Hated Wuthering Heights. (but not as much as I hate Rochester of course)
Vivien Send a noteboard - 26/04/2012 09:31:13 PM
Recently I was talking about the zombies adaptation type trend in books and how I hate it and believe it is cheating but then someone mentioned putting vampires into Wuthering Heights and I was just, whoa, that's perfect, it totally makes sense that vampires would belong there. Oh the angst. The ANGST! I have no idea why Wuthering Heights is considered a classic. I saw no redeeming value in it.
Jane Eyre- yes. It helps if you don't see Rochester as a romantic hero and you don't see it as a happy romance. Because it's awful! You have to keep in mind that Bronte wasn't even subtle with how awful Rochester is, we shouldn't forget that just because Jane chose to marry him in the end. Just because it was her choice doesn't mean that it was a good one. I hate Rochester so much, to an extent that seems ridiculous given that it's just a fictional character.
[Just occurred to me- was Rochester's "I like how you're obscure, little and plain" the original neg?] Gee, thanks! Now that you've underscored my insecurities and you're ok with it of course I have no choice but to see you as the best I can do! And I don't care if Rochester said that because his first wife was terrifyingly gorgeous and sexy and he wants the opposite now, it was still an awful thing to say to Jane regardless of his reasons it's not all about him. [Except that for someone like Rochester it is in fact all. about. him] Not that that was the only occasion in which he manipulated and played Jane. Anyway!
But you have to read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys... Though I read Jane Eyre first and and Wide Sargasso Sea really made sense to me, in my opinion it was very consistent with Jane Eyre.
I'm somewhat more dubious about Wuthering Heights, but then I haven't read it yet.
Jane Eyre- yes. It helps if you don't see Rochester as a romantic hero and you don't see it as a happy romance. Because it's awful! You have to keep in mind that Bronte wasn't even subtle with how awful Rochester is, we shouldn't forget that just because Jane chose to marry him in the end. Just because it was her choice doesn't mean that it was a good one. I hate Rochester so much, to an extent that seems ridiculous given that it's just a fictional character.
[Just occurred to me- was Rochester's "I like how you're obscure, little and plain" the original neg?] Gee, thanks! Now that you've underscored my insecurities and you're ok with it of course I have no choice but to see you as the best I can do! And I don't care if Rochester said that because his first wife was terrifyingly gorgeous and sexy and he wants the opposite now, it was still an awful thing to say to Jane regardless of his reasons it's not all about him. [Except that for someone like Rochester it is in fact all. about. him] Not that that was the only occasion in which he manipulated and played Jane. Anyway!
But you have to read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys... Though I read Jane Eyre first and and Wide Sargasso Sea really made sense to me, in my opinion it was very consistent with Jane Eyre.
I even usually like the movie adaptations of them, and I can't explain why. I hate the Brontes - that is to chick lit what chick lit is to literature generally - but Jane Austen is wonderful.
I'm somewhat more dubious about Wuthering Heights, but then I haven't read it yet.
Just read Pride and Prejudice again.
25/04/2012 04:21:27 PM
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honestly...I liked it better with zombies.
25/04/2012 05:15:12 PM
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Never read that.
25/04/2012 10:14:51 PM
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it has a lot of the charm of the original, and then the additional charm of zombies
25/04/2012 11:36:55 PM
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I don't know what it is about that book, but yes, I do love it.
25/04/2012 06:56:28 PM
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I love Thomas Hardy.
25/04/2012 08:33:41 PM
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Hm. I never could. Which book particularly?
25/04/2012 10:09:16 PM
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Jude the Obscure.
26/04/2012 03:10:25 AM
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Mary's still presented as better than Lydia and their mother. Kind of.
26/04/2012 08:40:40 PM
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Re: Mary's still presented as better than Lydia and their mother. Kind of.
26/04/2012 09:40:14 PM
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See, I keep thinking Jane Austen books are "chick lit" but I like them anyway.
26/04/2012 02:43:07 AM
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Oh, come on. Jane Eyre is a great book.
26/04/2012 08:42:17 PM
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Hated Wuthering Heights. (but not as much as I hate Rochester of course)
26/04/2012 09:31:13 PM
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I don't think the first adaptation is cheating
26/04/2012 10:04:14 PM
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I admit she's too good for him - but isn't that part of the point?
26/04/2012 10:08:13 PM
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Could someone explain to me why Jane Austen's prose is considered good?
27/04/2012 12:24:00 AM
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Dialogue, wit, characters. The plot and descriptive prose are merely functional, true.
27/04/2012 11:26:27 PM
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