Catherine’s inability to tell her own story, dead or alive

The Telegraph and Argus reports that plans have been lodged to turn Mary Taylor's Red House into holiday accommodation for Brontëites.

Kirklees Council first revealed its latest proposal for the Grade II* building earlier this year, outlining an investment of £600,000 into the Gomersal site to bring the historic house and neighbouring cart shed back into use.

Dating back to 1660, the house and grounds are seen as an important heritage asset because of their association with the Taylor family, particularly Mary Taylor, who was a writer and friend of Charlotte Brontë.

Charlotte herself was a regular guest at the house, and gave it a starring role as Briarmains in her novel, Shirley.

Prior to its closure in 2016, Red House operated as a community museum, but visitor numbers and increasing costs made the site unviable.

The Council's intention to sell the property, prompted a petition from Red House Heritage Group in 2019, which resulted in the authority’s cabinet agreeing to explore alternative uses for the site which could keep it in public hands.

In a design and access statement accompanying the plans, it states that the main house would be available as a short-term holiday let accommodating ten guests across five bedrooms.

It states: "Because of its romantic associations with the Brontes, and the property’s appeal to heritage-motivated visitors, we anticipate there may be demand from guests staying in Red House to combine their stay with a wedding ceremony within the house. "We will therefore apply to license the main reception hall for small wedding ceremonies, so that guests staying in the house may get married as a part of their stay."

The cart shed would be split into four self-catering apartments, which can be booked individually and independently from the Red House.

The report adds: "The properties will be presented in a manner which is expected to appeal to discerning visitors motivated by their Brontë heritage. Nevertheless, there will be explicit booking restrictions which rule out stays from potential anti-social parties – for example stag and hen parties, and younger-aged single sex parties generally. The target markets for the house are predominantly extended family and friends groups and heritage-motivated visitors, and all bookings will require the payment of a good house-keeping deposit to help reinforce standards of expected behaviour."

There are no plans to include the barn in this change of use. (Jo Winrow)

'Discerning visitors motivated by their Brontë heritage' would have had enough if it had been kept on as a museum, we think. No need to stay overnight in a converted room with modern facilities to get the feel of the place.

Los Angeles Times reviews Siri Hustvedt's Mothers, Fathers, and Others: New Essays.

Outside her scientific knowledge, much of what fascinates Hustvedt could be defined as what’s missing. “Wuthering Heights,” for some, is a study on the horrors of heredity. But for Hustvedt, it’s all about Catherine’s inability to tell her own story, dead or alive. (Jessica Ferri)

Los Angeles Review of Books discusses Amanda Jayatissa’s thriller My Sweet Girl.

Mrs. Evans meets Lihini and Paloma on her visit to the home and eventually decides to adopt Paloma. When Perera sir breaks the news of adoption to Paloma, he relays that Mrs. Evans felt a special connection to Paloma when she saw Paloma reading her favorite novel, Wuthering Heights. [...]

Mrs. Evan’s racist and classist hang-ups notwithstanding, Wuthering Heights is important to My Sweet Girl, as both are ghost stories. The girls at Little Miracles scare each other with the story of “Vana-Mohini” or “Mohini.” A Sri Lankan folktale, in the iteration told by the girls at Little Miracles, Mohini is a woman with blood under her talon-like nail, who walks at night, only revealing herself to people who are all alone. (Rachel Jackson)

The Reviews Hub reviews the film Night Raiders, written and directed by Danis Goulet.

The Academy, where Waseese is taken, is certainly a dreary place, girls exercising in grey uniforms and sleeping in cages. But it’s more futuristic Jane Eyre than The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s hard to see why any of them would buy into an ideology that is barely articulated. You long for an Aunt Lydia to spice things up. (Jane Darcy)

The Hitavada quotes from Wuthering Heights at the beginning of an article on the 'bliss of one’s own company'.

“I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society; be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find company in himself.”

- Emily Brontë

Of course, simple words -- with profound meaning. Emily Brontë rightly brings us to understanding of how one evolves and starts finding company in self. But this stage does not come by easily, as we all know. (Vijay Phanshikar)

While we are on board with the idea, we would be careful to avoid making the point by quoting those particular words used by Lockwood early in the book. Remember that Heathcliff can't help but reply sarcastically: 'Delightful company!'