Category Novels

Who was Emily Jane Bronte?

English novelist, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights was the author’s first and last novel. It is widely considered by many as one of the most incredible pieces of imaginative literature in the English canon. Let’s find out what makes it a classic.

About the author

Emily Jane Bronte was born on July 30, 1818, in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. She was the fifth of six children, and the fourth daughter of Patrick Bronte and Marie Branwell. Her father was a remarkable man and a minister of the Anglican church. The author lost her mother at the tender age of three. This was the first great loss the family had to come to terms with. In 1825, Emily was sent to join her sisters Maria, Elizabeth, and Charlotte at school. Following the tuberculosis epidemic at the institution that claimed the life of her two elder sisters, Emily and Charlotte returned home. This incident is also mentioned in her sister Charlotte’s magnum opus Jane Eyre. Emily spent the next 10 years of her life at home, where she played, read extensively, and wrote together with her siblings in an inventive creative workshop. During one of such playful workshops, the four participated in fictional world-making, which resulted in Charlotte and their brother Branwell teaming together to create a fictional land called Angria, and Emily with her sister Anne inventing the fictional Pacific Island of Gondol.

Emily was a meticulous reader. Charlotte in her Preface to the 1850 edition of Wuthering Heights elucidated that her sister “always wrote from the impulse of nature”. However, Professor Karen O’Brien from the University of Oxford says that Emily Bronte’s lone novel is a testament to her extensive reading and understanding of the works of English poets and authors such as Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth, and Lord Byron. The first edition of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights was written under the pseudonym Ellis Bell and published in 1847.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a powerful and complex story of love, obsession, and revenge over two generations. It is narrated by housekeeper Nelly Dean and framed from the perspective of a visiting outsider Mr. Lockwood. This narrative revolves around an orphan named Heathcliff, who is taken in by Mr. Earnshaw and brought to live in Wuthering Heights. The story explores the close-knit bond he forms with his patron’s daughter Catherine.

What makes it a classic?

A treatise on women social conventions were extremely important at the time when Bronte wrote this novel. Italian writer and journalist Italo Calvino, in his book The Uses of Literature, said. “A classic is a classic book because it had never finished what it had to say, and Wuthering Heights stands true to this statement. One might think of it as just a love story. Well yes, but it’s also a story of ghosts, obsession, and haunting. Where Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters predecessor, wrote about the purpose of romance and how it was intangibly linked to or ended in marriage, Emily Bronte’s sole novel is a treatise on women and tries to explore what is important to her gender other than the pursuit of marriage.

Making a statement

Through Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte changed what was possible and acceptable for women to write, and how women and men can be portrayed in fiction. Her characters challenged the social expectation that one’s emotions and how they are expressed or dealt with must be dictated by an individual’s gender. It advocated that all the things that we as people feel are not so different just because one is a man or a woman. It broke away from the tradition that dictated that women must only write about acceptable things (such as love and marriage) and elements of the domestic sphere. It objected to the idea that men (especially heroes) are not capable of emoting grief and passion or being allowed to display any negative emotions such as vengeance. Wuthering Heights is not a moralising novel and calls the hypocrisy of the society that divides people on the basis of gender, turns a blind eye to the violence it inflicts in the name of religion, set unrealistic moral expectations, and is more concerned with respectability, than working towards creating an equal society.

Emily Bronte’s exceptional imagination in Wuthering Heights, says English author Kate Mosse, “makes it clear that a woman who is an artist and a man who is an artist have the same mission-to write what we think is true and to write what we think matters, this makes her sole novel one for the ages.”

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Did you know that some famous literary classics almost ended in a completely different way?

Did you know that some famous literary classics almost ended in a completely different way? If you are fine with spoilers, read on…

Great Expectations

Great Expectations by English novelist Charles Dickens follows the life of Pip, a young orphan who dreams of transcending his humble origins and becoming a gentleman. Through a mysterious benefactor, Pip is granted financial resources, thus fulfilling his aspirations. However, his newfound wealth and status lead him down a path of self-discovery, where he encounters various characters who shape his journey.

