traveling around places, to periods & inside pages
Category: Literature
Check out “Literature” – collection of posts about the many novels and books I’ve traveled inside! Plus my thoughts and opinions on the works, their adaptations, and more.
As an avid fan of classic novels, I have heard of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden multiple times throughout my life.
To my pleasant surprise, Burnett was also the author of another classic, A Little Princess. While I have not read these two classics, I have heard of them and know the basic plot of each. As I have not read the novel word for word, I decided to venture into it after rereading Jane Eyre.
I have read halfway into it, to the part where Mary Lennox meets her long-lost cousin Colin (as well as Dickon) and they spend time together in his bedchamber to the surprise of Martha, Mrs. Medlock and Dr. Craven. And I can’t continue further into the story because I don’t care about the characters.
Maybe it’s because I have just finished the works written by two of the most famous geniuses of English literature, Charlotte and Emily Bronte. Or perhaps it is because in order to fully enjoy the novel, I should have read it when I was much younger. Whatever the reason, I find reading Frances Burnett’s novel a task rather than an enjoyment. When reading the works of the Bronte sisters, I could not put the novels down. But I stop so often while reading The Secret Garden.
The novel definitely has lovely themes and concepts.
I conjecture that it narrates how Mary Lennox, a lonely young girl, finds comfort and happiness in an abandoned garden that blooms under her care. And I assume that Colin will also blossom, though I don’t know how. The concepts are lovely, but I find the writing bland. (And it’s interesting how, according to online sources, the public did not like The Secret Garden as much as they do today. Instead, more people liked and celebrated Burnett’s other works like Little Lord Fauntleroy. The Secret Garden steadily rose in popularity only after the author’s passing.)
Beautiful Korean cover designs of The Secret Garden. (Left: Designed By SONA DESIGN) (Right: Published by Willbooks & Designed By OIMU)
I haven’t enjoyed C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe either (though I respect the author). The most likely reason why I’m stuck in The Secret Garden is because the writing style of the author isn’t the style I personally enjoy, like that of C.S. Lewis. I prefer the styles of authors like the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and Elizabeth George Speare.
When the film Jane Eyre, directed by the American filmmaker Cary Fukunaga, came out in 2011, it instantly drew my attention not only because it was another adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s timeless classic, but also because the film looked simply beautiful. But as I was preoccupied with other things, I could not watch it that year. It was only today (10 years later!) when I finally took the time to watch the DVD I had purchased from Amazon that I watched the 2011 Jane Eyre. And here are my honest thoughts on the film.
If anyone were to ask me what the best thing about this adaptation was, I would tell them that the cinematic atmosphere and the aesthetics surpass any other version. It is, I think, very similar to the 2005 Pride and Prejudice (directed by Joe Wright) in that both films aren’t very accurate as they stray away from the details of the text but are astoundingly aesthetic, if not the most aesthetic versions of the classics.
Jane Eyre (2011) and Pride and Prejudice (2005) are both masterpieces in terms of aesthetics.
It was also interesting to see the film start with Jane running away from Thornfield and going back in time to show her as a little child at Gateshead Hall, her time at Lowood with Helen Burns, and her stay at Thornfield, including the fateful wedding day. Even though the film approaches the plot in such a fresh way, I personally disliked how many details in the movie were altered from their actual source: Miss Temple was erased from the story, I believe, along with Miss Oliver (one could say she was mentioned in an obscure sort of way), and other characters I could not recognize, such as Mary Rivers.
Other details were changed as well, such as how Jane tells Mr. Rochester about her relatives in the beginning while in the novel she doesn’t initially. And in the film, Jane doesn’t suspect Grace Poole for the creepy laughing or for the subsequent incidents that occur since Grace Poole doesn’t really come out until the day the secret is revealed on the wedding day. These details might appear trivial. But combined altogether, they drastically alter the story from its original.
Beautiful stills from the 2011 Jane Eyre film directed by Cary Fukunaga.
Despite the fact that the cast is an ensemble of extremely talented, renowned actors, including Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, and Sally Hawkins, it didn’t feel like that of Jane Eyre.
