INTERROGATING BRONTË SEQUELS: JEFFREY CAINE'S HEATHCLIFF.

The twentieth century has seen many texts published as sequels to the original Brontë novels. How do we decide whether these texts are valid to the Brontë canon? Three modern-day sequels are interrogated for their period authenticity of language; for their adherence to Victorian practices, mores, and traditions; for anachronisms; and for consistency between the original characters and their representations in the sequels. Of paramount importance is whether the sequel affects our reading of the original novel. The sequels examined are Lin Haire-Sargeant's The Story of Heathcliff's Journey Back to Wuthering Heights (1992), Jeffrey Caine's Heathcliff (1977), and Anna L'Estrange's Return to Wuthering Heights (1977). The first of these titles was treated in Brontë Studies, Vol. 29, March 2004. The following article treats the second of these titles. The third title will be treated in a subsequent article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]