Literature Facts

Realised there’s nowhere on this that really do straight-up facts on literature, so here we go. Here I will be covering anything from authors, books, movements, and so on. Give me a follow to learn something new!

[literature-facts]

Fact #5:

Novel: The Lord of the Flies (1954)

Facts about the novel The Lord of the Flies:

Published 17th September 1944, by William Golding.

Lord of the Flies sold fewer than 5 thousand copies in its first year. In 2009, over 25 million copies have been sold.

Initially, Lord of the Flies was rejected by many different publishers.

It has many film adaptations (with Lord of the Flies (1963), being its first adaptation), as well as having a stage production, and a BBC broadcast covering the novel.

Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The Lord of the Flies is banned in many schools, largely over its violence language, as well as themes of fighting society and its rules.

Later in life, Golding regretted writing Lord of the Flies. He died on 19th June, 1993.

For facts on anything literature, feel free to request!

[literature-facts]

Fact #4:

Novel: Nineteen Eighty-Four (Published: 1949)

Facts about the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four:

(Minor spoilers)

Published 8th June, 1949, by George Orwell (real name: Eric Arthur Blair).

It was originally to be titled The Last Man in Europe.

Before he wrote the novel, he worked as part of BBC doing propaganda.

It is within the world’s 10 banned books (as some countries believe it is pro-communist, whilst others believe it is anti-communist).

After publishing The Road to Wigan Pier, the government started watching Orwell using surveillance; meaning whilst Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four, a story about the government spying on people, he was being watched by the government.

Room 101 (where Winston is taken to and shown his greatest fear: rats) is influenced by Orwell’s time in the BBC, where he would have to sit through meetings in a room 101.

Nineteen Eighty-Four has inspired series unrelated to the true events of the novel. Examples of this is Room 101 (a comedy TV series where people talk about things they would place in the torture room), and Big Brother (a TV series where contestants enter a house whilst being watched constantly).

Nineteen Eighty-Four was Orwell’s 9th and final novel, as he died less than a year after it’s publication, due to tuberculosis, which he battled whilst writing his final novel.

For facts on anything literature, feel free to request!

[literature-facts]

Fact #3:

Play: The Importance of being Earnest (1895)

Facts about the play The Importance of Being Earnest:

(Minor spoilers)

Written by Oscar Wilde (full name Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde), and first performed on 14th February, 1895 at St. James’s Theatre in London.

The main protagonist is not called Earnest, but instead his real name is John Worthing. He takes the alias Earnest when visiting London.

The title itself is both ironic and a pun, as Jack Worthing lies about his name being ‘Earnest’ - a word that means serious and honest.

It’s initial reviews were all very positive, and is still known as one of his most popular plays.

Originally written as a four-act play, the St. James theatre manager, George Alexander, asked Wilde to reduce it to a three-act play. Wilde done this by merging two acts into one, and two characters were left out of the final act.

Wilde was influence buy The Foundling, a play co-written by William Lestocq and E. M. Robson in 1894.

While the play was in theatres, Wilde was arrested for acts of indecency, and sent to prison for 2 years (1895-1897). Once put, he left Ireland to move to France, where he died in 1900 at the age of 46.

For facts on anything literature, feel free to request!

[literature-facts]

Fact #2:

Author: Shirley Jackson (1916-1965)

Facts about the American author Shirley Jackson:

Was born 14th December 1916 in San Francisco, California, U.S., and died on the 8th August 1965 in North Bennington, Vermont, U.S.

Was known famously for her Horror and Mystery novels, and influenced such authors as Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.

Went to University of Rochester, where she dropped out. She moved afterwards to Syracuse University, where she got a diploma in Journalism. It was at Syracuse University that she met her future husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, a future literacy critic.

‘The Lottery’ was very famous when it was first published, but with majorly negative reviews. Jackson refused to explain the novel, saying that either people get it, or they don’t.

Shirley Jackson Day is June 27th, which is the day that The Lottery takes place.

She wrote six novels during her lifetime: The Road Through the Wall (1948), Hangsaman (1951), The Bird’s Nest (1954), The Sundial (1958), The Haunting of Hill House (1959), and We Have Always Lived in a High Castle (1962),

The Haunting of Hill House has been adapted many times, with two films and a recent Netflix TV series. Regarded as one of the best horror stories ever written, and said by Stephen King as, “one of the most important horror novels of the twentieth century.”

We Have Always Lived in a High Castle was named as one of the “Ten Best Novels” by Time Magazine in 1962.

Her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, often committed infidelity with his students. A year after Jackson died, Hyman married one of his students.

Jackson smoked heavily, had lots of mental health problems, was overweight, as well as lots of physical problems. In 1965 she had heart failure, brought on by some of the factors just mentioned, and died at home in her sleep.

For facts on anything literature, feel free to request!

[literature-facts]

Fact #1:

Novel: Jane Eyre (1847)

Facts about the novel Jane Eyre:

(Minor spoilers)

Published by Charlotte Brontë in 1847, under the pen name ‘Currer Bell’, in London.

It is all told from the perspective of Jane Eyre, the main protagonist. It is all written in the past-tense.

A very important book in feminist literature, as Jane Eyre, a female, is the main protagonist, and is a very independent and strong character who embarks on her own journey.

It is majorly set on the experiences of Charlotte Brontë. Both Jane and Brontë being sent to a boarding school, just as Helen Burns died at boarding school, so too did Brontë sisters - Maria and Elizabeth; John Reed and his alcoholism is based on Brontë’s brother - Branwell; and, lastly, just like Brontë, Jane Eyre also becomes a governess.

Talks heavily about Christian morality (as this is something that develops in Jane’s mind, mostly throughout the first half of the novel after Helen Burns’s death). In addition to that, the reception of Jane Eyre was harsh (a complete opposite of its reputation today), and was criticiqued as anti-Christian. Few signs of this are Jane’s early disbelief of God, and also later when she denies the marriage of her cousin St. John Rivers.

Been adapted many times. Its first adaptation was in December 1943 (for the UK and Ireland), and 1944 for the United States. Recent adaptations are the Jane Eyre 4 episode mini-series in 2006 (in which Ruth Wilson was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for her portrayal of Jane Eyre), and the 2011 film Jane Eyre featuring Mia Wasikowska as the titular character, and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester.

Mr Rochester has been named, amidst a poll from Mills and Boon, as the Most Romantic Character in Literature.

Was debated if Jane Eyre was written by a male or woman when it was first released, with some critics believing it was written by both.

For any facts on anything literature, feel free to request!