I thought Mia Wasikowska was great as the titular protagonist – her performance was moving and I could see her as Jane. And Jamie Bell was an okay St. John Rivers. But as for the rest, they didn’t really seem to belong in the classic. Michael Fassbender’s monotonous way of speaking sometimes made me question whether Mr. Rochester really was interested in attaining Jane’s love. Perhaps to other viewers he did, but as I have watched the 1983 version first, his Mr. Rochester appeared less passionate, less desperate for Jane’s attention and love than that of Timothy Dalton. Timothy Dalton’s portrayal convinced me that Mr. Rochester was desperate to gain Jane’s attention from the very beginning. The way he fidgets, the way he looks at Jane, and the way he speaks all hint at it whereas the Rochester Fassbender enacted doesn’t.
As for Judi Dench’s portrayal of Mrs. Fairfax, I imagined Mrs. Fairfax to be more friendly.
The actress gives off an air of cool dignity even when she doesn’t mean to (which made her an excellent Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice), so she didn’t really seem an ideal Mrs. Fairfax. I also felt Sally Hawkins’s Aunt Reed not as cold-blooded and heartless as the Mrs. Reed described in the novel. They are both incredible actresses, but I did not think they were fit for the roles depicted in the book.
Although it is alright for films to be different from its source, I think for timeless classics like Jane Eyre, which its major audience will inevitably be its literary fans, straying from its source material isn’t very effective or wise, at least in assuming the status as the “best” adaptation. To be completely honest, I stopped watching the 2011 film halfway through because I lost interest in it. Mr. Rochester didn’t seem to love Jane, and when he did appear so, it felt abrupt. I had to force myself to resume despite the alluring aesthetics of the film.
Official poster for the film Jane Eyre released on March 11, 2011.
I prefer the 1983 Jane Eyre to the 2011 adaptation, because the cast feels closer to the actual characters from the novel and because it adheres so carefully to the text in an effective way.
It’s so faithful to the novel that it even includes the scene where Mr. Rochester disguises himself as the old Gypsy woman! However, as I would sometimes watch the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I would watch the 2011 Jane Eyre whenever I have time to spare. But in both cases, I must say the older televised versions far surpass the newer films.
Here is a clip from the 2011 Jane Eyre that I consider to be the best moment in the film:
https://youtu.be/xM_4IEnNCMM
According to YouTube, I am not the only one who considers this scene the best in the film! It is powerful… Best moment enacted by Michael Fassbender’s Mr. Rochester.
I’m happy to write that I have finished Jane Eyre just now. And boy, was it a fun literary ride! From a dramatically stopped wedding to the burning of Thornfield Hall, the last half of the novel was exhilarating (and heart-wrenching) as well as sweet when everything ended peacefully.
From the BBC TV Mini Series Jane Eyre (1983). Image: BBC Video.
Upon my rereading the classic, I can’t help notice the very religious undertone of it.
Jane Eyre feels like a testimony of a devout Christian. Jane narrates her life story from the beginning to end with much references to her faith, and the novel even ends with the words of the very zealous St. John Rivers. I personally like it very much and find it inspiring. (And this religiousness of the popular classic reveals how Christian 19th century Western societies were.)
And as an ardent fan of the novel, I created an image of Jane Eyre.
It wants more artistic skills and accuracies from formal training, but I’m somewhat pleased with the result. My reference for Jane is Zelah Clarke from BBC’s 1983 Jane Eyre. 🙂 The pictures hanging in the back are a silhouette of Edward Rochester and a caged bird, which is referenced in the novel.
As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been watching the 1983 Jane Eyre (BBC TV series) while finishing the book.
It was FANTASTIC. The actors delivered incredible performances (though everyone did, the ones that stood out for me were those depicting Jane Eyre (Zelah Clarke), Mr. Rochester (Timothy Dalton) and St. John (Andrew Bicknell)) and the casting was PERFECT – the producers and the director NAILED IT! I really do not have any complaints on the entire series, as they have stayed so true to the actual novel. I would really like to purchase the DVD of the TV show. It is THAT good.
Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke as Mr. Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre, respectively in the 1983 BBC TV series Jane Eyre. Image: BBC Video.
If you are a fan of Jane Eyre and haven’t watched the 1983 version yet, here is a short clip so you can have a preview of how good, how close to the original text it is:
But the TV series is incredible because its source, the novel, is an incredible piece of writing written by the gifted English writer.
Jane Eyre is truly an inspirational story about a young woman who, orphaned and unloved as a child, develops fortitude, faith, and independence through hard work as well as friends she meets along the way to rise from tribulations and, in the end, finds her home, happiness, and love.
P.S. I would love to do a post about Mr. St. John Rivers. I have much to say about the character! (Including how his name is not pronounced as “Saint” John – but rather “SIN-jun” in the UK! And about his unrealized love towards Miss Rosamund Oliver – it was pretty tragic.)
Miss Oliver (Moira Downie) and St. John Rivers (Andrew Bicknell) from the 1983 Jane Eyre. Image: BBC Video
After finishing Wuthering Heights and exploring the many different adaptations, I moved on to the next novel. It is none other than the masterpiece written by the other Bronte sister, Jane Eyre.
Charlotte Bronte used “Currer Bell” as her penname for her novel.
I first read Jane Eyre when I was in elementary or middle school. To be completely honest, I didn’t remember the details even though I read the book. But I did have a sense of achievement and pride in completing the classic early on in my life. And I foolishly considered myself knowledgeable on the novel as I knew the basic plot. But after reading up to chapter 21 in the past few days, I cannot believe I had thought so.
I had missed so many points and details; I had glossed over so many scenes!
Upon my second reading (and halfway into it), I realized that I did not know Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre half as much as I believed. I think reading the novel again as a more mature reader is allowing me to fully absorb the content. This time, I’m observing all the wonderful nuances and minute details. My younger self had even skipped over the vocabulary that I did not understand at the time, which no doubt, led to my limited understanding of the plot.
Anyways, I am at the part where Jane is called to return to Gateshead as Mrs. Reed is about to pass away after the demise of her spoiled son John. The John who tortured Jane in the very beginning of the novel. And as I read this part, I can’t help but think how talented the Bronte sisters are! They have long been established as such by numerous individuals, so this statement isn’t original at all. But I must mention the fact here after being infatuated by Emily Bronte and Charlotte Bronte’s novels more than once.
Hence, I can’t help but wonder if there is something wonderfully unique in the English society.
Numerous classics have emerged from England, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens to Jane Austen. Even Shakespeare is from the island! Although they do have the advantage of writing in English, which is the language of the globe presently, I do think there is something unique in their society. Something that leads to the emergence of countless talented authors with original, timeless plots. I have a feeling (based on multiple observations) that the uniqueness is from the poor weather (that limits many leisure activities except reading) as well as from the high regard for books in England. I would love to explore this topic in further detail. But for now, I must return to Jane Eyre!
P.S.
I am viewing clips from the BBC’s 1983 Jane Eyre while reading the book (for pure amusement). It’s incredible how accurate the television series is! Zelah Clarke is the perfect Jane Eyre and Timothy Dalton is the perfect Edward Rochester. The casting of the actors is on-point and their performance is delightful as well as powerful. <3
Here is BBC’s website showing the history of Jane Eyre on screen!
Heathcliff remains a mystery from the moment he was introduced to the public in 1847 under Emily Bronte’s pseudonym “Ellis Bell.” What I mean is – his physical portrait/looks remain a mystery. His morality as well as his psyche are easily identified as that of the worst of mankind. (In the very last section of the Wuthering Heights published by Barnes & Noble Classics, it’s very interesting to read about the public’s reaction to Emily Bronte’s masterpiece, including those contemporaneous as well as those from later reviews. In addition, the introduction by Daphne Merkin sheds light on how those from Bronte’s time viewed it.)
Now, back to Heathcliff’s appearance. Throughout the novel, Heathcliff is repeatedly described as having a dark complexion. Here is Bronte’s own description of her character:
…dark almost as if it came from the devil” (Bronte 35).
He has dark eyes, dark skin, dark hair, and even dark aura. Other than descriptions like “dark-skinned gypsy,” “a little Lascar,” and having “thick brows,” there isn’t much known about Heathcliff. And as Emily Bronte leaves his parentage and origin up to our imagination, we are left with only little bits of clues as to who Heathcliff was and how he looked like. However, one thing is certain: Heathcliff is a mysterious character who looks different from the rest of the characters mentioned in the novel.
