My very Brontë week

Dear reader, I had a very Brontë week. 

It started off on Saturday morning Feb. 7 with the Brussels Brontë Group’s members talks. In two brilliant presentations, I was taken from the tales of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ (and the influence it had on 19th-century authors) to a sequence of laughter, smiles, chuckling and even some guffaws when Jones took us on a hilarious quest “to find the funny in the Brontës” because even “amid the moors, the melodrama and the misery, the Brontës also added humour to their works”. This is something that we have proven to be true with our sketches that we have performed with the Brussels Brontë Players at the BBG's annual Christmas lunch. 

The next day, it was a lovely freak spring day in February. I was gifted a clear blue sky and sunshine for my Brontë Walk with a bunch of lovely people from a Slow Reading Club in Hasselt. We enjoyed this delightful weather as we walked the streets of Brussels to take in the various Brontë-related locations. I don’t know anymore how many times I’ve done this walk, but it’s true that it brings me joy each time when I can talk about the Brontës, their time in Belgium, and their enduring works of literature. 

Pauline (center) leading the Brontë walk

The week continued in the Brontë atmosphere as on Monday and Tuesday I dedicated my conversation tables in school to the upcoming ‘Wuthering Heights’ movie release. With my students we analysed the trailer and discussed topics like: 

- Should every classic be updated, or are some better left alone? 

- Why do people care so much about casting choices? Should historical accuracy matter more than representation? 

- If a story includes unhealthy or toxic relationships, should it still be told? And what’s the difference between showing toxic behaviour and promoting it? 

It all made for really interesting conversations – try it for yourself 😉. I even started playing with the idea of dedicating an entire lesson series to Emily Brontë and ‘Wuthering Heights’ and maybe taking the students to see the film in the movie theatre. 

On Wednesday, Bruzz Radio contacted me via our Instagram account to do a radio interview about the Brontës, again because of the film release of ‘Wuthering Heights.’ I had a preparatory telephone conversation with the journalist, in which he told me he had often held ‘Wuthering Heights’ in his hands in bookshops but that he had never actually read it. 

Bruzz Radio

Reader, I decided that this should be changed, so on Thursday afternoon, on my way to the radio studio at Flagey, I picked up a second-hand copy of ‘Wuthering Heights’ to give to the radio host. It seems as if I’m never not spreading some Brontë love. The interview on the radio was awesome. I had a great time chatting with the journalist about Emily, the Brontë heritage in Brussels and the Emerald Fennel adaptation. 

Suffice it to say that I was really hyped to finally go and see the film, after all the buzz and all the talking the entire week. So on Saturday Feb. 14, I went to see the movie with Ana. We enjoyed it more than we thought we would, but we did need a long session afterwards (strengthened by juice, chai tea and carrot cake) to analyse all that we had seen. 

Popcorn ready!

I encourage everyone to go and see the film as it is a visual masterpiece, and cinematographically it is interesting – not to mention the postmodern costumes and soundtrack. The ending left me heartbroken. 

Dear reader, as I walked home after this movie and I contemplated my Brontë week, I came to the conclusion that the only possible thing I could do this evening was to come home, cosy up in the sofa and read ‘Wuthering Heights.’ AGAIN.

 Pauline Ghyselen