Dickens initially penned a bleak conclusion for this masterpiece. However, prior to its publication in 1861, a group of his trusted friends intervened, urging him to reconsider the ending. They proposed a revision that would introduce a glimmer of hope, a chance for the protagonist Pip and his beloved Estella to mend their broken relationship. Although Dickens approached this alteration with a hint of reluctance, he ultimately embraced the suggestion and made the change.

A Farewell to Arms

 A Farewell to Arms by American novelist Ernest Hemingway is a novel that was published in 1929. This classic follows the story of an American ambulance driver named Frederic Henry, who serves in the Italian army during World War 1. The book explores important themes such as love, war, and the feeling of disappointment that comes from witnessing the horrors of battle. Hemingway’s portrayal of how people respond to tragedy makes this book a significant and enduring piece of literature. Interestingly, Hemingway went through extensive revisions to find the perfect ending for the book. In 1958, he mentioned in an interview that he rewrote the ending 39 times until he was satisfied. However, in a 2012 edition of the book, his grandson Sean Hemingway, shared that he discovered an astonishing 47 different alternative endings to the book hidden within his grandfather’s papers.

Rinkitink in Oz

Rinkitink in Oz is a delightful children’s fantasy novel written by American author L. Frank Baum and published in 1916. It is part of the famous Oz series, which includes the beloved classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz It follows the jolly character Rinkitink from the kingdom of Gilgad, who unexpectedly ventures into the magical Land of Oz with Prince Inga and a talking goat named Bilbil Baum wrote 14 Oz books in his lifetime. However, Rinkitink in Oz the 10th book in the Oz series. stands out as a unique entry. Although it is widely regarded as an excellent story, around 90% of the tale unfolds outside of Oz. Only at the very end does Dorothy make a sudden appearance to introduce the heroes to the wonders of Oz The reason for this divergence is quite straightforward the book was originally written as a standalone fairy tale with no connection to the Oz universe, a decade before its inclusion in the series. When in need of a new Oz book and feeling weary after a busy period of writing. L. Frank Baum repurposed Rinkitink’s story and reworked its ending to integrate it into the popular series. The great news is that despite its deviation from the typical Oz setting. Rinkitink in Oz is considered one of the finest stories in the entire series.

Persuasion

Persuasion is English novelist June Austen’s final completed novel, written after Emma and finished in August 1816, a year before her death at the age of 41 The stony follows Anne Elliot, who is persuaded by her family to decline a marriage proposal from Captain Frederick Wentworth, Years later, circumstances reunite them, compelling Anne to confront her emotions and societal expectations Interestingly, the published ending of the book was not Austen’s original one. In James Edward Austen-Lengths A Memoir of Jane Austen, the authors nephew included the “cancelled chapters associated with the book, revealing Austen’s first ending of the novel. However, she became dissatisfied with it and rewrote the chapters between July and August 1816. These unique pages are the only surviving manuscript of a novel Austen planned and completed for publication The revised ending, was published in the first edition of the novel in 1818. Since the release of A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1871, both readers and critics have agreed that Austen made the right choice by selecting the altemate ending. It is widely regarded as superior for it offered a greater emotional depth and artistry.

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India’s first graphic novel is back in print!

Between 1991 and 1994, Indian graphic artist Orijit Sen drew inspiration from influential works like Art Spiegelman’s ‘Maus’ and Keiji Nakazawa’s ‘Barefoot Gen’ to create India’s groundbreaking first graphic novel, River of Stories. This timeless work serves as a poignant critique of India’s idea of development and political practices. It revolves around the fictional Rewa Andolan, closely mirroring the real-life Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a people’s movement fighting against the displacement caused by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Illustrated entirely by hand, the graphic novel delves into a decades-long struggle raising pertinent questions about the notion of development. Though the dam was eventually built, the movement’s core concerns, such as “development for, whom?” remain deeply relevant today.

 Originally published in 1994 and later going out of print, a new edition of this powerful work was released by Blaft Publications in 2022, featuring a foreword by Indian author Arundhati Roy.

River of Stories

This hand-illustrated novel span 62 pages and intricately weaves together two distinct narratives. One revolves around Vishnu, a spirited journalist from Delhi, who embarks on a journey to the valley, documenting the protests of the Rewa Andolan. The other narrative draws upon the rich mythologies of the Adivasis, painting the enchanting tale of Malgu Gayan, a singer whose melodic tunes bring to life the ancient origins of the river.

The new edition

In this new edition, Orijit Sen acknowledges the significant changes that have occurred since he originally penned the graphic novel. The Narmada Bachao Andolan has progressed, and the landscape has evolved. Sen had contemplated creating an illustrated preface. The purpose was to contextualise the scenario of the early ’90s and highlight the changes that have occurred in the Narmada Valley since then.

Additionally, he wanted to shed light on the broader situation of Adivasi and indigenous communities in the present time. However, despite having this idea, Sen had never acted upon it. It was Sen’s daughter who ultimately convinced him to reprint the book. “She reminded me to see it for what it is: River of Stories might be the first Indian graphic novel, but more importantly, it is almost a historical document that represents a crucial moment in time in the Narmada Andolan,” he says.

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What is Thomas Hardy best known for?

One of the most prolific novelists and poets of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, English writer Thomas Hardy had an original style, and his works have remained relevant to this day. A highly diverse writer, Hardy wrote short stories, poems, novels and essays. Let’s read about the writer whose birth anniversary falls in June.

Imagine hanging from a cliff, suspended in the air, as you stare into the eyes of a trilobite embedded in the rock. This was the fate of Henry Knight, one of the protagonists of “A Pair of Blue Eyes”, which was published serially in a publication. And readers had to wait over a month to know if Knight had survived or not.

Sounds like a cliffhanger? Well, indeed it is. The plot device “cliffhanger” is believed to have its roots in English writer Thomas Hardy’s work “A Pair of Blue Eyes”. He was one of the most prolific novelists and poets of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Hardy’s career spanned two eras, the Victorian and the Modern. Noted for his unique and original style, Hardy’s work was modern as well as ancient, remaining relevant to this day. A highly diverse writer, Hardy wrote short stories, poems, novels, and essays.

Early life

Born on June 2, in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England, Hardy was the eldest of the four children of a stonemason Thomas Hardy and his wife Jemima. Growing up, Hardy spent his childhood in a rural setting, in an isolated cottage near an open heathland (wide, open shrubland). This experience of being accustomed to rural life and oral culture left a profound impact on Hardy and became intrinsic to his later writing. In fact, it was his mother’s love of reading and books that got passed on to the son. At the age of eight, Hardy studied in a village school and then shifted schools.

He continued his primary school education till he was 16 and later apprenticed to a local architect. In 1862, before his 22nd birthday, he moved to London to become a draftsman.

Literary work

Hardy’s job as an architect affected his education. Although he wanted to study at a university and become an Anglican minister, the lack of funds and gradual loss of interest in religion made him abandon the notion and turn to writing.

His first novel manuscript was “The Poor Man and the Lady” (1867-68) and this got rejected by several publishers. But one publisher encouraged him and he changed his style of writing. His writing career picked up after publishing “Desperate Remedies” in 1871, and he was in a good place to leave the field of architecture.

That was when he landed a contract for writing 11 monthly instalments of the serial story “A Pair of Blue Eyes”, in the Cornhill Magazine. The next novel was “Far from the Madding Crowd” (1874). The next two novels, “The Return of the Native” (1878) and “The Mayor of Casterbridge” (1886), helped establish him as a writer.

Hardy himself classified his novels under three headings viz. “novels of character and environment”, “romances and fantasies” and “novels of ingenuity”. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” (1891) is another famous novel of his.

While the book is appreciated now, it attracted negative reviews when published as it was seen to be at odds with the Victorian sensibilities. This is considered to be one of the reasons for Hardy abandoning fiction for writing poetry, plays and short stories.

Starting 1898 towards his death in 1928, Hardy published eight volumes of poetry. Noted mostly for his lyric poetry Hardy carved a space for himself in the poetic milieu. His poems are known for colloquial diction and intense imagery. He also published a huge poetic drama called ‘The Dynasts” between 1903 and 1908.

With ‘The Dynasts”, Hardy was so ahead of his time and created something that was neither a story, play or poem but rather a shooting script. He was broke free from the norm and invented a work of art that was in accordance with the conventions of the medium of cinema. “The Dynasts” was published in three parts over five years.

