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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
amé. mucho romance, mucho drama, mucho hombre arrastrado y el toque justo de sobrenatural
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Oh wow. I started this about two months ago (ca) and stopped after 85 pages. I didn’t pick it up again until a week ago maybe, and decided to finish it. When I was 12 I watched Jane Eyre in the theatre with my mum and aunt and I loved it. Now finally reading 3 years later feels fulfilling.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
The more I think about Jane Eyre, the more torn I feel. My initial knee-jerk reaction was dislike — the content matter here (a teenage orphan being groomed by a 40yo dude) sure put me off my pie. I could see that the romance wasn’t the main point of the book — the focus is rather Jane’s quest to be seen and loved all the same — a theme that reminded me of another messed up story, that of TV Hannibal. And I thought, if I can sort of accept it in Hannibal, what’s stopping me here? Reader, I do not know.
Then there was another thing — repeated and manifold allusions to fairytales. When Jane first enters Thornfield, she is reminded of Bluebeard’s castle (and how telling, isn’t it). When she and Mr. Rochester first meet, they both mistake each other for a fairy creature &c. I doubt that’s a coincidence. What is a coincidence, as it could have hardly been anticipated by Ms. Bronte, is that all these themes conspired to remind me of one of my earlier reads, Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Estes — a book which approaches traditional fairytales through feminist and psychological lenses, applying their storylines and characters to (not solely) the feminine psyche. And looking at Jane Eyre in this spirit, well. It really adds something extra for me. What a beautiful, maddening, infuriating look into a woman’s soul.
I’m still not sure I quite liked this book — it made me fed up in many ways. But I can’t rate it 1 star anymore.
Then there was another thing — repeated and manifold allusions to fairytales. When Jane first enters Thornfield, she is reminded of Bluebeard’s castle (and how telling, isn’t it). When she and Mr. Rochester first meet, they both mistake each other for a fairy creature &c. I doubt that’s a coincidence. What is a coincidence, as it could have hardly been anticipated by Ms. Bronte, is that all these themes conspired to remind me of one of my earlier reads, Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Estes — a book which approaches traditional fairytales through feminist and psychological lenses, applying their storylines and characters to (not solely) the feminine psyche. And looking at Jane Eyre in this spirit, well. It really adds something extra for me. What a beautiful, maddening, infuriating look into a woman’s soul.
I’m still not sure I quite liked this book — it made me fed up in many ways. But I can’t rate it 1 star anymore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Colonisation
that last star started fading when it seemed jane was marrying her cousin but then it came back
I decided to re-read this in its entirety after many years and was glad that I did because it was so nostalgic, fluid in its narrative and description of the eponymous character, Jane’s marked nuanced personality, her experiences and Bronte’s other characters were quite visceral. I could definitely see parts of myself in Jane. Here is a classic example of human decency, the still relevant challenges of navigating the world as a woman and a great expression of how Jane thrived through adversity. Would’ve given it 5 stars if not for the sometimes unnecessarily long sentences and frequent overused use of adjectives, but that’s just the harsh old English literature student in me, hah! Bronte did paint a good picture, though. I enjoyed reading it very much to the point where I’ll probably read it again in the future!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation