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alinarburwitz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
minidumpster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol and Emotional abuse
Minor: Slavery
tinyjude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
In some senses, it does a great job at giving depth both to Bertha's character and background, and Mr. Rochester's feelings about her (which I did not expect to find here), as well as the racial complexities in Jamaica after the end of "legal slave ownership" (we know it was still being enacted nonetheless), colourism, women's autonomy and the treatment of (women's) madness and how these poor women are driven into these unstable mental states by their environments, and mostly their husbands.
But it was also confusing in a lot of instances and felt short when depicting more the nuance of the black characters' feelings towards their previous slave owners. I wish we had focused more on them in general, than the white Creole perspective, but I understand Rhys' background and how that shaped this re-imagining of Bertha's story. Still, I think it should be an essential read after Jane Eyre because it adds more depth to her character and a more complex post-colonial context than the original book did.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Trafficking, Physical abuse, and Slavery
onyxk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Racism and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Slavery and Racial slurs
pencilspeaker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Slavery, Infidelity, Racism, and Colonisation
cepbreed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"Justice,' she said. 'I've heard that word. It's a cold word. I tried it out,' she said, still speaking in a low voice. 'I wrote it down. I wrote it down several times and always it looked like a damn cold lie to me. There is no justice."
I've been meaning to read this book for awhile and my English course focusing on what houses represent in literature was the perfect excuse to finally get down to doing it. By excuse I mean I had to, but whatever LOL. As a disclaimer that rushed element might have influenced my reading experience, but I was slightly disappointed by this. I ADORED Jane Eyre and I was always so intrigued by Bertha Mason. I had this idea in my head that she was a Creole woman, but also a woman of color. I may have just invented that detail in my head though. I just thought any themes connected to her status as a woman of color would've reflected wonderfully with Heathcliff's status as not quite white enough in Wuthering Heights. That said, I loved the way Jean Rhys crafted the existence of Antoinette as a disgraced white woman in Jamaica. Rhys never shied away from the uncomfortable and I will carry that scene where the family is attempting to get into their carriage with me forever. I enjoyed books one and three, not so much book two. However, that is probably just a reflection of my hatred for Mr. Rochester. I hated him at the end of Jane Eyre and feared terribly that some parts of this book would attempt to redeem him (is it even redemption if its happening in the past?). Thank goodness I did not have to endure any sort of placating towards Rochester. My hate was augmented tenfold and the only thing bringing me a semblance of peace is the fact that he is disfigured by the end of Jane Eyre (lets just ignore that Jane actually returns to him...).
THE ENDING THOUGH UGHHH Knowing what comes next is just. so. good.
Song:
- tolerate it - Taylor Swift
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Confinement, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism
edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Mental illness, Slavery, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Animal death, and Physical abuse
Minor: Gaslighting
elisabethshanahan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation
Minor: Death of parent, Slavery, Child death, and Forced institutionalization
mercedes's review against another edition
3.0
Some common criticisms I see popping up in most negative reviews of this book is that it is confusing and makes no sense, and I have to say that this was not my personal experience with the book. I didn't think it was that difficult to follow along with the story, and while the flow of the book is definitely not typical, it works for a novel about two very lost characters. I don't think I could have asked for more from this book and it works excellently for what it is.
(Minor spoilers for Wide Sargasso Sea, spoilers for Jane Eyre)
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
Moderate: Rape
jai_ls's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, Mental illness, and Animal cruelty