Wuthering Heights appealed to me because of the narrative style. I loved how the story came together by people telling stories, and that there were often stories told within these stories, which sometimes got confusing, but hey. And you only ever get the stories from the perspectives of, basically, outsiders, so you can never really tell what really goes on with this "couple."

thanks, Corwood, for the image of two of my favorite literary characters running around the moors like Paulie and Christopher in "Pine Barrens"

My work here is done.

That's true, but I don't think the writer of that particular article meant the term in the broader "Romance" sense.

I don't know how you can possibly tell either way. It read to me like the writer (or maybe the editor) was totally unfamiliar with the book, looked it up somewhere, and saw the word "romantic" in the entry.

The comments here didn't seem to be specifically about the article; I thought they were more general. If I've misunderstood the entire conversation, never mind, but... using capitals to distinguish the literature from the emotion only works if everyone shares that convention.

Who is your ideal casting for it? Feel free to roam back in time since you don't think it's been done definitively.

Alan Rickman from about 20 years ago as Rochester. He can do snarly, broody, passionate and idiosyncratic, and he's not conventionally handsome (those terrible teeth!) but is awfully charismatic.

I have a tougher time with casting Jane. Maybe Kelly McDonald? She's got that small frame with a stubborn chin; she's of course far too pretty, but at least not in a showy way.

There was also a version with Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds.

Samantha Morton, right? There's another Samantha I get her confused with.

Mathis?

Samantha Morton, right? There's another Samantha I get her confused with.

Possibly you confuse her with Samantha Mathis, who has a similar name, but that Jane Eyre was indeed with Ms. Morton.

Yes, Mathis is the other Samantha. The one who doesn't star in nearly so many interesting movies.

There was also a version with Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds.

That was not bad, but I felt like it should have been better, you know? I love Samantha Morton and Hinds was so great as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion. They were both very fine in it, but I didn't really feel the chemistry.

I'm very fond of the "young Jane" part of the 40's version with Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells. Peggy Ann Garner played the kid-Jane and she was just terrific (and a very young, but already stunning Elizabeth Taylor played the poor doomed Helen, IIRC.) The first part of the movie was moody and harsh and the young Jane had such a spine, then she grew up into Fontaine and turned into a shy little mouse, like, WTF? Wells is interesting to watch, as always, but it's like he's acting in a totally different movie from the one Fontaine is in.

(and a very young, but already stunning Elizabeth Taylor played the poor doomed Helen, IIRC.)

You recall correctly. Poor, doomed, gets-her-hair-whacked-off Helen.