Who really knows? Charlotte and I have a lot of fun here but truth be told... she's dead (shh, not too loud, don't scare her off). I hope the news doesn't shock you. So while Charlotte is not around to answer for herself, the UK's Telegraph and Argus went to the next best source: Ann Dinsdale, the collections manager for the Bronte Parsonage Museum.
And what Ann says may surprise you (a warning to the purists).
"The Brontes' association with the gothic tradition lends itself to such adaptations," Ann said. "Jane Eyre is a strong, independent character with moral integrity so I can see how they've used that aspect of her. If it inspires people to read the original, fine."
She added, "It doesn't surprise me that it's being used in such a way; there are literally hundreds of adaptations of the Brontes' novels, including comic books. It illustrates how much they are part of popular culture, and continue to inspire writers."
Asked what Charlotte would think of her heroine as vampire slayer, Miss Dinsdale said: "I think she would be non-plussed."
Miss Ann Dinsdale, my new favorite person of the week! You can read the whole article, which is pretty freaking fantastic, at:
