Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

44 reviews

theothergrl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The prose is magical and extremely quotable, the story telling is brilliant with it's constant plot twists and developed characters. There are also some beautiful messages about sticking by your principles despite even the hardest of trials, I found Jane's character extremely strong for that, and she's not yet 20! 
If it were for that I'd give it 5 stars, however the 2nd half is heavily racist, ableist, xenophobic, and classist. Themes of colonialism and religious missions, institutionalisation, grooming (Jane is sadly very much groomed by the men in her life), etc. There is no condemnation of any of this, no revolt against bigotry in the narrative. Therefore, I can't give it a pass for being "of its time", as there are many classics which either resist against or refuse to entertain such bigotry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexism, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Incest, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, and Drug abuse

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Mental illness

Moderate: Incest, Abandonment, Death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Racism and Religious bigotry

sbookreader's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Astonishing that this is billed as a romance. The colonialist bent was equally unwelcome. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Colonisation, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry

tiaroseshang's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, and Death

ritzee13's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved this book as a reread aswell, it was nice to know the story beforehand and catch glimpses of Mr. Rochesters shady behaviour and St John's robotic plans for the future. 

Also, I didn't realise how many red flags poor Jane is surrounded by. I begrudged her choice to go back to Rochester, but he was so much better than her cousin. 

The story provides keen insight into what could happen to a poor and helpless woman in a patriarchal society. It seems so easy for the men in her life to push her around and even order her to marry them, it makes me so uncomfortable. 

Also, as an Indian woman, I find St. Johns mission to rid the hindu heathens of their beliefs so ridiculous and disturbing. I don't know how people can go around claiming they have the greatest thing and try to fear monger people into a religion, its baffling.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Racism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Incest, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

realizedcreation's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Would have been higher but for the anti-semitism and racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Racism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Classism, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, and Death

Minor: Antisemitism

alyssapusateri's review

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Grief, Racism, and Death of parent

Minor: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mistystar's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

linneak's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexism, Suicide, Bullying, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Adult/minor relationship

madzie's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 A classic for good reason. Bronte was a master of her craft. Despite being 500+ pages, every moment of this book is well-used. The plot may be slow to the modern reader, but everything pays off, and the tropes of the genre and personable characters make the reader continue reading no matter what is transpiring. Jane Eyre jumps off the page as a character well before her time but possibly even more relevant today than in Bronte’s time. Jane’s inner conflict drives the story and leads us to deeply consider our own lives and the lives of those around us in ways that very few authors have ever illustrated. Other characters support her story, and the themes astoundingly well as the reader tries to uncover their motives. 

Unsurprisingly, Bronte writes beautiful, imaginative, addictive, and vivid prose that deeply touches her readers even hundreds of years later. Although outdated, Bronte’s writing still allows for such deep feelings, blunt ideas, and spine-chilling moments that modern readers will not find her as pretentious as some of her peers (or sisters). Themes create a deep consideration of our modern world and our interactions with others as well as literature in a way like no other.  

This is a must-read classic that opens our eyes to women in modern society and history, as well as other topics of oppression, abuse, autonomy and individualism, and other ideas that are very pertinent to 21st-century life. If you love classics, you must pick one up. If you are interested in Jane Eyre but not classics typically, rest assured; this is an addictively good read that will keep you guessing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Child death, and Death

Minor: Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, and Racial slurs