There are many books by John Wheatcroft. If you are a long term fan, then you may have already read most, if not all. But there is a new novel about to come out this December: The Portrait of a Lover from Inverted-A Press.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you think that love can exist as a thing apart, in somebody’s mind, even if not a word has been breathed of it to anybody? Can a person go through life nursing a secret love that is shared with no one, not even its object?
If you are a long term Wheatcroft fan, you will be sure to order this book as soon as it becomes available in early December.
But you may be asking yourself, how does The Portrait of a Lover compare to Wheatcroft’s other books? What does this book have in common with the others? In what way does it relate to or tie in with other Wheatcroft books already available for sale? How does it depart from the earlier pattern? In fact, is there a pattern?
One way to find out is to stock up on the other Wheatcroft novels, to note their subject matter, the themes that they explore and the language and spirit in which they are written. Take, for instance, Catherine Her Book.
Catherine Her Book is a work of fan fiction — a follow-up to Wuthering Heights. John Wheatcroft isn’t just a writer. He is also a reader, and he takes his reading very seriously. To be a fan means to love the original. It means that you make that original work a part of your life, and as it becomes a part of you, you also discover new secrets hidden in its depths and new content that wasn’t evident to the naked eye.
Catherine Her Book is written in dialect, and it comes with a glossary at the end, to help you understand all the strange words. It is in the form of the diary of Catherine Earnshaw, and it relates the events which are the backdrop to Wuthering Heights. After you read Wheatcroft’s version, you will feel you understand the original much better!
How does The Portrait of a Lover relate to Catherine Her Book? Is it, too, set in Yorkshire and written in dialect? No. Is it a work of fan fiction to another, primary work? No. But did you know that the heroine of The Portrait of a Lover, Sarah Hevers, is also a Wuthering Heights fan? Did you know that Emily Bronte’s novel was the only book she read over and over again year after year? Did you know that she felt Emily was a kindred spirit?
The relationship between the author and the book and the fan of the author and the book is a complicated one. Sometimes the author pays homage to another author that he loves. And sometimes that love spills over into another book, in a completely different way!
Read Catherine Her Book. Then read The Portrait of a Lover. Then come back and tell us what you think!
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like the following books by John Wheatcroft:
It sounds like the book is evolving quite well. It will be interesting to hear what people reviewing the advance copies have to share as well.
Thanks, Sweetbearies! This is an exciting time in the publication process and, of course, I look forward to hearing the responses of other readers.
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