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[bitterbraeburn]

*Ms. Margaret Braeburn is sitting curled up with a copy of Wuthering Heights and a mug of hot chocolate, should anyone like to annoy visit her. She's got the intensely focused look of a slightly obsessive academic absorbed in a book, but that just means it'll be more fun when someone approaches and scares the hell out of her.*

Comments

[matildahoney]

*Matilda happens to be walking by where she is sitting. She isn't one to pass by a book (even if someone else is reading it) so she cautiously peers over Ms. Braeburn's shoulder.*

[bitterbraeburn]

*It probably takes longer than it ought to for Margaret to notice her, but when she does she jumps, nearly spilling her hot chocolate, making a little startled sound* When did you get here?

[matildahoney]

*Matilda probably looks like a deer caught in the headlights.* Oh, I'm sorry! I was just walking by and saw that you were reading and couldn't help coming over to see what the book was.

[bitterbraeburn]

It's Wuthering Heights. Have you -- *pauses, realizing Matilda's age* -- of course you haven't read it, what am I saying?

[matildahoney]

*frowns.* I read it when I was four. I'm not too fond of Victorian literature. It is better than most others, though, including her sister's Jane Eyre.

[bitterbraeburn]

Really? I couldn't get through Wuthering Heights until I was much older. I think Jane Eyre is more appealing to -- but it's useless trying to look at anything based on your age, isn't it? -- Victorian literature is my specialty. What do you prefer?

[matildahoney]

Most scholars seem to prefer Jane Eyre. Not all Victorian literature is bad, but in most, the only thing that ever happens is that someone gets married or adopted. I like humanist medieval writings and Romanticism and Modernist literature and any comedy.

[bitterbraeburn]

I think the preference for Jane Eyre is because it's very daring for its time -- there are these characters who aren't gorgeous at all, and aren't morally spotless -- well, maybe Jane is, but she's problematic to the Victorians anyway simply for being an independent female -- and they get a happy ending anyway. It must have been shocking, at the time. Whereas Wuthering Heights gets a reputation for being for "romantics" because of the whole "Byronic Hero" trip -- I can't begin to understand that. I think it's one of the least romantic books I've ever read, and Heathcliff's disgusting. That's what makes it interesting.

Marriage and adoption plots are very common, but I've always found that very interesting -- why an entire century's literature was devoted to the same themes. *shakes her head, appearing to realize that she's gone into academic babble-mode* -- Have you read The Picture of Dorian Gray? If you don't like marriage and adoption, that might be more to your tastes. That one hardly counts as Victorian, though -- it may as

[matildahoney]

*Oh, but Matilda loves that she's gone into academic babble mode.* I'm not saying it doesn't have any merit. It's very well written and has interesting characters. I just personally don't like it all that much- except for the insane-wife-in-the-attic bit.

I don't understand why people would call Wuthering Heights romantic; that's almost like saying Hamlet is a comedy!

*She pauses* I hae read Dorian Grey. I'm not sure what to make of it. It's very confusing. *She is seven, after all.*

[bitterbraeburn]

*good, because academic babble mode is one of the only modes Margaret has that isn't "bitter and cynical"* What is it that appeals to you about the Romantics? I'll admit they're a bit more creative with their plots -- Frankenstein certainly has more going for it than anything written later in the century, in that way -- but they tend to beat even the Victorians for sentimentalism, which is maddening.

Apparently people think Catherine and Heathcliff are a tragic love story and not a mutually abusive couple of idiots who deserve each other and ought to leave the sane portion of the world alone. *shrugs*

-- I suppose it could be, at that. Try it again sometime, though, it's fantastic. It's straddling two eras, and got the best of both -- all the creepy supernaturalism of the Victorians, and the cleverness and gorgeous description of the Edwardians. It's like dark chocolate in book form.

[matildahoney]

*Matilda's very happy someone's willing to talk to her about books while using words with more than three syllables.*Exactly! The plots don't seem to be bound to the rules of logic as much. Even The Portrait of Dorian Grey Seemed to be about the relationships Dorian had more than the portrait itself. The sentimentalism can be seen as rebellion against the previous' generation's rationality.

Really? I always thought he was an unbalanced stalker.

*Two of Her favorite words happen to be 'chocolate' and 'books', so her face might have lit up around now* I will!

[bitterbraeburn]

Very much so. 19th century liberalism was so suffocating that near the end of it everyone was ready to toss out order and progress and go for what they felt.

He is, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Good. *Braeburn smiles a bit -- she doesn't much like children, though she's a mother herself, but speaking to one who can hold a coherent conversation is nice.*

[matildahoney]

*Matilda smiles and holds out her hand.*
I'm Matilda, by the way.

[bitterbraeburn]

*shakes her hand* Nice to meet you, Matilda. I'm Margaret Braeburn.

[matildahoney]

It's nice to meet you too. You're one of the few adults who hasn't patronized me.

[bitterbraeburn]

I'm not very good with most children -- thankfully, you're very different from most children. *wry smile* I must have been a terrible mother sometimes.