Emily Bronte, the sister of Charlotte, shared the same isolated childhood on the Yorkshire moors. Emily, however, seems to have been much more affected by the eerie desolation of the moors than was Charlotte. Her one novel, Wuthering Heights (1847), draws much of its power from its setting in that desolate landscape. Emily's work is also marked by a passionate intensity that is sometimes overpowering. According to English poet and critic Matthew Arnold, "for passion, vehemence, and grief she had no equal since Byron." This passion is evident in the poetry she contributed to the collection (Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell) published by the Bronte sisters in 1846 under male pseudonyms… in response to the prejudices of the time. Her passion reached far force, however, in her novel, Wuthering Heights. Bronte's novel defies easy classification. It is certainly a story of love, but just as certainly it is not a "love story". It is a psychological novel, but is so filled with hints of the supernatural and mystical that the reader is unsure of how much control the characters have over their own actions. It may seem to be a study of right and wrong, but is actually a study of good and evil. Above all, it is a novel of power and fierce intensity that has gripped readers for more than 100 years.
Michael York, May 27, 1942 - Michael York was born in Fulmer, England, on May 27, 1942. He performed on stage with the National Youth Theatre in London and on international tours. He also belonged to the Oxford University Dramatic Society, having graduated Oxford in 1964. He was also a member of the Dundee Repertory, and Laurence Olivier's National Theater Company - where he worked with Franco Zeffirelli, who gave him his film debut as Lucentio in "Taming of the Shrew" in 1967 and his breakthrough role as Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet" in 1968. He first appeared onscreen in "The Mind Benders" in 1962, and got his first good film role in "Accident" in 1967. He also appeared on TV earning… acclaim for his portrayal of Jolyon in "The Forsyte Saga" in 1967. Perhaps York's best role was the part of Brian Roberts in "Cabaret" in 1972, followed by Count Andrenyi in "Murder on the Orient Express" in 1974 and D'Artagnan in several Musketeers films. Michael York has starred in over 50 TV movies, continued stage work, starred on Broadway, made many spoken word recordings and written and lectured internationally. His autobiography, published in 1993 was titled "Accidentally on Purpose." He was also a recipient of the O.B.E., or Officer of the British Empire.