Heathcliff and the Great Hunger

A contributor to The Telegraph thinks that 'Altering the displays at Jane Austen’s House to reflect the ‘colonial context’ of her era is a distraction from the brilliance of her work'.

But Austen was not a political campaigner: her social commentary is subtle. In fact, there’s something perverse about people who are supposed to be guardians of her work playing at right-on politics. She was a lover of all things conservative: her stories reveal the inner workings of bourgeois society, and the desperate lengths to which people will go to maintain some semblance of status quo. Austen’s women, rebellious as they may seem, always end up finding their own way of fitting into the jigsaw of society. Contrast Charlotte Brontë’s heroine (and mine), who appears 34 years later. What Jane Austen finds unappealing – passion, rule-breaking and attitude – are exactly the things that Jane Eyre seeks. [...]

Fascinating things can come about by delving into the hidden context of a work – Terry Eagleton’s Heathcliff and the Great Hunger is a wonderful hypothesis about Emily Brontë’s anti-hero being an Irish Famine refugee. But there is a difference between learning about the conditions in which a work is created, and allowing external factors to dominate our understanding of it. (Ella Whelan)

We can't force our favourite writers into being something that we don't know they were. It may sound cliché, but times were different. 

Not leaving Jane Austen yet as Looper recommends 'Movies To Watch If You Like Pride And Prejudice' including

Jane Eyre (2011)

Charlotte Brontë published what is often considered her magnum opus, Jane Eyre, in 1847. Much like Austen's works, Jane Eyre has been the subject of more than one adaptation over the years, from silent films beginning as early as 1910 to the first feature film version in 1934. More recently, it was adapted for the screen by Moira Buffini for director Cary Joji Fukunaga's 2011 adaptation, starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. 

Jane (Wasikowska), a woman with a traumatic past, lands a job as a governess at Edward Rochester's (Fassbender) estate. Despite Rochester's frequent mood swings, the two bond and begin to fall for each other. But Rochester has a dark secret. Upon discovering it, Jane runs away from his home and their potential romance.

The 2011 movie has been labeled an ultra-faithful adaptation of the classic work, which only strengthens the film overall. It has even been deemed the best of all Jane Eyre adaptations. As Cinemaficionados details in their review, "This Jane Eyre adaptation far surpasses any of the previous film versions by benefiting from a master execution by director Cary Fukunaga." Fukunaga's direction is aided by the stars' alluring, stormy, and irresistible performances. This film isn't just one Austen fans should check out — it's recommended for all cinephiles. (Nikki Munoz)

Republic World recommends it for fans of Titanic, too.

Jane Eyre

The 2011 romantic drama film was directed by Cary Fukunaga. The movie features Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. It is based on Charlotte Brontë's 1987 novel of the same name and the screenplay is given by Moira Buffini. The story revolves around Jane Eyre who runs away from Thornfield Hall and finds herself alone on the moors. She is then taken care of by St John Rivers' sisters. The duration of the movie is 120 minutes. (Ruchi Chandrawanshi)

Nerds and beyond describes Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak as

A Gothic romance that serves as del Toro’s love letter to stories like Rebecca, The Haunting of Hill House, Jane Eyre, and The Turn of the Screw, Crimson Peak was never given the praise it was due upon its release. Horror fans adored it, judging from its many wins and nominations at the Saturn Awards that year including Best Picture. (Jules)

Diacritik (France) interviews Anna Feissel-Leibovici, author of last year's Quelle Brontë êtes-vous ?

Pour Emily, la lande fut son atelier ; elle en y façonna Heathcliff, son héros, dont le nom est un mélange de bruyères et de falaises. Et elle inventa une histoire d’amour immortel entre deux enfants, une histoire indissociable du paysage dans lequel elle se déroule.

Charlotte avait une méthode bien à elle pour suppléer à ce que la vie ne lui avait pas appris : elle fermait les yeux et tentait de l’imaginer aussi longtemps que nécessaire, après quoi elle l’écrivait. Elle commença Jane Eyre, dans la quasi obscurité qu’exigeait l’état de son père, tout juste opéré des yeux ; elle l’avait accompagné en tant que garde-malade dans une ville qu’elle ne connaissait pas et qu’elle ne chercha pas à connaître. Son manuscrit débutait justement ainsi : « Il ne fallait pas songer à sortir ce jour- là. »

Quant à Anne, elle ne voyait pas pourquoi recourir à l’imagination, quand elle avait tout ce qu’il fallait sous la main, la déchéance de son frère, par exemple, devenu dépendant de l’opium et de l’alcool. Elle écrivit La Recluse de Wildfell Hall, un roman encore mal connu du public, qui la révéla comme une vraie féministe avant la date. (Olivier Steiner) (Translation)

Capturing Your Confidence posts about Wuthering Heights.