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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I think the best I can give this one is 3 stars...
It is long. Like, super long. Which the actual Jane Eyre novel is, so I get it; there is a lot of ground to cover! I found that the first half went by pretty quickly but once he was in Jamaica and all that business was happening, it really kind of bogged down.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't find the Rochester in "Jane Eyre" and the Rochester in "Mr. Rochester" to seem even remotely like the same person! I would love it if you read it and would give me your opinion because I know that I am highly biased to the actual Rochester in the original novel... he was my literary crush through my teens (sorry, mom... I like brooding, older men I guess!).
All that being said, I do think it is worth the read for any Bronte fan as it was well written and well researched and a pretty entertaining option for "the other side of the story" shelf.
It is long. Like, super long. Which the actual Jane Eyre novel is, so I get it; there is a lot of ground to cover! I found that the first half went by pretty quickly but once he was in Jamaica and all that business was happening, it really kind of bogged down.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't find the Rochester in "Jane Eyre" and the Rochester in "Mr. Rochester" to seem even remotely like the same person! I would love it if you read it and would give me your opinion because I know that I am highly biased to the actual Rochester in the original novel... he was my literary crush through my teens (sorry, mom... I like brooding, older men I guess!).
All that being said, I do think it is worth the read for any Bronte fan as it was well written and well researched and a pretty entertaining option for "the other side of the story" shelf.
Books that are written from the perspective of a secondary character in a classic novel abound. But most of them have titles with the word "wife" or "daughter" or "widow" in them. Choosing to write a first-person narrative about Rochester is a daring move, and to write it in first-person narrative is to dare comparison to Bronte. Shoemaker does very well with this novel. It is compelling enough in its own right, and that must be the test, I think. Rochester's story is fascinating, poignant. His choices, which often seem thoughtless or arbitrary or cruel in Jane Eyre are much more understandable in Mr. Rochester.
I think this is a book that those who appreciate Jane Eyre will also appreciate. It widens the perspective and allows the reader to live in that world as one does in Jane Eyre.
It is interesting to me that each of these books has the same flaw--that the love interest is something of a cipher. This is the difficulty of any book with such close perspective, and Shoemaker tries to overcome it by describing Jane's character through Rochester's judgment of her, which I think is less satisfying than if she did not have to contend with the original and could expand on Jane's actions and dialog. As it is, she hews closely to the original work, so that we only see Jane at the times she and Rochester's encounters are described in Jane Eyre. And his behavior during these scenes is still strange. What man would pretend to love one woman to woo another? It comes off just as awkwardly here.
What works particularly well in this book is delving into how a second son of gentry was treated in these times. I really liked the scenes of his education and apprenticeship, and of his difficulty in divining his father's intentions, blind to his father's character because it would hurt too much to understand it.
I think Shoemaker pulled her punches a bit in the section on slavery in Jamaica, perhaps afraid that a modern reader could no longer feel sympathy for a man running a plantation if we saw more closely what that entailed for the slaves.
I am of mixed minds about Rochester's treatment of Bertha, because I think that based on how Bertha is presented here (and in Jane Eyre, the choices the character makes are sensible and even humane--the answer to "Is Rochester a monstrous man?" (Except...he is, because of the slavery. But never mind....) On the other hand, as a psychologist, the presentation of Bertha makes no more sense here than it does in Jane Eyre,/i>. Clearly, Shoemaker is trying to make Bertha and her mother out to be schizophrenic, as it would be seen through 19th century understanding. But Bertha's behavior is not like that of schizophrenics, nor like that of any psychological disorder. This is the flaw from Brontë's imagination, and Shoemaker can't undo this easily. However, it's dealt with in a much more realistic (and also, feminist) way in The Wide Saragasso Sea.
I think this is a book that those who appreciate Jane Eyre will also appreciate. It widens the perspective and allows the reader to live in that world as one does in Jane Eyre.
It is interesting to me that each of these books has the same flaw--that the love interest is something of a cipher. This is the difficulty of any book with such close perspective, and Shoemaker tries to overcome it by describing Jane's character through Rochester's judgment of her, which I think is less satisfying than if she did not have to contend with the original and could expand on Jane's actions and dialog. As it is, she hews closely to the original work, so that we only see Jane at the times she and Rochester's encounters are described in Jane Eyre. And his behavior during these scenes is still strange. What man would pretend to love one woman to woo another? It comes off just as awkwardly here.
What works particularly well in this book is delving into how a second son of gentry was treated in these times. I really liked the scenes of his education and apprenticeship, and of his difficulty in divining his father's intentions, blind to his father's character because it would hurt too much to understand it.
I think Shoemaker pulled her punches a bit in the section on slavery in Jamaica, perhaps afraid that a modern reader could no longer feel sympathy for a man running a plantation if we saw more closely what that entailed for the slaves.
