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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
After listening to Jane Eyre, I came across this in Audible. I actually like this better than Jane Eyre, maybe because I was already familiar with parts of the story and characters. I love how the author was able to create a backstory for Mr. Rochester's character and how she was able to blend it in with the original story of Jane. It was neat to see the other side of the story told from his perspective.
Wonderful version of the story from the perspective of Mr Rochester for one of my all time favorite books.
This book is guilty pleasure of mine, being that I have always been smitten by the relationship of Jane with Rochester. For all those who have always asked themselves "What the heck did Jane Eyre see in Edward Rochester", you will finally get your answers here.
The story of Rochester's very closely parallel Jane's own. The first part sets up his childhood and teenager years. His lack of any substantial kinship with his father and brother Rowland, are similar to Jane's early experiences of being locked up in the Red Room by the Reeds. Then his schooling experience with Carrot and Touch in Blackhill under Mr Lincoln, as well as his mentorship with Mr Wilson at the mill, reminded me of Jane's years at Lowood growing up together her dear friend Helen.
The second part is basically about him making his fortunes at Jamaica together with his doomed courtship and marriage to Bertha Mason. Of course for the third part, all Jane Eyre fans would be familiar and need no elaboration.
I know some readers have bemoaned that there was insufficient devotion to the third part. However, this would be where I have a different opinion. In fact I'm pretty satisfied and pleased with the lengthy devotion to Rochester's growing up years. Through this, it sets up the character development for Rochester, letting us readers know what principles and values he holds dear. Such that later on in the third act with Jane (be it in the original classic or this book), to us the reader his motivations and thought processes behind his original seemingly erratic mood swings with Jane, comes with a new clarity like never before. This give us some clue to what Jane could sense was hiding in the deep recesses of this man. I mean this book after all is about Edward Rochester as a person in completion, not just his love for Jane. It helped that I found the childhood and teenage years very touching.
Meanwhile for readers who shun this book thinking it will end up being like another [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647], I'd like to put your fears to rest, as it differs from that canon. The depiction of Edward Rochester here is definitely favourable, unlike that weird Othello-ish portrayal there. Richard Mason remains an utter douchebag though, but the elder Mr Mason is quite a character you would sympathise with. In fact, Rochester's moral conflict when dealing with his father-in-law was what took my attention in Part 2. This especially put Rochester in a very very honourable light.
If there's any grouses to be made, I guess it would be to the less than desirable depiction of Edward Rochester's very own father and brother. I guess narratively it makes sense for the plot, but I cannot help but feel weird that every time a piece of "spin-off" fiction happens, there will be some character depiction casualties. For the [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647], it had been Rochester himself and all the men in the Mason family. For this book, it is Rochester's father and his brother Rowland. Rowland is put in an especially unfavourable light, with the additional of a wildcard to the plot later on. Alright, I will not ruin that with any more spoilers. Go and enjoy the book!
The story of Rochester's very closely parallel Jane's own. The first part sets up his childhood and teenager years. His lack of any substantial kinship with his father and brother Rowland, are similar to Jane's early experiences of being locked up in the Red Room by the Reeds. Then his schooling experience with Carrot and Touch in Blackhill under Mr Lincoln, as well as his mentorship with Mr Wilson at the mill, reminded me of Jane's years at Lowood growing up together her dear friend Helen.
The second part is basically about him making his fortunes at Jamaica together with his doomed courtship and marriage to Bertha Mason. Of course for the third part, all Jane Eyre fans would be familiar and need no elaboration.
I know some readers have bemoaned that there was insufficient devotion to the third part. However, this would be where I have a different opinion. In fact I'm pretty satisfied and pleased with the lengthy devotion to Rochester's growing up years. Through this, it sets up the character development for Rochester, letting us readers know what principles and values he holds dear. Such that later on in the third act with Jane (be it in the original classic or this book), to us the reader his motivations and thought processes behind his original seemingly erratic mood swings with Jane, comes with a new clarity like never before. This give us some clue to what Jane could sense was hiding in the deep recesses of this man. I mean this book after all is about Edward Rochester as a person in completion, not just his love for Jane. It helped that I found the childhood and teenage years very touching.
Meanwhile for readers who shun this book thinking it will end up being like another [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647], I'd like to put your fears to rest, as it differs from that canon. The depiction of Edward Rochester here is definitely favourable, unlike that weird Othello-ish portrayal there. Richard Mason remains an utter douchebag though, but the elder Mr Mason is quite a character you would sympathise with. In fact, Rochester's moral conflict when dealing with his father-in-law was what took my attention in Part 2. This especially put Rochester in a very very honourable light.
