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mariekejee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I so badly wanted to dnf this book, but dnf'ing one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, and one with such a high rating at that, felt sacrilegious. Even after my mom had looked me in the eyes and implored me to pick a happier book, I stuck with it. Am I glad I did? Kind of. For sure, I'm glad I have a classic and feminist book like this under my belt, and I appreciate having a wider knowledge of classic literature. But that's a shallow reason for suffering through this book, for suffer I did.
I absolutely, absolutely hated reading about Jane's struggles as a kid. I hate reading about child abuse, and especially that which is so completely unfair, unreasonable and unwarranted. The first few chapters there is so little relief from it, that I could not help but feel angrier as I kept reading it. Of course Jane gets blamed for the abuse she suffers for no reason. Of course the school she gets sent to is so poorly run that the kids go hungry more often than not. Of course the teachers are strict and abusive. Of course her first friend dies within a couple of chapters of meeting them. After a couple of chapters, I almost became numb from the constant misery and injustice; I no longer had any expectations of a happy or comfortable future for Jane, or an enjoyable reading experience for me.
I don't need a happy book to be able to enjoy reading it. I read through I'm Glad my Mom Died and found it a great read, despite the majority of the book chronicling the abuse Jeanette McCurdy suffered at the hands of her mother. But therein lies the difference: I kept being angry at Charlotte Brontë for making me suffer through exhaustive descriptions of Jane being cast aside, unfairly treated, going hungry, wishing for death. She chose to write that, and while I understand why she did, I just plainly hated it. The actual, real world is highly unfair for so many people; I am not interested in fictionalised accounts of this injustice, and I'm especially uninterested in reading about the unfair treatment that women have historically suffered at the hands of men and further society.
As for the plot itself, I found no joy in reading it other than the few chapters Jane seems to settle at Thornfield, because at that point I had spent hours listening to Jane suffering through life and this is the first time she has finally found some peace for herself. There were some surprises for me in the plot, but most of them I had anticipated long before I got to read them. The surprises I did find were in the way she keeps being treated by the men in her life. There are four men of note in this story, and all of them (
There are quite some things which are remnants from the time it was written, such as the classism and xenophobia, and the obsession with beauty. I can't fault the book for it, because no doubt it is just a relic of its time, but god, is there ever so much emphasis on the beauty of women as a signifier of not just their worth but their character.
Is it an important book? Most definitely. Is it well written and contains nice prose? Absolutely. Would I ever willingly expose myself to it again? Not a chance in hell. It's a good book - just definitely not for me.
(also: I love this comic of the Bronte sisters http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202)
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Confinement
musingsofazebra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Colonisation, Infidelity, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Abandonment, Classism, Death, and Suicide
theskyisthelimit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Abandonment
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Quotes:
“Children can feel, but they cannot analyze their feelings.”
“I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste.”
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures.”
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Classism and Incest
recycled_personalities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Incest, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Classism, Death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Jane Eyre remains one of my favorite classics I have read this year, and ever. I look forward to returning to this masterpiece time and time again.
Jane Eyre follows orphan Jane as she navigates the cruel home of her aunt, desolate boarding school of Lowood, consuming gothic mansion of Thornfeild and its resident, and ultimately life in pursuit of moral/financial independence.
Jane is by far the most strong willed character I have ever encounter in literature. Her will for the good in life despite the horrors which she was subjected to growing up is truly remarkable. That being said, the journey through Jane’s adolescence through adulthood is tedious, and fans of fast paced novels might struggle with the length. However, Brontë is a master class in character development, and I love seeing the depth and complex nature of our protagonist.
For fans of beautiful writing, atmospheric setting, and an engaging plot, I would highly recommend Jane Eyre.
Graphic: Classism, Bullying, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Confinement, Child death, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
sienasarah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
mikarala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Ableism
hot_water's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
amarj33t_5ingh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Jane Eyre exhibits a disconcerting reality of the Victorian era from a feminine perspective. Hemmed in by society, orphaned and thrust to the ravages of fate but still retaining her Christian virtue and fighting for her beliefs Jane traverses a world opposed to everything she stands for.
But Jane is an epitome of religious virtue and refuses to despair ultimately traversing against all odds.
Overall, Bronte's narrative is labyrinthine. But it is also radical in how it conveys a sense of progression to the reader by the second half of the novel which reads like a Victorian thriller. With the hint of the supernatural to it, Jane Eyre is as tantalizing today as it was when it first fell upon Bronte's unsuspecting England.
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Torture, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Ableism, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Violence