You Can't Stop Thinking About

LouReviews revisits all the film, TV, and stage play adaptations of Jane Eyre that the writer of the post has seen.

Mamamia interviews the writer Natasha Lesher on her new book, which is a sort of Jane Eyre retelling in a way, The Chateau on Sunset:

A modern retelling of Jane Eyre.

Natasha drew much of her inspiration from classic literature. 

"It's a bit like what Emerald Fennell said about Wuthering Heights," she said. "She's made a movie that captures how she felt about the book as a teenager."

"When I read Jane Eyre as a teenager — in fact, I was only like 10... the overwhelming impression was of these very passionate people who got swept away with each other. It was all very, very vivid."

In Jane Eyre, Jane longs to see the world before encountering her love interest, Mr Rochester. Revisiting the novel, Natasha wanted more for the protagonist than just love. 

"I feel like Jane kind of missed out on what she truly wanted in many ways," Natasha said. "I feel like there's an alternative ending, a different story that would be more satisfying…The Chateau on Sunset is, how could we give Jane Eyre the ending she truly deserves?" (Cassandra Green)

The Telegraph & Argus presents the new book by Simon Ross Valentine, Churches of Bradford:

In Churches of Bradford, a new book published by Amberley, I take readers on a whistle stop tour of 50 of the district’s most intriguing churches. (...)

The ruins of Old Bell Chapel in Thornton hold a special place in literary history. Patrick Brontë served here from 1815 to 1820, and Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell Brontë were all baptised within its walls. The font used for their baptisms now stands across the road in St James’ Church. (Simon Ross Valentine)

The Glasgow Guardian reviews Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights:

I’m sure Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is fun without an English major lamenting about the social context of the novel and pointing out the racism present in this adaptation. The film is visually stunning, it hits the right emotional beats, and the supporting performances are impressive. But by removing this social context something significant is lost. As I watched the film I couldn’t help but wonder what insightful race and class politics could be explored by a more ambitious director. I wondered what Isabella’s story would look like if it was more faithful, depicting a woman escaping abuse at a point in history where doing so was near impossible. I left the film not angry in the way I thought I would be, but frustrated.  (Rosa Prior)

The Washburn Review does the same:

On its own, the movie can still be an enjoyable watch because of its strong performances, cinematography and few well-crafted scenes. But as an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, it  does injustice to Brontë’s work by replacing the novel’s complex exploration of morality, obsession and generational consequences with a more superficial focus on sensuality.

Ultimately, the adaptation forces a question: how far can a classic literary work be altered in the modern retelling before it wrongs the original work? (Ruksha Shrestha) 

And Revista Pazes (Brazil):

 Em “O Morro dos Ventos Uivantes”, o amor não aparece como abrigo confortável. Ele surge como força que aproxima, rompe, humilha, prende e consome — e é justamente por isso que essa história continua tão provocadora nas telas. (Gabriel Pietro) (Translation)

Even Men's Journal:

Is it supposed to be camp? Is it supposed to be genuine? Who can say. As with Saltburn, you can’t camp it up and then ask us to care about the characters. Fennell possesses a crucial misunderstanding of tone. You’ll know something is off around the time Cathy sucks on her lower lip while her maid kneads dough, but by the time she commits an act of fervent self abuse on the moors you’ll be drafting a letter to your local representative to say down with this sort of thing. And then we are supposed to care, after scenes of Heathcliff tying Cathy’s sister (Alison Oliver) up like a dog and humiliating her, about the plight of these star-crossed lovers? Even those with an exceptionally high tolerance, even appreciation, for bad taste will find challenges here.

In spite of itself, the movie is never boring to watch. Linus Sandgren’s sumptuous cinematography marks a high point in the DP’s storied filmography, with each moment so vividly rendered that it stands on its own as a tableau. And Suzie Davies’ production design is equally commendable, creating a dreamlike interpretation of a period setting that feels both vintage and futuristically alien. The Yorkshire setting of Wuthering Heights looks so fabulous that you almost want to live within it, just not with this cast of characters. (Declan Gallagher)

Nerd Daily interviews the author Linda Hamilton:

The [book] that you can’t stop thinking about: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. (Elise Dumpleton)

Die Presse (Austria) visits Brontë country looking for the locations of Wuthering Heights 2026:

Drehorte als Reiseziel: Stürmische Höhen im Yorkshire-Moor

Zu den Schauplätzen von „Sturmhöhe“, Emily Brontës Klassikers, im Norden Englands reisen: literarische Pilgerorte mit Kinobezug.

Schwarz ragt die Ruine der alten Bleimühle in den Himmel. Menschenleer liegen Hügel und Täler unter schweren Wolken. Das Gluckern des Flüsschens Old Gang Beck ist das einzige Geräusch, wenn nicht gerade ein Fasan auffliegt. Plötzlich erscheint Heathcliff unter einem Torbogen. Gleich wird Catherine sich in den Überresten des Torflagers der Bleihütte umdrehen und den sperrigen Antihelden der „Wuthering Heights“ nach Jahren der Trennung wiedersehen. Dass Emerald Fennells Filminterpretation des Klassikers großzügig neben der Hälfte des Romans auch die meisten Figuren weglässt und die Handlung auf die Vergeblichkeit der unheilvollen Beziehung zwischen Heathcliff und Catherine destilliert, schmälert seine Wirkung nicht. (Stefanie Bisping) (Translation)

Some websites still announce that the film is available on streaming right now: Billboard, Forbes, Page Six...

Sarah Collins Bookworm posts about her visit to Haworth and the Brontë Parsonage Museum.