I am of mixed minds about Rochester's treatment of Bertha, because I think that based on how Bertha is presented here (and in Jane Eyre, the choices the character makes are sensible and even humane--the answer to "Is Rochester a monstrous man?" (Except...he is, because of the slavery. But never mind....) On the other hand, as a psychologist, the presentation of Bertha makes no more sense here than it does in Jane Eyre,/i>. Clearly, Shoemaker is trying to make Bertha and her mother out to be schizophrenic, as it would be seen through 19th century understanding. But Bertha's behavior is not like that of schizophrenics, nor like that of any psychological disorder. This is the flaw from Brontë's imagination, and Shoemaker can't undo this easily. However, it's dealt with in a much more realistic (and also, feminist) way in The Wide Saragasso Sea.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The reason why I gave this novel 2 stars is because I felt the writing itself very flat and rather... boring, ie plain? The story doesn't even get relatively interesting until Jamaica; and the only reason that it gets interesting is because the writer conveniently kills off most of the characters so that the story can fit in a "box" that follows the path of the original Jane Eyre. This at least, was entertaining as I sat thinking, who will be killed off next in the most convenient way?
The characters aren't very detailed; I feel like if I were to meet them in the real world, I wouldn't bother sticking around to see if they have anything of interest to say. I found it difficult to like them, let alone care about them.
Mr. Rochester had no depth. I feel like the original Mr. Rochester is more complex than the Rochester depicted in this novel. Jane isn't convincing either.
The writer also makes Bertha out to be bad - but she has endured quite a lot - being ravaged by the brother at 13, having her child taken from her, and her own mother being considered mentally unstable and crazy. Rochester continues to say, "when can I get rid of her?" as though a human life can just be thrown away because we can't handle the person or situation. This is no better than what Rochester's father did to him.
I did finish the book, and with that being said, there were parts that were interesting. I feel like the writer could have written this same book, without any ties to the original Jane Eyre, and it would have been an interesting story, though written flatly. I would have liked to read about characters that had more depth and color, especially in a book this size. Overall, the book isn't bad, but it definitely didn't live up to what I had expected when I first checked it out.
The characters aren't very detailed; I feel like if I were to meet them in the real world, I wouldn't bother sticking around to see if they have anything of interest to say. I found it difficult to like them, let alone care about them.
Mr. Rochester had no depth. I feel like the original Mr. Rochester is more complex than the Rochester depicted in this novel. Jane isn't convincing either.
The writer also makes Bertha out to be bad - but she has endured quite a lot - being ravaged by the brother at 13, having her child taken from her, and her own mother being considered mentally unstable and crazy. Rochester continues to say, "when can I get rid of her?" as though a human life can just be thrown away because we can't handle the person or situation. This is no better than what Rochester's father did to him.
I did finish the book, and with that being said, there were parts that were interesting. I feel like the writer could have written this same book, without any ties to the original Jane Eyre, and it would have been an interesting story, though written flatly. I would have liked to read about characters that had more depth and color, especially in a book this size. Overall, the book isn't bad, but it definitely didn't live up to what I had expected when I first checked it out.
dark
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Shoemaker did a really nice job fleshing out Rochester's backstory based on the details he gives in Jane Eyre. I especially enjoyed the accounts of his time at Black Hills school & the Maysbeck mill. The inclusion of Rowland taking advantage of 13-year-old Bertha, their son ripped from her arms & sent to America, and the secret deal between Jonas & Rochester Sr. for Edward to fulfill Rowland's obligation to Bertha was extremely clever.
In the final 1/3 of the novel, where the plot dovetails with Jane Eyre, I agree with what other reviewers have said about the narrative falling flat. Shoemaker touches on all the major moments from the original text but has a tendency to summarize and skim over. I did like the addition of Rochester's debate about whether to allow the forged letters to stand as proof that Bertha was married to Rowland such that he could obtain an annulment, even at the cost of his inheritance, including Thornfield. His intention to trade his beloved home (& his easy living) for the freedom to marry Jane means that--up until the day before the wedding--he didn't plan to lead her into being party to his bigamy, which makes the whole thing more palatable.
Similarly, reframing Rochester's various tricks & tests as a way to get Jane to make the first move so that he was not taking advantage of her inferior social status & dependent position in his household--including his surprise & frustration that Jane doesn't understand what's he's doing--was a smart way to take the edge off how disturbing & cruel his tactics were, especially when he is sitting in his guilt & shame & regret after Jane flees.
What Shoemaker has accomplished here is a text that validates Bronte's own fairy tale of a wounded, redeemed hero & the happily ever after of true love. "Reader, I married him" finds its echo in "Reader, she married me." In the sense that this is surely what she set out to do, the book is a success; on the other hand, the fumbling of the Jane Eyre portion of the novel denies shippers any kind of real satisfaction while simultaneously replicating what was problematic about Bronte's work.
