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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Books that build off of classics are so difficult to do well. Because only the diehards typically reach for these novels, you have to write something faithful to the source material--because Brontë fans know this story like the back of their hand--but not follow so closely that it is monotonous. This book is nearly perfect in that regard. The first half is brilliantly original and creative, and the writing is so on point throughout the whole. There were some creative decisions I didn't love, but all in all, this was a really interesting and thoughtful take on Edward Rochester.
This could have been so bad. Loving Jane Eyre as much as I do, means that I am very sensitive to the story being messed with, so I was surprised to find myself enjoying it so much. Mr Rochester takes Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, and endeavours to tell the story of Edward Fairfax Rochester from his childhood. There were a couple of Americanisms, but on the whole the voice was convincing, and the story fit. There were some surprising revelations, even after Jane enters the story, and I wonder whether their love story would be convincing to someone who hasn't read Jane Eyre, as it was so condensed, but on the whole, it was a good read.
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
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you're hoping for a book that looks at the Jane Eyre/Mr. Rochester relationship from Mr. Rochester's side, you should look for another book. If you're looking for a book that explains Rochester's motivations - this is your book. I really enjoyed it, even though I picked it up hoping for more of the former than the latter. It did skip over some of my favorite dialogue from the original novel which was disappointing, but that's a personal preference.
Be still my beating heart for I love Rochester even more after this. (Also the audiobook really sucked me in.)
I loved this! Jane Eyre told from Mr. Rochester's perspective. I felt so badly for him as a boy and young man. I enjoyed that being fleshed out. The ending left me teary.
Note: I removed one star as I was startled by unexpected curse words halfway through the book. Thankfully that did not appear while listening with my children home! As the original Jane Eyre did not include actual curse words either, I felt this detracted from the story. It was clean prior to and after this though.
Note: I removed one star as I was startled by unexpected curse words halfway through the book. Thankfully that did not appear while listening with my children home! As the original Jane Eyre did not include actual curse words either, I felt this detracted from the story. It was clean prior to and after this though.
*I received an early copy of this book thru the publisher and Netgalley for a honest review.
I absolutely love reading reworks of the classics told from an alternate point of view, and "Mr. Rochester" definitely caught my attention. "Jane Eyre" is one of my absolute favorites and Mr. Rochester ranks right up there with Mr. Darcy as far as I am concerned. "Mr. Rochester" is an imagining of the life of Edward Rochester, from his days as a young boy in boarding school, to his formative years as a young man learning the business world at a mill, to his time in Jamaica running his father's sugar plantation. I love how Ms. Shoemaker was able to weave in what we know about the Rochester family, his turbulent love/hate relationship with Bertha, and his caring for Adele into his backstory leading up to the arrival of his dear Jane at Thornfield Hall. It was faithful to the tone of "Jane Eyre" and beautifully told, helping us to understand a bit more why Mr. Rochester had so many rough edges that only Jane could smooth down.
I absolutely love reading reworks of the classics told from an alternate point of view, and "Mr. Rochester" definitely caught my attention. "Jane Eyre" is one of my absolute favorites and Mr. Rochester ranks right up there with Mr. Darcy as far as I am concerned. "Mr. Rochester" is an imagining of the life of Edward Rochester, from his days as a young boy in boarding school, to his formative years as a young man learning the business world at a mill, to his time in Jamaica running his father's sugar plantation. I love how Ms. Shoemaker was able to weave in what we know about the Rochester family, his turbulent love/hate relationship with Bertha, and his caring for Adele into his backstory leading up to the arrival of his dear Jane at Thornfield Hall. It was faithful to the tone of "Jane Eyre" and beautifully told, helping us to understand a bit more why Mr. Rochester had so many rough edges that only Jane could smooth down.
Jane Eyre is my favorite book of all time. After reading through the other reviews of Miss Shoemaker's Mr. Rochester, I dove in despite the repeated complaint: "loved the first half, but the second half fell flat." With that said, I agree. I would have given the book four or more stars had the entire book read like the first half. The first half reflects Edward's birth, schooling, troubles in Jamaica, travels, etc. before meeting Jane at Thornfield; the story was intriguing, inventive and kept me up way past my bedtime. HOWEVER, once Jane is introduced, the author falls into a horrid pattern of summarizing integral conversations and sweeping over main events (which I don't blame her--you can't copy and paste each important conversation). Conversations and dialogue greatly diminish and the second half becomes an abridged Cliff Notes. While I will consider Edward's origin's story in the future as I continue to re-read Jane Eyre, I will not need to consort with this book again.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No