Past & Present

by Pamela Winning

It’s been a weekend to celebrate the lives and work of two great British writers. Saturday marked the 60^th birthday of Sebastian Faulks. He has a compelling style of complex story telling that evolves slowly and demands attention. I wondered what had hit me when I started to read Birdsong. I couldn’t put it down, yet I couldn’t take it all in. His brilliant characterisation never fails. I will never forgive him for the ending of On Green Dolphin Street, but I will always have an affinity with his female lead, Mary van der Linden. I wonder if he ever read Charlotte Bronte?

Charlotte Bronte was born 197 years ago on Sunday. Her stories reflected the harsh, difficult times of her childhood and the unquestionable acceptance of it all. There was sacrifice and sorrow in abundance, but no bitterness.  Jane Eyre was rewarded with the happiness her eventual marriage brought her. Charlotte declined the first proposal from curate Arthur Nicholls. Later, she accepted him and settled into a comfortable, though short marriage. 

Two authors, a century and a half apart, share similarities. Both were compelled to write from an early age, both were teachers and both wrote articles before they became novelists.

The world of literature is forever blessed by the wealth of their contributions.