Halloween 2024: scaring artists and creators into zeitgeist-approved shapes

Happy Halloween! As InStyle Australia says,

There's no shame in having a little bit of a supernatural crush. Throughout history, ghosts have been portrayed as charismatic and charming, from the stories of Edgar Allen Poe to the Brontë sisters' iconic novels – it's no coincidence both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are haunted. In short, we've been blessed with portrayals of seductive spirits for centuries. (Christopher Luu)

Keighley News features the appointment of Lucy Powrie as youngest-ever chair of the Brontë Society.

Lucy Powrie, 25, has been a member of the society – which runs the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth – since her teens, and became a young ambassador in 2018.

She says: "It is an honour to be appointed chair.

"As the youngest person to take on the role in the society’s history, I am aware of the significance of being similar in age to Charlotte, Emily and Anne at the time of their groundbreaking publications, a testament to the legacy they have left.

"I hope to use my tenure to create new opportunities to engage with our current members, and to welcome the next generation of Brontë fans to the society."

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, says: "We're all very excited to have Lucy at the helm. I know she will lead the board with insight and thoughtfulness." (Alistair Shand)

WhatCulture lists '10 More Upcoming Movie Performances Doomed To Fail' and of course one of them is

8. Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi - Wuthering Heights

In the wake of unleashing one of the most talked about pictures of 2023 in Saltburn, it was announced that Emerald Fennell would next be turning her attention to a little story by the name of Wuthering Heights.

This iconic tale based on Emily Brontë's novel centres around lovers Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, with it later being revealed that both Barbie's Margot Robbie and Saltburn's Jacob Elordi would be playing the famous roles in this version, respectively.

Despite being two of the hottest names in all of Hollywood right now, though, fans of the book aren't all that pleased with the casting and seemingly feel both of these performances are doomed to fail. You see, the 34-year-old Robbie - who is also producing the picture - will be playing a character who is 19 at her eldest in the story, and Elordi (currently 27-years-old) will be taking on the part of a man who ends up being about 40 as the novel reaches its conclusion. This has led some to question if the folks behind the film had even bothered reading the book to begin with.

The fact that Elordi's character is also described as "dark-skinned" throughout the novel (via Deadline) has also left many questioning whether continuing the trend of casting white actors as Heathcliff was the right move in 2024.

Both Elordi and Robbie are unquestionably top talents on their day, and Fennell will no doubt try to deliver a bold new take on the classic tale. But it's still doubtful either of the stars' performances will be able to convince lovers of the book that this glamorous casting was the correct call. 

So, when it comes to die-hard Heights fans at least, it feels like these two are being set up to fail here.

'Die-hard Heights fans' are way more open-minded--and know what the novel is about much better--than the people posing as literature experts on X. Please don't mistake the two and please stop trying to scare artists and creators into what you want them to be as if commercial success or the lack of it were measurements of art. The critical reception of Wuthering Heights itself was appalling and we can just imagine a list of 'forthcoming titles that are doomed to fail' with it at the very top in any of the newspapers of the day. Well, guess what?

The Daily Star lists '5 books posed as literary cannibalism' and one of them is

Windward Heights

Maryse Condé

Soho House, 1999

Set in the Caribbean, this is a gripping adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. Using colonialism as a lens, the book recounts the turbulent tale of Heathcliff and Catherine's love. Against a colourful, lush setting, Condé delves into topics of race, power, and passion. The story combines historical and folkloric themes with an abundance of character complexity to present the original story from a new angle. Condé's work honours Brontë while also pushing readers to think about the nuances of love and yearning in a postcolonial context. (Isra Kabir)