For more on how Heathcliff is described by Bronte, visit this page where some of her quotes are listed with the corresponding page numbers from the novel. The Reader’s Guide to Wuthering Heights offers other useful information as well – even the novel itself!
The classic continually intrigues readers across time and space, and there have been many movie and drama adaptations of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
So in this post, I will share the many different portraits of Heathcliff from those adaptations. Plus, I will share which Heathcliff I personally find most like Heathcliff as described by Bronte (and how I imagined him).
The Reader’s Guide to Wuthering Heights actually provides a list of the different Heathcliffs in films & television shows throughout time. Here they are, in chronological order:
Heathcliff Throughout the Years
Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff (1939)
Laurence Olivier. Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Charlton Heston as Heathcliff (1950)
Mary Sinclair and Charlton Heston. Image: CBS Productions (now Paramount Global)
Richard Todd as Heathcliff (1953)
Yvonne Mitchell and Richard Todd. Image: BBC Television
Richard Burton as Heathcliff (1958)
Rosemary Harris and Richard Burton. Image: CBS Productions (now Paramount Global)
Keith Michell as Heathcliff (1962)
Claire Bloom and Keith Michell. Image: Getty Images. TV film produced by BBC.
Ian McShane as Heathcliff (1967)
Ian McShane. Image: BBC
Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff (1970)
Timothy Dalton. Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Ken Hutchison as Heathcliff (1978)
Ken Hutchison and Kay Adshead. Image: BBC
Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff (1992)
Ralph Fiennes. Image: Paramount Pictures
Robert Cavanah as Heathcliff (1998)
Robert Cavanah and Orla Brady. Image: WGBH (part of PBS)
Tom Hardy as Heathcliff (2009)
Tom Hardy. Image: WGBH (part of PBS)
James Howson as Heathcliff (2011)
James Howson. Image: Oscilloscope Pictures
Personal Favorite
These actors who played Heathcliff, from cinematic legends to newer actors, are all great as they deliver different interpretations of the antihero.
I’ve read and heard how much people l adore the performances delivered by Tom Hardy and Ralph Fiennes. No doubt, they are incredible! But I personally like Timothy Dalton’s Heathcliff the most. Here is a clip from YouTube showing Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff!
I wonder how Heathcliff will look like in future film/TV adaptations of Wuthering Heights! I’m sure there will be plenty more of the timeless classic. I do hope a director will attempt to portray Heathcliff as Indian, because descriptions like “dark-skinned gypsy,” and “a little Lascar,” to how Nelly tells Heathcliff to imagine himself as the son of a Chinese emperor and an Indian queen all hint some possible ties to India. Yet we’ve never seen an Indian Heathcliff!
Which Heathcliff is your favorite?
Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff and Anna Calder-Marshall as Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights (1970). Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
International Heathcliffs
There are many international adaptations/versions of Heathcliff. The ones that I could readily find were…
Yusaku Matsuda as Onimaru (based on Heathcliff) –Wuthering Heights (嵐が丘, Arashi ga Oka). Image: Toho-Towa Company
Lucas Belvaux as Roch (based on Heathcliff) – Hurlevent. Image: AMLF
Heathcliff from the Korean manwha, Wuthering Heights published by Samsung Publishers.
One of the rare upsides to the current global pandemic is that it enables one to focus one’s leisure time on reading. The quarantine, which has been lasting almost an entire year now, forces a reluctant reader to open up a chapter book and devour its contents. I’ve never been an avid reader – reading has never been a top priority of mine. (I prefer going outside and exploring new places and meeting people). Yet, I do enjoy reading and have a number of titles which I treasure as my favorites. One of them is Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
“Ellis Bell” was Emily Bronte’s pseudonym.
I’ve read it at least twice, but I feel like I’ve read it much many more times. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I happen to have a Korean manwha (comic book) of the said classic. Or maybe it’s because the novel has left such a strong impression on me the first time I read it. Whatever the reason may be, I feel as if I know the novel more than I do. (Perhaps it’s due to the fact that even after years since last reading it, I still vividly know the family tree of the Earnshaws and the Lintons without getting confused).
