Yesterday, May 15, marked the one hundred and thirty-six death anniversary for an American poet, Emily Dickinson. While this may be ‘basic’ in the literary world, I consider her my favorite poet. I found a collection of her poems in a thrift store last year and spent the whole summer going through them. So many lines and stanzas struck me and have continued to surface through my thoughts.

From how much I’ve discussed Dracula on here, you’d think it was my favorite novel. It’s not, but the world seems obsessed with ruining this story, so here we are again, folks, with a review of a questionable adaptation.

Over the last three weeks, I have discussed stories I wish crossed mediums, such as books to film and film to books. We now make it to the final installment of this loose series to look at TV shows I wish I could read as books:

I am obsessed with Phillip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials. While I’d heard about both the tv show and film before, I had never read it or found much interest until last summer. I have since gone on to become a massive fan and if we ever talk, chances are I’ll end up persuading you to read or watch it in some capacity.

As I discussed in my post last Monday (‘Books I Wish Were Adapted’), film and prose are very different mediums with unique storytelling tools. Recently, I’ve noticed a few stories currently in the film medium I believe would lend themselves well to prose.

Dracula Untold (2014) is aptly named as it does exactly what the title implies: shows the origins of Bram Stoker’s famous bloodsucking villain.

Most book adaptations are less than ideal. Books and television are very different mediums that lend their way to different types of storytelling. Some stories transfer better across mediums than others.

Today, April 22nd is Earth day. I thought it would be fitting, then, to spotlight the most earth-conscious as well as one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read: The Overstory by Richard Powers.

Yes, I am a book lover, but I am also a musical theater lover. I was in theatre clubs in middle school, took classes in high school, and participated in multiple productions in and outside of school. There was even a time, like many young girls, when I dreamed of becoming an actress. While this ambition faded, my love for theater did not.

If I’ve done my job, my previous post, “War and Peace Quotes that Own my Soul,” has given you a burning desire to read Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece. Excellent! But, I am perfectly aware of how daunting it seems.

I have said before that War and Peace is one of my favorite novels. It’s full of rich emotion, romance, and burning questions of humanity.

Dracula (1897) is among the most famous gothic novels ever written. Thanks to Stoker’s fabulous writing (along with a little help from Hollywood and pop culture), vampire lore will never go out of style. It was a treat to read when I finally got around to it.

When I was first developing Thornfield Lane, my dad asked, “So what qualifies for your blog?” “Whatever I feel like writing,” I said. “…That I can connect to literature.” This post falls exactly in that category.

According to my mom, I always have good movie recommendations. Whenever I’m home, it’s my job to pick what we watch. It’s an honor, truly, as well as nerve-wracking. There’s nothing worse than having someone hate a movie you suggested.

If you’re here, it’s safe to say you love books. Reading books, buying books, talking about books.

2021 was a while ago now, but since Thornfield Lane has only physically existed since late February 2022, I hope you’ll excuse me and allow me to reminisce.

While they’re often disappointing, I still love watching book adaptations. It helps me visualize the material while reminiscing my love for the original source material.

It should come as no surprise that I love to read. While there are many novels over the years that have impacted me, there are currently five that hold my heart. 

I owe a lot of things to Charlotte Brontë,

and my blog’s name is one.