"A landmark Romantic novel but it’s not exactly small ’r’ romantic"

TimeOut and Deadline list the most exciting book-to-movie adaptations of next year, and of course, we have:

Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennell’s literary adaptation is sure to lob a Molotov cocktail in the general direction of early 2026’s cultural discourse. Emily Brontë’s toxic love story is getting a proper Fennelling, with Charli XCX songs, a buzz-worthy cast (Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi) and provocative quote marks around the title on the poster like you’re supposed to say it in a sarcastic way. Wuthering Heights may be a landmark Romantic novel but it’s not exactly small ’r’ romantic, so that ‘the greatest love story of all time’ tagline may mystify literary types.

In cinemas worldwide Feb 13 (Phil de Semlyen)

Though many question whether this film will actually be a true adaptation or more of Cathy’s (Margo Robbie) dream world of sorts, Emerald Fennel’s blockbuster adaptation has drawn much attention and criticism for its avoidance of casting a person of color in the role of Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi). The film arrives in theaters Feb. 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day. (Dessi Gomea)

The movie is also featured in Good Housekeeping's 'brilliant things to look forward in 2026':

Wuthering Heights: Emerald Fennell’s adaptation, starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, arrives on 13 February and promises heightened drama and raised temperatures.

Also in Merkur (Germany,  Gulf News...

The end of the mass market paperbacks (aka pocket books) is mentioned in The Daily Cartoonist:

Modern mass market paperbacks, originally called “pocket books” after the Simon & Schuster imprint, were born in 1939. They sold for twenty-five cents but were scarcely dreadful: The first list boasted The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, Lost Horizon by James Hilton and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Since then mass market paperbacks have dominated the publishing landscape with sales in the incalculable billions. (D.D. Degg)

Le Parisien (France) thinks you should read some classics in the holiday season:

Les Hauts de Hurlevent, Emily Brontë (1847)

En février 2026, une nouvelle adaptation des Hauts de Hurlevent sortira en salles, portée par Jacob Elordi et Margot Robbie. Pourquoi ne pas saisir l’occasion pour découvrir le roman écrit par l’une des célèbres sœurs Brontë ?

En effet, en 1847 sortent deux romans qui marqueront à tout jamais la littérature anglaise : Les Hauts de Hurlevent d’Emily Brontë et Jane Eyre, écrit par sa sœur Charlotte. Les sœurs Brontë, filles de pasteur, s’échappent de leur quotidien reclus en écrivant des poèmes et des romans. Emily Brontë imagine une histoire d’amour et de vengeance en plein milieu des landes sauvages de l’Angleterre : Heathcliff, un orphelin recueilli par la famille Earnshaw, vit une relation passionnelle avec Catherine, du moins jusqu’à son mariage avec un autre homme. Ravagé par la rancœur, Heathcliff revient hanter la famille sur plusieurs générations.

 Les Hauts de Hurlevent traverse les siècles sans jamais perdre de sa superbe. Il demeure un roman inclassable, à la croisée du gothique, du romantique et du tragique. Avec une audace exceptionnelle pour son époque, Emily Brontë sonde, comme rarement cela a été fait, les tréfonds de l’âme humaine. (Translation)

Las Vegas News thinks that Emily Brontë's novel is one of the nine greatest ones:

This classic novel explores the intense, complex relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine’s father, leading to revenge that spans two families. Published in 1847 under a male pseudonym, the novel shocked Victorian readers with its raw emotion and moral ambiguity. There are no clear heroes here, just damaged people inflicting damage on others.

The Yorkshire moors become almost a character themselves, wild and unforgiving, mirroring the passionate and destructive relationship at the novel’s center. Heathcliff remains one of literature’s most compelling antiheroes, simultaneously sympathetic and monstrous. The narrative structure, with its nested stories and unreliable narrators, adds layers of complexity to what could have been a straightforward revenge tale. (Matthias Binder)

The noble art of poetry in The Impartial Reporter:

What a delight to be introduced to Irish poets such as Francis Ledwidge, John Hewitt and Patrick Kavanagh and to female poets such as the Emilys: Dickinson and Brontë! (Joe Corrigan)

Los Angeles Times asks why movie stars are dressing more like movie characters in the red carpet:

She’s excited by an upcoming period film, Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” starring on-theme veterans Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. “I think ‘Wuthering Heights’ will be our litmus test to see if method dressing will spill over into historically inspired garments,” says [Raissa] 

Bretaña[, fashion historian and lecturer at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology]. “In the past, whenever actors promoted period films, they try to look as contemporary as possible in order to distance themselves.” (Clarissa Cruz)

Anne Brontë.org's tenth day of Christmas is about lords (or absence of).