If there's any grouses to be made, I guess it would be to the less than desirable depiction of Edward Rochester's very own father and brother. I guess narratively it makes sense for the plot, but I cannot help but feel weird that every time a piece of "spin-off" fiction happens, there will be some character depiction casualties. For the [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647], it had been Rochester himself and all the men in the Mason family. For this book, it is Rochester's father and his brother Rowland. Rowland is put in an especially unfavourable light, with the additional of a wildcard to the plot later on. Alright, I will not ruin that with any more spoilers. Go and enjoy the book!
We all probably know Mr Edward Fairfax Rochester, the most influential male character from "Jane Eyre." This is his story from his childhood as the second son of a wealthy father to his time at Thornfield Hall as a man who has hidden away his mad and ill wife Bertha from the public eye. This retelling helps readers understand why Rochester behaves as he does in "Jane Eyre".
The story is captivating and offers a fresh view of the classic story which everyone has probably read, seen on screen or on stage, or at least heard about. The author has successfully matched the scenery of Charlotte Bronte into hers, coming up with a well-written retelling of "Jane Eyre". I was surprised, however, that Jane appeared in the story only when I had finished 70% of the book and did not leave much imagination there. Yet, the character-driven backstory gives plenty of insight into 19th-century England, passing the vibe check without a flinch.
The story is captivating and offers a fresh view of the classic story which everyone has probably read, seen on screen or on stage, or at least heard about. The author has successfully matched the scenery of Charlotte Bronte into hers, coming up with a well-written retelling of "Jane Eyre". I was surprised, however, that Jane appeared in the story only when I had finished 70% of the book and did not leave much imagination there. Yet, the character-driven backstory gives plenty of insight into 19th-century England, passing the vibe check without a flinch.
I typically don't enjoy retellings of classic stories unless they have some remarkable twist to them. (For example, I yawned quite a bit through Death Comes to Pemberly.) This novel, a retelling of Jane Eyre from Mr. Rochester's perspective, surprised me by how well it captured my interest.
The story follows a similar path to the original, telling of Edward Rochester's boyhood and education. The prose was beautiful, and I felt completely transported into Edward's world of a distant father, a dismissive elder brother, and a longing for the mother he never knew. His education, both in the liberal arts at his tutor's home and in manufacturing at a cloth mill, was fascinating and contained many foreshadowings of later pieces of the story. The secondary characters were portrayed masterfully, and I was reminded of Dickens' supporting casts (albeit, without the humor). When Edward finally took his long-awaited trip to Jamaica, I cringed with anticipation, wondering just how he would be entrapped into marrying the insane Bertha Mason...and then, oh, the horror of the predicament he finds himself in!
If I have any critique of the book, it would be that the last third which retells his relationship with Jane was a little tedious. But at the same time, I enjoyed the surprising twist at the end and the added character which brought a fascinating moral dilemma into a story already filled with moral dilemmas. Even for those who are not fans of Jane Eyre, this is an excellent novel--recommended!
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
The story follows a similar path to the original, telling of Edward Rochester's boyhood and education. The prose was beautiful, and I felt completely transported into Edward's world of a distant father, a dismissive elder brother, and a longing for the mother he never knew. His education, both in the liberal arts at his tutor's home and in manufacturing at a cloth mill, was fascinating and contained many foreshadowings of later pieces of the story. The secondary characters were portrayed masterfully, and I was reminded of Dickens' supporting casts (albeit, without the humor). When Edward finally took his long-awaited trip to Jamaica, I cringed with anticipation, wondering just how he would be entrapped into marrying the insane Bertha Mason...and then, oh, the horror of the predicament he finds himself in!
If I have any critique of the book, it would be that the last third which retells his relationship with Jane was a little tedious. But at the same time, I enjoyed the surprising twist at the end and the added character which brought a fascinating moral dilemma into a story already filled with moral dilemmas. Even for those who are not fans of Jane Eyre, this is an excellent novel--recommended!
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I am impressed by this book. Shoemaker did an incredible job staying true to Jane Eyre and honoring the narrative of Wide Sargasso Sea while giving Mr Rochester his own complex and sympathetic backstory. I enjoyed it so much. It's rich and detailed and moves at just the right pace. Bravo.
Pārsteidzoši labi tādā ziņā, ka nesačakarē oriģinālu.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is more than I could have ever hoped for. I went in not expecting much. You really can't have high expectations for retellings. You'll only get your heart broken. But I felt like Shoemaker really understood Rochester's character. Really tried to understand his motivations and secret history. There were many times I would go "Ah, that is why he did that." Filling in my blanks of the Jane Eyre story, even if it is not strictly cannon. It renews my interest in Wide Sargasso Sea, but I'm afraid of something that makes Rochester into too much of a villain. I have a weakness for that man. I wished the Jane Eyre parts were fleshed out a bit more. She would often gloss over or summarize their interactions and I really craved more of the dialog. Of course I can read the original novel, but I want everything in one place.