Post his death, on January 11, 1928, Hardy’s body was buried at Westminster Abbey. His heart (having been removed before cremation) was buried in Stinson, England, near the grave of his first wife and his ancestors.

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What are the sci-fi novels that successfully predicted the future and inspired the technology?

The fundamental principle or foundation of science fiction (sci-fi) as a genre is to imagine possible futures or alternative presents. The possibility of using fiction to anticipate or inspire the future is what makes reading or writing sci-fi an “essential training” to prepare oneself for what the future might hold. Lets us look at some of the sci-fi novels that successfully predicted the future and inspired the technology we are familiar with today.

The modern electric submarine

Dutch inventor Cornelius Drebbel was the inventor of the first submersible vessel that could remain underwater for a certain period. However, it could only be operated for short distances. Built in 1897 by American mechanical engineer and naval architect Simon Lake, the Argonaut was the first submarine that could perform extensive open-sea operations and salvage cargo from sunken vessels. In his autobiography titled Submarine, the inventor said that the French novelist and sci-fi pioneer Jules Verne’s ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues under’ the Sea was the inspiration behind the vessel.

“Jules Verne was in a sense the director-general of my life,” Lake’s autobiography, ‘Submarine’, quotes him as saying. “When I was not more than ten or eleven years old, I read his ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea’, and my young imagination was fired.”

Google Earth and cryptocurrency

American author Neal Stephenson coined the term Metaverse in his 1992 sci-fi novel ‘Snow Crash’, to describe a three-dimensional virtual space or platform where humans, as programmable avatars, interacted with each other. This novel has been a source of inspiration for many innovators and inventors in various fields.

The virtual reality depiction of the Metaverse in ‘Snow Crash’ is often cited as a source of inspiration for Google Earth, which allows users to explore the world in 3D using satellite imagery.

Mimicking the real world, the economy of Stephenson’s Metaverse was based on a virtual currency called “Quatloos”. This concept is said to have inspired the development of various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Solar power

‘Sultana’s Dream’ is a science fiction novella written by Bengali author Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain in 1905, which presents a gender-reversed society where women are in charge and men are confined to the domestic sphere. An ecological invention that was inspired by the themes and ideas presented in this novel was solar-powered houses. In ‘Sultana’s Dream’, the city of Ladyland is powered entirely by solar energy. which is used to heat homes, cook food, and provide light. This novel was one of the earliest works that imagined using renewable energy to promote sustainable growth of the community, without harming the planet.

 It is one of the earliest examples of feminist sci-fi, a genre that explores the role of gender in society. The novella has inspired many works of feminist science fiction, including Octavia Butlers ‘Parable of the Sower’. This novella not only helped spark conversations about gender roles and women’s empowerment in South Asia and beyond, but also served as the inspiration behind noted Bangladeshi filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain’s 2022 mentorship project called Sultana’s Dream, for aspiring female directors.

In ear-devices like wireless earbuds

The growing popularity of wireless Bluetooth earbuds in recent years has led many researchers to speculate that the idea for this portable audio device was inspired by a gadget called “seashells” in Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’. In the 1953 novel by the American writer, seashells are small electronic devices that fit in the ear and play recorded music or other audio content. They are described as being “no larger than a kernel of maize” and having a “thimble-sized” speaker that fits comfortably in the ears.

Although one might argue that Bradbury’s “seashells” are more like tiny radios, than wireless earphones, it does not change the fact that the author imagined them before the advent of the first stereo headphones (1958).

The Moon landing

The French novelist Jules Verne’s novel ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ published in 1865, is often cited as an early inspiration for the idea of space travel and space exploration. While it is not known for certain whether Verne’s work directly inspired the Moon landing, his vivid descriptions of a manned mission to the Moon in a projectile fired from a giant cannon helped to popularise the idea of space travel and may have indirectly contributed to the development of the technologies that eventually made the moon landing possible.

There are many uncanny similarities between the technical aspects of Verne’s narration and the actual lunar landing that was accomplished in 1969 through the Apollo 11 mission. For example, the dimensions of Verne’s (fictional) capsule and the one used for Apollo 11’s mission were startlingly close. Verne’s projectile was launched from Florida, where all the Apollo missions were launched. The book even gave a calculated estimate of the time it should take to reach the Moon as 97 hours and 13 minutes which was pretty close as the Apollo spacecraft took 103 hours and 30 minutes to reach the celestial body.

