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Twilight Books Inspire Interest in Wuthering Heights
Filed under: In The News, Books for Kids, Tween Culture, Teen Culture
Something good might just come out of this crazy Twilight phenomenon, and it has nothing to do with Robert Pattison's hair. French teenage girls are snatching up copies of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, after Stephenie Meyer's latest Twilight book, Eclipse, made reference to the dark classic."We have sold as many copies of Wuthering Heights in the first two months of 2009 as we usually sell in a whole year," says the publisher of the French translation of Wuthering Heights, Les Hauts de Hurlevent. "We are on course to sell several tens of thousands of copies this year, which is exceptional. The enthusiasm has prompted a lot of bookshops to put Brontë on display next to Stephenie Meyer, and that has obviously encouraged people to buy both of them." Sales of the book have increased by 50%.
In Eclipse, Bella reads Emile Bronte's tale of obsessive love, and both she and Edward use quotes from the book to describe unspoken feelings. But readers are taking the connection one step further, comparing Edward and Bella to Heathcliff and Cathy.
French kids are picking up the Brontë, but what about American kids? Will Bella inspire American teen girls to turn to the classics? The signs, so far, aren't promising. "I haven't noticed it," says Linda Smith, a Michigan librarian. "I personally haven't had any teens come in saying 'Bella's reading Wuthering Heights.' I've had them come in asking if we have more vampire books." A quick check confirms her suspicion, "Our (copies of Wuthering Heights) are all checked in," she says with a laugh.
Smith noted, however, that two copies of Wuthering Heights were checked out in the last month. Since Eclipse was released in February, Smith said that could be evidence teens are curious.
Say what you will about Stephenie Meyer (Stephen King did), but she's got teens reading her gigantic novels and clamoring for more. Feel like you'd like your teen to take on something a little meatier? Spark their interest with one of these dark classics:
- Dracula by Bram Stoker: The original vampire saga, there's plenty of romance in this spooky tale, too.
- Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier: Betrayal, secrecy, an unsolved mysterious death ... it's all here.
- The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe: Hook them with this beloved short and spooky story, about a murderer to imagines his victim's heart continues to beat.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: If they like Wuthering Heights, tell them Emily had a sister who could write, too.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Atticus Finch is a hero against racial injustice and the loss of innocence in this Gothic-inspired classic.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-21-2009 @ 12:37PM
Karen said...My tween hasn't expressed interest until I just brought it up and she said, "Great. I'll read it."
She did read To Kill a Mockingbird and really enjoyed it. I think Wuthering Heights is next!
Reply
3-23-2009 @ 9:42AM
isisaquaria said...My 13yo had read WH already. I think she was 11 or so--I had a copy in our library and it is one of my fave books of all time-so she knew of the story before Twilight. The same can be said for Dracula, and anything Poe.
She finished the Meyer's series in a week or so, and moved on to Anne Rice.
Her newest reading is anything Bronte---
Reply
4-17-2009 @ 12:12PM
J.R. said...Heh. As a fifteen-year-old girl, Twilight does nothing but inspire me to weep for my generation. I slogged through the first book at my best friend's insistence, but it was seriously some of the worst writing I have ever had to endure.
For the record, I have already read Wuthering Heights. But then, I've also read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Moby Dick, Gulliver's Travels, etc.
I write, so reading is sort of a necessity. But hopefully this will prove that not ALL teens are hopelessly in love with Twilight. I would sooner jam toothpicks into my eyes than continue with the series.
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5-02-2009 @ 11:05AM
Rachel said...I'm 21, and when I watched twighlight the movie, I loved it, my brother told me it was based on books so my husband bought them for me, I read all four in a month, then got WH because it was in the book, I ADORED it, and now I'm reading Jne Eyre
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