dancing with it in the cold moonlight,” as he described. Dion’s version is a modified rendition of Pandora’s Box’s recording, and leaves the presence of Roy Bittan’s grand piano; elevated with her signature, soaring vocals and overarching theatrics, as Steinman’s productions typically captured, ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’ hears her transform the song into a proper rock opera. (Paulina Subia)

The scariest works of literature in The Toronto Guardian:

Spine-tinglingly eerie, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938) is a masterpiece of slow-burn storytelling, and the scariest non-horror novel.ç

Heavily inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (itself pretty spooky at times), Rebecca is a mystery and Gothic romance wrapped up in one, with first-person narration – by a never-named narrator, no less – which expertly draws readers into its finely drawn world of creaky mansions, forgotten boathouses, and whispers in the night. (Steven Lantier)

Jane Eyre is revealed as one of the main influences of María Sanguino's narrative, as mentioned in Vanguardia (Colombia). Ciudad Valencia (Venezuela) publishes an article about Wuthering Heights. The Sun and others publish pictures of Helen Flanagan dressed as Catherine Earnshaw (the Cathy of Emerald Fennell's film, probably) at a Halloween party:

Drawing inspiration from lovelorn Wuthering Heights character Catherine Earnshaw, Helen, 36, commanded attention in a cleave-enhancing corset and red skirt as she let her hair down at Soho venue The Box. (Jason Chester)

Finally, The Eyre Guide reviews Marian Yee's 4 Janes, "a fascinating read".