Good fan fiction can be some of the most rewarding reading. Most people have read something that can be called fanfic, whether it’s Virgil’s “Aeneid,” based on Homer, or “Paradise Lost,” based on the Bible, or a more modern title, such as John Gardner’s “Grendel” or “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Seth Grahame-Smith.
Since their books have been
wildly popular and critically acclaimed for nearly two hundred years, and since
they left such a small body of work, the Brontës’ novels often inspire fan
fiction, some of it great literature in its own right.
Probably the best and most famous
is “The Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys. Rhys was an established author when
she wrote this prequel to “Jane Eyre,” and it has been called Rhys’s best
novel. It tells Bertha’s story, from girlhood to her regretful marriage to
Edward Rochester. In this post-colonial novel, both main characters serve as
narrators and the book provides fascinating insights on its inspiration as well
as confirmation of some of the feminist themes in “Jane Eyre.”
“Mr Rochester,” a parallel to
“Jane Eyre,” is Edward’s story, from his second-class upbringing as a second
son, to the betrayal and scapegoating by his father and brother. “Sargasso” may
make you loathe Edward, but this novel casts him in a more sympathetic light.
Author Sarah Shoemaker is a retired librarian, and this—her only novel—is
compelling, absolutely true to the source, and beautifully written.
The title character in “The
Madwoman Upstairs” may not be who you first expect. Catherine Lowell’s first
novel presents a young woman in her first year at Old College, Oxford, studying
literature. A descendent of Patrick Brontë’s sibling, Samantha Whipple is
the last of the famous family and spends most of her time downplaying the
legacy of her celebrated ancestors.
When she arrives at Oxford, she
discovers that her dorm room is really “the tower,” a windowless room on the
fifth floor that is on “the tour” for some reason. Just days later, mysterious
packages begin appearing in her room.
The book is part mystery, part
coming-of-age, part literary criticism. Samantha learns to deal with her grief
over her father’s death at the same time she debates critical theories from
authorial intent to reader response. She also develops and discards some
unusual theories about Charlotte, Anne, and Emily.
The story is a powerful one about
a woman discovering herself, resolving her grief, and finally appreciating the
works of her most famous relatives. The prose is beautiful, and the narrator is
sassy and an expert at turning a phrase. She describes her tutor’s office as
“the sort of library you’d marry a man over” (p 25). She also claims that
“Reading ‘Wuthering Heights’ had always made me wonder whether Emily Brontë
had done drugs” (p 147).
YA writer Rachel Hawkins latest
book and her first adult novel is “The Wife Upstairs.” It is something of a modern
retelling of “Jane Eyre.” Protagonist Jane Bell, an orphan muddling through
life as a barista and dog-walker, meets the handsome and rich Eddie Rochester.
Eddie’s wife, Bertha, and her best friend, Blanche Ingraham, disappeared six
months earlier and were presumed dead. Eddie falls for Jane, and soon Jane
moves into his house in Thornfield Estates. Jane’s old roommate, John Rivers,
knows something about Jane’s past and blackmails her.
While alone in Eddie’s house,
Jane hears mysterious noises from above. Eddie claims it is just the house
settling. But then Jane finds a strange book in the pocket of Eddie’s jacket
and is compelled to find out what is hidden behind a closet on the second
floor.
“The Wife Upstairs” presents a fun
story with several twists which are, unfortunately, quite predictable. The
prose is a bit pedestrian, as are the only discernable themes: some people are
really bad; and don’t marry someone you hardly know. Even with its flaws, this
novel is a great beach read.
Although some fan fiction is mediocre and forgettable, some titles are great literature, rewarding reads, and a treat for readers that can’t get enough of their favorite stories and characters.
