The fierceness of her convictions

Byronic heroes in movies in Far Out Magazine:

The heroes of Byron’s works helped establish one of the most popular tropes in literature, that of the Byronic hero. This pervasive archetype is still as popular today as it was when Emily Brontë sat down to write Wuthering Heights, especially on the big screen. (...)

Heathcliffe (sic) from Wuthering Heights (Coky Giedroyc, 2009)

Heathcliff, the puppy-murdering foundling from Emily Brontë’s classic gothic novel Wuthering Heights, has been portrayed by some of the UK’s finest actors, including Lawrence Olivier (1939), Timothy Dalton (1970) and Ralph Fiennes (1992). For me, Tom Hardy’s version of the notorious anti-hero in the 2009 ITV series is the most faithful representation of Brontë’s original character.

Probably the illegitimate child of Mr. Earnshaw (though there is, admittedly, not much evidence), Heathcliffe is bought to Wuthering Heights as a child, where he develops an intimate relationship with the nearby moors and with Cathy Earnshaw. After being dehumanised and abused by his step-siblings (at one point, they refer to him as the “imp of Satan”), he becomes bitter, cruel and violent. But despite his flaws (of which there are many), we can’t help but sympathise with him. (...)

Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2011)

Edward Rochester is the brooding, mutton-chopped anti-hero of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Adapted for the big screen countless times over the years (most recently in 2011), it follows the trials and tribulations of an orphaned girl as she navigates the harsh and unfeeling world of early Victorian England – typhus outbreaks included.

Dismissed as “plain” by her contemporaries, Jane meets the mysterious Mr Rochester (tall, dark, handsome, and riding a rather fetching horse) during a walk and immediately falls for his rude manner and rugged good looks. He certainly has his charm, but he’s also keeping his mad ex-wife locked in the attic, which, I think it’s fair to say, is a bit of a red flag.

Fitzrovia News looks into the life and work of the fashion designer Betty Jackson:

Then in October 2022 I saw the film Emily, an imaginative reconstruction of the life of the novelist Emily Brontë. When I got home I googled the cast, and found that the love interest, the sexy curate William Whitfield, was played by an actor called Oliver Jackson-Cohen. If the Revd Whitfield really looked like that, you can see why he might have inspired the character of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Further googling revealed that Jackson-Cohen is the son of Betty Jackson and her late husband David Cohen. (Sue Blundell)

Hello Little Home briefly reviews the comic book Brontë by Manuela Santori:

Learn more about the lives of the famous literary sisters in Brontë! This graphic novel tells the story of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë's successful pursuit against the odds to get their poems and stories published. It also touches on their self-destructive brother, their family's financial struggles, and the obstacles they faced at home and out in the world as nineteenth century women.

I don't pick up many graphic novels, but I was reading about these famous sisters recently and was inspired to learn more. So when I spotted this book in my Libby app, I had to check it out. The stark, broody drawings are a perfect match for the sister's dark story. I'm not sure I actually learned anything new about them (the story is pretty simplified), but it was a quick, pleasurable read anyway ... definitely recommend for fans of the Brontës! (Ginnie)

Print Magazine interviews the singer, songwriter and author Susanna Hoffs:

Debbie Millman: Little Brown has described your book as one for lovers of Daisy Jones and the Six and inspired by favorites like Jane Eyre and Bridget Jones’ diary. That’s quite a range, and I was wondering if you agree with that description.

S.H.:  I think it’s actually a marvelous description.(...)  And Jane Eyre was a seminal work that I’ve revisited starting from adolescence, I would say, through my 60s. There’s something about the fierceness of that character. She doesn’t come from wealth. She’s basically like an orphan. I don’t know. There’s just something in the fierceness of her convictions and also her integrity as a character. I just find her endlessly inspiring and relatable, even if we’ve live in different time periods. And it’s just such a marvelous book.

D.M.:  I feel the same way about that book. I still remember being 12 or 13 years old and picking it up in a doctor’s office of all things and just being completely and utterly riveted. Just riveted. And seeing her and Mr. Rochester speak over the ocean. It’s just, yeah. Is Jane your character in the book, Jane Start, named after Jane Eyre?

S.H.: I did grab the Jane from Jane Eyre. I like how it’s such a simple name. It sounds so beautiful to say Jane. That’s the weird thing. I didn’t have a page with 10 names written on it. There was this just instinctive firing different pistons and just different synapses all reacting. It just kept happening. It was like playful in my mind.

Broadway World publishes rehearsal photos of the Wuthering Heights upcoming Inspector Sands production:

All new rehearsal photos have been released for Wuthering Heights, the brand-new adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel, opening at Royal & Derngate, Northampton from 24 April - 6 May, with a national press night on Friday 28 April ahead of a UK tour, playing Oxford, London, Coventry and Newcastle.

Channelling Emily Brontë's piercing wit and fierce emotion, Inspector Sands presents a retelling of this classic story of obsessive love and revenge in their boldly humorous and humane style. Their thrilling new version draws out themes of intergenerational trauma, and the dangerous impact of social exclusion...confronting us all with urgent questions for our own times.

La Stampa (Italy) highlights the soundtrack of Wuthering Heights 1992 by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto:

Tra le trasposizioni cinematografiche del romanzo di Emily Brontë resta memorabile «Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights», diretto da Peter Kosminsky nel 1992. Protagonisti Ralph Fiennes e Juliette Binoche. Geniale comprimario Ryuichi Sakamoto, autore della colonna sonora. La forza di quella musica si percepiva dal primo ascolto. Il compositore si era mosso essenzialmente tra due poli: l’ossessione e lo spettrale. Naturalmente le due cose erano in perpetuo dialogo. Si fondevano. Ripartivano insieme. Si spiegavano a vicenda. Il film sceglieva l’indovinata impostazione di aprirsi e chiudersi sulla figura della scrittrice che aveva dato vita alla storia. Di conseguenza, lo spettatore aveva modo di accompagnare Emily Brontë che, vagando per la brughiera, si imbatteva in una casa abbandonata. Emily sapeva quel che sarebbe accaduto. Quelle pietre le avrebbero parlato. Le avrebbero donato l’ardente segreto di una trama formidabile che si presentava come evocata dalla terra, dal cielo, dalle rocce rudi, dall’erica. (Rita Italiano) (Translation)

Eyre Buds shares a new episode:

The Real Housewives of Thornfield: Discussing the "Other Women of Jane Eyre"
Finding out Rochester keeps Bertha in the attic is a surprise, but what about the other skeletons in his closet? In this week's episode, Piper and Lillian talk about Blanche, Celine, Giacinta and Clara; the role they play in the story, and how they shape our perception of Jane's love interest.