New Discoveries
The manwha (Korean comic) version of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. This is one of the Samsung Comic Classics Series published in South Korea. Image: Samsung Publishers
I am exactly on the seventeenth chapter as I speak, and it’s fascinating how refreshing it feels to reread it. I am rediscovering new points and focusing on things I’ve never realized or felt, including how among the many victims of fate (and of Heathcliff), Edgar Linton suffers the most.
Upon my first reading, my focus was on Heathcliff and Cathy, and how tragic their love story was. And despite his wicked ways, I felt sympathy for the former, as he suffered from severe child abuse committed by Hindley. But after finding out that Heathcliff does the same to Hareton, I ceased to sympathize. Yet, I still viewed Heathcliff as a victim as much as a perpetrator of evil. I guess I still do. But he really is more of a perpetrator than a victim.
But now I have this immense sympathy for Edgar Linton.
In my opinion, he was the one who suffered the most, a victim of both Heathcliff and Catherine. He grows up with his parents and sister Isabella and falls in love with his neighbor’s daughter, Catherine Earnshaw. He cares for her and showers her with love and attention. But her illness passes on to his parents when they take care of her and they both pass away when he is still young. He marries his love and treats her with utmost admiration and gentleness only to be betrayed by her when Heathcliff reenters the scene. As everyone who has read the novel knows, Catherine’s love for him was shallow and fake as opposed to her love for Heathcliff, which is shown as transcending death.
Heathcliff, fully aware of the fact, makes snide remarks in front of Edgar. Meanwhile, Catherine repeatedly chooses Heathcliff over her husband. Though she never admits it verbally, she shows that Heathcliff matters more to her, even passing out in his arms right before her death.
On top of this…
Heathcliff tricks Edgar’s little sister, Isabella, into a loveless marriage in order to use her as “Edgar’s proxy in suffering” (Bronte 143, Barnes & Noble Classics). Isabella passes away with a son she has with Heathcliff (most likely unwillingly), who is manipulated and neglected by his father until his early death. And as the cherry on top, Edgar’s only daughter, Catherine Linton, is also manipulated and ruined in Heathcliff’s evil designs.
As mentioned earlier, Edgar even lost his parents due to Catherine.
It was inadvertent, but nonetheless due to her as it has been described. And he also loses his sister, nephew, and daughter to the relentless, vengeful Heathcliff, who hates him to death because of Catherine. Because she, by her will and decision, forsakes him (her only love) to marry Edgar instead. Edgar’s home Thrushcross Grange is devoured by Heathcliff as well.
Catherine (Anna Calder-Marshall) and Heathcliff (Timothy Dalton) in Robert Fuest’s 1970 Wuthering Heights. Their love destroys everything around them, as well as themselves when Catherine abandons her soulmate, Heathcliff. Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Everyone in Wuthering Heights are, in one way or another, victims of fate.
Except, maybe, for Mr. Earnshaw who adopts Heathcliff on his whim without consulting his wife or asking his children. Hareton, Isabella, Linton, and Catherine Linton (Catherine Earnshaw’s daughter) are victims of Heathcliff who is a victim of Hindley, who is in a way a victim of Mr. Earnshaw’s imprudence and neglect. Heathcliff is also a victim of Catherine, who abandons him, her one and only soulmate, to marry the better-off Edgar.
But my greatest sympathies go to Edgar Linton, who fell in love and married his first love with her full consent and promise. Edgar adored his wife until the very end, but she hated him and coldly betrayed him. Rereading the novel, Edgar has suffered the most, losing his parents, sister, nephew, and daughter. All because of his wife and her selfishness and dishonesty along with her lover’s immorality and blinded hatred.
From Andrea Arnold’s 2011 Wuthering Heights. There are several film and drama adaptations of Emily Bronte’s novel, yet I find Arnold’s film the most aesthetic in terms of the atmosphere. Image: Oscilloscope Pictures
The Time Traveler is an upcoming author who holds great appreciation for both classic literature and history. The author aspires to publish historical fictions and other written works in the near future, in hopes of creating works that entertain, inform, and inspire.
The author also appreciates all things aesthetic and enjoys traveling around the world to learn and observe.