In the final 1/3 of the novel, where the plot dovetails with Jane Eyre, I agree with what other reviewers have said about the narrative falling flat. Shoemaker touches on all the major moments from the original text but has a tendency to summarize and skim over. I did like the addition of
Similarly, reframing
What Shoemaker has accomplished here is a text that validates Bronte's
Sarah Shoemaker's first novel Mr. Rochester retells the story of Jane Eyre from the point of view of its hero. Readers are offered a richly imagined look into Rochester's life before Jane. Under Shoemaker's hand, the brusque, tempestuous hero is transformed into a innocent child, a victim of his father's cold calculations, a naive lover, and a man determined to do the right thing. Shoemaker gives us a kinder and more lovable Rochester.
The novel is told in the first person, and linear in time, a comfortable and cozy read that felt very 19th c. Rochester's childhood has a Dickensian feel with the early death of a beloved mother, a cruel elder brother, and a cold and incommunicative father.
Unlike Jane, Rochester is provided with a first class education under a fair master. He makes dear friends at school; like Jane, one of Rochester's school chums dies. When his father deems it time, Rochester is given a tutor and sent to university. In Paris he fell into a loose life, meeting the dancer who becomes his mistress and whose daughter Adele he later takes in.
After his less than stellar performance at university, Rochester is apprenticed to a fatherly mill owner. He redeems himself as a hard worker and loyal surrogate son. Finally, it is revealed that Rochester is to inherit his father's West Indies plantation, and it is soon apparent that the beautiful Creole Antoinette is chosen to be his wife. Rochester's happiness is shattered as he realizes his wife is mad. He has been used badly by his father; his paradise becomes a hell.
Rochester truly wants to keep his vow to Antoinette's father to take care of her, and he does his best, first in the West Indies and later in England. But in the end, he has no choice but to lock her away in the Thornfield attic, for the safety of all.
When Jane arrives on the scene we learn the motives behind Rochester's manipulation and testing of her attachment. His endeavor to divorce his mad wife is curtailed as only by proving her adultery can he obtain a divorce.
Readers learn the historical background to Rochester's story, including Jamaican plantation life and it's reliance on slave labor and the Luddite rebellion against the mechanization of labor.
The novel stands on its own for those who have not read the Bronte novel, or like me, have not read it in several years.
According to a Goodreads poll there are 94 books inspired by Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. I previous have read Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea which redeems Bertha from madness, the story of a sensual Creole who suffers under Rochester's Victorian morality and white man's fears. It also has a compelling description of Jamaican slavery and the fomenting slave uprising.
For over two hundred years Bronte's novel has remained a favorite. It was one of the first 'classic' novels I read, through Scholastic Books, and before that the Classics Illustrated Comic Book had been one of my favorites. It appears that the appeal of the story is not going to flag anytime soon.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
The novel is told in the first person, and linear in time, a comfortable and cozy read that felt very 19th c. Rochester's childhood has a Dickensian feel with the early death of a beloved mother, a cruel elder brother, and a cold and incommunicative father.
Unlike Jane, Rochester is provided with a first class education under a fair master. He makes dear friends at school; like Jane, one of Rochester's school chums dies. When his father deems it time, Rochester is given a tutor and sent to university. In Paris he fell into a loose life, meeting the dancer who becomes his mistress and whose daughter Adele he later takes in.
After his less than stellar performance at university, Rochester is apprenticed to a fatherly mill owner. He redeems himself as a hard worker and loyal surrogate son. Finally, it is revealed that Rochester is to inherit his father's West Indies plantation, and it is soon apparent that the beautiful Creole Antoinette is chosen to be his wife. Rochester's happiness is shattered as he realizes his wife is mad. He has been used badly by his father; his paradise becomes a hell.
Rochester truly wants to keep his vow to Antoinette's father to take care of her, and he does his best, first in the West Indies and later in England. But in the end, he has no choice but to lock her away in the Thornfield attic, for the safety of all.
When Jane arrives on the scene we learn the motives behind Rochester's manipulation and testing of her attachment. His endeavor to divorce his mad wife is curtailed as only by proving her adultery can he obtain a divorce.
Readers learn the historical background to Rochester's story, including Jamaican plantation life and it's reliance on slave labor and the Luddite rebellion against the mechanization of labor.
The novel stands on its own for those who have not read the Bronte novel, or like me, have not read it in several years.
According to a Goodreads poll there are 94 books inspired by Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. I previous have read Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea which redeems Bertha from madness, the story of a sensual Creole who suffers under Rochester's Victorian morality and white man's fears. It also has a compelling description of Jamaican slavery and the fomenting slave uprising.
For over two hundred years Bronte's novel has remained a favorite. It was one of the first 'classic' novels I read, through Scholastic Books, and before that the Classics Illustrated Comic Book had been one of my favorites. It appears that the appeal of the story is not going to flag anytime soon.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I guess I wasn't expecting the last 100 pages to be a retelling of Jane Eyre from his perspective, but I suppose it makes sense. An enjoyable retelling of one of my favorite novels.