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Who was Frances Hodgson Burnett? Which was his famous novel?

Frances Hodgson Burnett was born on November 24, 1849, in Manchester, England. Following the death of her father in 1854, her family faced financial hardships. In 1865, the family made the decision to immigrate to the U.S. and settled in New Market, a town near Knoxville, Tennessee. However, the anticipated support from a maternal uncle did not materialise as expected, adding further challenges to their situation.

Driven by the need to support her family, Burnett started writing for magazines at the age of 19. Her first published work was a short story called Surly Tim’s Trouble, which appeared in a magazine in 1868. Burnett’s breakthrough came with the publication of her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1886, which garnered immense popularity and established her as a successful writer. She went on to write numerous novels, plays, and short stories, captivating readers with her vivid imagination and memorable characters. Some of her other notable works include A Little Princess (1905) and The Secret Garden (1911), both beloved classics in children’s literature.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden novel was one of his popular novels. The novel centres around Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old girl living in India with her privileged British family. Mary is depicted as a self-centred and ill-tempered child, accustomed to being pampered by her domestic help while receiving little attention from her distant parents. However, her life takes a tragic turn when a cholera epidemic sweeps through the region, claiming the lives of her parents and the household staff, leaving her orphaned. After a short stay with an English clergyman’s family, she is sent to live with her widowed uncle, Archibald Craven, at his Yorkshire estate, Misselthwaite Manor in England.

In the estate, Mary uncovers a fascinating neglected hidden garden. Assisted by Dickon, a local boy, and her cousin Colin, who suffers from a mysterious ailment, she begins to restore the garden to its former beauty.

What makes it a classic?

The healing power of nature

This novel highlights the enduring connection between humans and the natural world, and the positive impact that nature can have on our well-being. In today’s fast-paced and technologically driven society, many people find themselves disconnected from nature, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and a sense of detachment. The theme of nature’s healing power in the novel serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative influence that reconnecting with the natural world can have on us. The story emphasises the restorative qualities of spending time in nature, cultivating a garden, and embracing the outdoors. The process of tending to the garden becomes a metaphor for personal growth and emotional healing. Mary, Colin, and even Archibald finds inner peace, resilience, and a renewed zest for life as they immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the garden.

A novel about self-discovery

The Secret Garden is a captivating tale of self-discovery. Through the enchanting garden, characters such as Mary, Colin, and Archibald undergo transformative journeys. Mary learns empathy and love as she cares for the garden. Colin overcomes his fears and finds his own identity. Archibald finally musters the courage to confront the unresolved issues of his past, which he had been avoiding all this time and embraces healing. The garden serves as a metaphor for their inner landscapes, guiding them towards personal growth and fulfilment.

Their journeys demonstrate the profound impact self-reflection, connection with nature, and meaningful relationships can have in unlocking one’s true potential and finding happiness.

Legal action against copycats

Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the beloved children’s book The Little Lord Fauntleroy, did not back down when faced with piracy of her work. When an English playwright named E.B. Seebohm unlawfully adapted her book into a stage play, Burnett took him to court. The court ruled in her favour. declaring that Seebohm had illicitly copied portions of her book for his play. As a result, a legal order was granted, effectively putting an end to the era of British authors being exploited by copycats who freely profited from dramatising popular books.

In recognition of her efforts, Frances received a diamond bracelet and ring from The Society of British Authors, who also held a gala in her honour.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Originally published in 1910, The Secret Garden made its debut in the pages of The American Magazine, a publication primarily catering to adults. This unique start as a serialised story in a magazine for adults possibly led to some confusion regarding its target audience, as it became one of the first children’s tales to appear in such a medium before being released as a standalone book.
  • The name “Mary” in The Secret Garden draws inspiration from the English nursery rhyme Mary. Mary, quite contrary. In the initial chapters of the book, the protagonist is portrayed as a rude and spoiled child. The other children mock her by reciting the nursery rhyme and referring to her as “Mistress Mary Quite Contrary”. While Burnett initially considered using Mistress Mary as the working title for the book, she ultimately settled on The Secret Garden instead.

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