Brontë and Shakespeare

My edits are complete and the The Ride is once again back at ArcheBooks waiting on the next step. If this foray into the publishing world has taught me anything, it’s that patience is a very valuable asset.

So as I sit patiently waiting for my book’s release, I sometimes enjoy flipping through Chase’s Calendar of Events.

Did you know that last Monday (April 21) was Charlotte Brontë’s birth anniversary? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either until I came across the entry. It’s been a long time since I read Jane Eyre, and I honestly can’t remember if I liked it or not. But I know it has to be an important book simply because the name “Eyre” appears in almost every crossword puzzle I’ve ever worked. What would puzzle constructors do if she’d had named the title character Jones or Smith?

I also read that Charlotte and her sisters, Emily and Anne, published a collection of poetry together under assumed names. According to Wikipedia, only two copies sold. Obviously, marketing wasn’t her cup of tea either.

In the preface to Jane Eyre, Brontë wrote, “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last.” I believe that passage, written in the 1800s, is equally significant today. And that qualifies her, in my humble opinion, as a talented writer.

Speaking of talented writers of timeless works, last Wednesday (April 23) was the birth and the death anniversary of William Shakespeare. What are the odds of dying on your birthday? I only hope he had a chance to enjoy his cake and ice cream first.

Readers, I also hope you’ll leave a comment on whether or not you’d recommend that I reread Jane Eyre. Or post a comment about your favorite or least favorite works of Shakespeare.

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/janesutton


Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Chase’s Calendar of Events, Bronte, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare