ThursdayNext : www.jasperfforde.com
A discussion of all things Thursday !
Unknown Bronte
Posted by: polly (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: November 30, 2002 10:49PM
<HTML>I gave up the day job recently, downshifted, and am now temporarily working in a bookshop (See what you can do with a PhD, Ben?). It pays peanuts but hey, I get discount on all my books and no extortionate delivery charges from (unnamed) online book sellers.
I did a search for a customer today (I swear the rain brings out all the weirdos) who wanted to track down Jane Eyre in German. After typing the title into Bookdata and not coming up with a UK published German version, the last search box came up with "Jane Eyre" by "Bronte, Emile" (sic).
Now, who knew that Posh, Scary, Baby and Branwell had another sibling? Who also wrote a book called Jane Eyre? Is this anything to do with Thursday? It it the lovechild of Mrs Bronte and Emile Zola? Has Goliath been tampering again? Or, as usual, has someone typed duff data into Bookdata?
PS - I did try to force him to buy TEA, but he wouldn't (more fool him), and I'm not allowed to barricade people in until they buy one of Jasper's books.</HTML>
I did a search for a customer today (I swear the rain brings out all the weirdos) who wanted to track down Jane Eyre in German. After typing the title into Bookdata and not coming up with a UK published German version, the last search box came up with "Jane Eyre" by "Bronte, Emile" (sic).
Now, who knew that Posh, Scary, Baby and Branwell had another sibling? Who also wrote a book called Jane Eyre? Is this anything to do with Thursday? It it the lovechild of Mrs Bronte and Emile Zola? Has Goliath been tampering again? Or, as usual, has someone typed duff data into Bookdata?
PS - I did try to force him to buy TEA, but he wouldn't (more fool him), and I'm not allowed to barricade people in until they buy one of Jasper's books.</HTML>
Re: Unknown Bronte
Posted by: Jon (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: November 30, 2002 10:57PM
<HTML>If it's anything to do with Emile Zola I'd blame that Jack Hughes.</HTML>
Re: Unknown Bronte
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: November 30, 2002 11:30PM
<HTML>I've rescued it from the WOLP.... This is the version after the French revisionists changed the course of English literature by establishing a colony in Haworth. This is the preface by ' Currer Bell' - the nom-de-plume adopted by Emile to avoid the casual reader realising she was really French.
<i>Dear Reader,
Would you allow me, grateful as I am for the reception that you once extended to the editions I published under my nom-de-plume of Currer Bell, to show my concern about maintaining the good reputation of Jane and Rochester. Else their star, which has hitherto shone so brightly, may be stained indelibly by ink.
Originally unscathed by any slander, Jane won over the hearts of all. Her great non-alliance with Rochester, and her solemnly planned departure for India, were imbued with Liberty and Truth! after Miss Next intervened to return her to Edward. But what filth this Next affair has uncovered in the real world of Goliath! A court martial, under orders, has just acquited that character Jack Schitt, a supreme insult to truth and justice! Now the image of England is sullied by this filth, and history will record my characters were involved.
As Miss Next has dared, so shall I dare. Dare to tell the truth. My duty is to speak out, not to become an accomplice in this travesty. My nights would otherwise be haunted by the spectre of an guilty man, in the Raven, suffering the most repetitive of poetic cadences for a crime he did commit, while others thought him innocent.
And it is to you, dear reader, that I shall proclaim this truth. Rochester and Jane were completely innocent of the whole affair, and did not organise it to boost sales of the paperback edition.
I have but one passion, a passion for Mr Thackeray, to whom I dedicate this book in the hope of a quickie in the back of a carriage, for I feel I am entitled to happiness.
With my deepest respect,
Currer Bell"</i>
The great revelation at the start of chapter 38 is also a little different:
<i>"Reader, I accused him."</i>
<a href="http://www.georgetown.edu/guieu/Iaccuse.htm">Click here for a translation of "J'accuse" </a> so that you can see what I was taking the piss out of.</HTML>
<i>Dear Reader,
Would you allow me, grateful as I am for the reception that you once extended to the editions I published under my nom-de-plume of Currer Bell, to show my concern about maintaining the good reputation of Jane and Rochester. Else their star, which has hitherto shone so brightly, may be stained indelibly by ink.
Originally unscathed by any slander, Jane won over the hearts of all. Her great non-alliance with Rochester, and her solemnly planned departure for India, were imbued with Liberty and Truth! after Miss Next intervened to return her to Edward. But what filth this Next affair has uncovered in the real world of Goliath! A court martial, under orders, has just acquited that character Jack Schitt, a supreme insult to truth and justice! Now the image of England is sullied by this filth, and history will record my characters were involved.
As Miss Next has dared, so shall I dare. Dare to tell the truth. My duty is to speak out, not to become an accomplice in this travesty. My nights would otherwise be haunted by the spectre of an guilty man, in the Raven, suffering the most repetitive of poetic cadences for a crime he did commit, while others thought him innocent.
And it is to you, dear reader, that I shall proclaim this truth. Rochester and Jane were completely innocent of the whole affair, and did not organise it to boost sales of the paperback edition.
I have but one passion, a passion for Mr Thackeray, to whom I dedicate this book in the hope of a quickie in the back of a carriage, for I feel I am entitled to happiness.
With my deepest respect,
Currer Bell"</i>
The great revelation at the start of chapter 38 is also a little different:
<i>"Reader, I accused him."</i>
<a href="http://www.georgetown.edu/guieu/Iaccuse.htm">Click here for a translation of "J'accuse" </a> so that you can see what I was taking the piss out of.</HTML>
Re: Unknown Bronte
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: November 30, 2002 11:40PM
<HTML>Er, if anybody actually cares that much, obviously. It's really my way of saying 'I actually bothered going to the source material before I chose to disregard it totally'!</HTML>
Re: Unknown Bronte
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: December 01, 2002 08:31AM
<HTML>On second reading of the manuscript what I found, I realise that the title is also different:
<i>J'ai une Eyre</i></HTML>
<i>J'ai une Eyre</i></HTML>
Re: Zola
Posted by: Jon (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: December 01, 2002 12:48PM
<HTML>Of course the hostile reception given to Zola's expose of <I>L'Affaire Dreyfus</I> caused him to go into exile in England, where he later signed for Chelsea. Did his best work there, I feel.</HTML>
Re: Zola
Posted by: Sarah H Egginton (---.vip.uk.com)
Date: December 01, 2002 02:37PM
<HTML>Much as it pains me to say this as a QPR fan, Jon, I agree with you.</HTML>
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