Crime fiction and poetry

Crime Reads explores the connection between crime fiction and poetry.

Of course, there are other works with poets as sleuths. Jane Austen, a poet as well as a novelist, serves as the heroine of Stephanie Barron’s popular Jane Austen Mysteries. The inimitable Oscar Wilde solves the crime in Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance, by British broadcaster, author, royal watcher, and former politician Gyles Daubeney Brandreth. In The Vanished Bride: A Brontë Sisters Mystery by Bella Ellis, you’ll find poets/novelists/siblings Charlotte, Emily, and Anne on the case. (Paula Munier)

Los Angeles Times reviews Sandra Newman's Julia, a feminist retelling of George Orwell's 1984.

The literary term “anastrophe” refers to the technique of reversing word order in a sentence for effect. (Yoda, think of.) Some retellings of celebrated stories enact a kind of anastrophe on a higher level, lifting one author’s plot to another author’s purpose — and in the process reversing the polarity of the story.

Some of the strongest examples include “Wide Sargasso Sea,” Jean Rhys’ postcolonial “Jane Eyre” prequel; Helen Oyeyemi’s “Snow White” remix “Boy, Snow, Bird”; and Barbara Kingsolver’s recent Dickens reboot “Demon Copperhead.” Sandra Newman’s new entry in this small canon, “Julia,” is explicit about its task; the cover tells us it’s “A Retelling of George Orwell’s 1984.” (Bethanne Patrick)

The Eagle recommends Jane Eyre 2011 as one of several 'Movies to watch as the leaves turn'.

Jane Eyre

This 2011 adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic gothic novel stays true to its source material while making exciting creative decisions to keep audiences engaged. The film follows plain Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska), an orphaned governess employed by the brooding master of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender), who is harboring a terrible secret.

Fans of the book might have to overlook the miscasting of Jane and Rochester — both of whose physical appearances are notoriously described as ugly — it would be difficult to describe Wasikowska or Fassbender as such. However, the two leads’ captivating performances and sizzling chemistry more than make up for the inaccuracy. Moreover, the dark and moody set design and cinematography beautifully emulates Brontë’s wild scenery. Reader, I would highly recommend. (Kristine Renehan)

On Ballade (Norway), singer/songwriterJosefin WintheThe Begr tells about her song inning.

– Det er lenge siden jeg har hørt den, men husker at den har en sånn stigning.

– Ja, og den kulminerer i hans solo da – en utrolig flott solo som vi heldigvis fikk spilt inn også. Altså, det ble jo en sånn sang som var en av de viktigste sangene for meg i ti år. Jeg pleide å fortelle fra scenen at jeg hadde stjålet to av de viktigste frasene.

– Jeg visste hvem jeg var, men han var den første som så hva jeg var god for – hva som bodde i meg.

Den ene frasen er fra Mr. & Mrs. Smith – en amerikansk actionkomedie fra 2005, der forstadsekteparet John Smith (Brad Pitt) og Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) oppdager at ektefellen er en leiemorder og at hver av dem har fått i oppdrag å drepe den andre.

Helt på slutten, etter at hele huset er rasert, finner de ut at de elsker hverandre. «I guess that’s what happens in the end, you start thinking about the beginning» sier Brad Pitts karakter.

– Det andre sitatet jeg «stjal» var fra tv-serien Jane Eyre – der hun et sted sier om Edward Fairfax Rochester: «I’ve always known myself. But he was the first to recognize me. And to love what he saw».

Sitatet er fra stedet der Jane Eyres fetter, St John Rivers, frir til henne – og ber henne bli med som hans assistent på en misjonsreise til India.

– På den tiden skrev jeg ned sitater fra filmer og serier, og så ble disse to til refrenget på «The Beginning». Så den har litt lånte fjær. (Magne Fonn Hafskor) (Translation)

The Daily Beacon reviews Clarence Brown Theatre’s take on The Moors. The Brussels Brontë Blog has a post on a recent talk on Wuthering Heights by Justine Pizzo.