Scan barcode
24marsha's review against another edition
3.0
Always interesting to think of the personal lives of my favourite authors especially when so little is know. The book was likely a fair representation of the troubled Bronte family but for some reason it still felt mediocre to me.
mawalker1962's review against another edition
4.0
This book is richly imagined and beautifully written, but I found the first two-thirds bleak. (Apparently an accurate portrayal since much of Charlotte Bronte’s life seems to have been bleak.)
hally_p's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this novel which captured the lives and thoughts of not only Charlotte but all the Brontes at significant points in their lives, mainly at the time of the writing of their famous novels.
It was fascinating to envision the Brontes and the emotions they went through during their lives, and to see them as real people. Becoming Jane Eyre made me realise how stories and characters were largely influenced from the girls' own experiences, lives and characters in their own lives. Some of the things that happened in their own novels were inspired by fantasies that they could only live out on paper.
I liked the honesty of how the characters were portrayed and how the author made me feel for them.
I like reading Bronte classics at November time to get the "wuthering" feeling and I am glad to say that becoming Jane eyre gave me just that. I feel renewed in my appreciation of the Brontes work and I am looking forward to reading their books in the future with the sense of their personal influences in mind
It was fascinating to envision the Brontes and the emotions they went through during their lives, and to see them as real people. Becoming Jane Eyre made me realise how stories and characters were largely influenced from the girls' own experiences, lives and characters in their own lives. Some of the things that happened in their own novels were inspired by fantasies that they could only live out on paper.
I liked the honesty of how the characters were portrayed and how the author made me feel for them.
I like reading Bronte classics at November time to get the "wuthering" feeling and I am glad to say that becoming Jane eyre gave me just that. I feel renewed in my appreciation of the Brontes work and I am looking forward to reading their books in the future with the sense of their personal influences in mind
jennlessmann's review against another edition
3.0
"More of a character sketch than a story, really. Almost devoid of plot, in fact. Kohler's interpretation of Charlotte Bronte's life as she imagines and writes her classic, Jane Eyre, feels contemplative and genuine. The pacing is somewhat slow, but little jewels here and there ring with whispered truth rather than dramatic impact. I enjoyed the glimpses at Bronte's life and that of her sisters - their struggles with employment (particularly as governesses), the heartbreaking story of caring for their addict brother, frequent disappointments in love and publishing - and how they translated their lives to their craft. In the novel (as in their individual writings), Emily actually grabbed me much more forcefully than her protagonist sister. Overall, this book is worthwhile, but will only receive a 5-star rating from those who are obsessed with either literature/writing in general or Jane Eyre and the Bronte sisters in particular."
I could have written that review (by Meg). I will add:
Something about the voice of the novel feels very passive, even when the author is grammatically using active voice. On the one hand, this adds to the contemplative feel, and probably accurately portrays life at the parsonage, but on the other, it makes for very slow (and not terribly engaging) reading. The third person present tense feels very impersonal, and although the changing focus between characters gave each of them a moment to shine, it took away from my ability to get attached to Charlotte, whom I had imagined to be the protagonist. Indeed, when her marriage and death are covered in the epilogue, they are so sudden and concise that I did not feel the expected grief, despite the tragic events leading up to them. I should have expected this, since the entire novel is written this way - full of not very detailed description, as another reviewer mentioned.
The book is an excellent example of Telling rather than Showing. Scenes are carefully set, so that you know where everyone is and what they are doing... but then nothing happens. There is either a minimal amount of dialogue added to the scene, or it immediately jumps to describe another setting, from a different point of view.
I give it three stars, despite these faults, because the individual scenes are so True. The book never feels like a work of fiction, and the scenes are well-drawn despite their lack of detail, more like a painting done at a distance than a close-up sketch.
I could have written that review (by Meg). I will add:
Something about the voice of the novel feels very passive, even when the author is grammatically using active voice. On the one hand, this adds to the contemplative feel, and probably accurately portrays life at the parsonage, but on the other, it makes for very slow (and not terribly engaging) reading. The third person present tense feels very impersonal, and although the changing focus between characters gave each of them a moment to shine, it took away from my ability to get attached to Charlotte, whom I had imagined to be the protagonist. Indeed, when her marriage and death are covered in the epilogue, they are so sudden and concise that I did not feel the expected grief, despite the tragic events leading up to them. I should have expected this, since the entire novel is written this way - full of not very detailed description, as another reviewer mentioned.
The book is an excellent example of Telling rather than Showing. Scenes are carefully set, so that you know where everyone is and what they are doing... but then nothing happens. There is either a minimal amount of dialogue added to the scene, or it immediately jumps to describe another setting, from a different point of view.
I give it three stars, despite these faults, because the individual scenes are so True. The book never feels like a work of fiction, and the scenes are well-drawn despite their lack of detail, more like a painting done at a distance than a close-up sketch.
margyly's review against another edition
3.0
This slow-moving historical novel tells the story of Charlotte Bronte’s later life, starting with the writing of Jane Eyre.
spauffwrites's review against another edition
2.0
The story switches POVs between the three sisters and their father, Patrick Bronte. Obviously, since the book is titled "Becoming Jane Eyre," Charlotte's voice is the strongest and the strongest part of the book is the beginning, when she is in Manchester writing the first part of her novel. After she finishes Jane Eyre, everything wraps up very quickly. The tone of the novel got on my nerves a bit; I felt like Kohler was trying too hard to be dark and mysterious. But she does a good job of showing how Charlotte's life influenced her writing. Probably for Bronte fans only.
chanizzle's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't expecting this to be a fast and engaging read but it was. I thought it would be intersting to learn about Charlotte Bronte so that's why I picked it up, but I was expecting a book that would be difficult to get into. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could hardly put the book down. The characters were believable and easy to relate to, and it was so interesting to see how Charlotte pulls real life experiences into her novel Jane Eyre (love Jane Eyre!). It's made me want to start writing novels too :)
socorrobaptista's review against another edition
5.0
Amo Jane Eyre. Quem me conhece sabe que este, entre todos os livros que li, é meu favorito. "Reader, I married him" é uma frase que marcou minha vida de leitora, de professora de literatura, e de mulher independente, feminista. Esta livro de Kohler nos mostra, com delicadeza e sensibilidade, a vida das irmãs Brontë, centrando-se na escrita e posterior sucesso de Jane Eyre. Adorei. Recomendo.
julianav's review against another edition
3.0
Sheila Kohler writes beautiful prose and I was intrigued by a fictionalized story of the Bronte sisters, which whilst focused on Charlotte Bronte, gave voice to both Emily and Anne Bronte.
I think I appreciated the tidbits about the sisters, the facts of their actual lives. The author makes one wonder about the hardship experienced by Charlotte and her sisters. Often unwanted, plain (although looking at the portraits of the sisters, only by standards of their times) and their perseverance in staying alive, surviving awful employers, unrequited romances and the cruelty with which children of the not so well off were treated.
I loved Anne's voice most of all, although both Emily and the girls' father provided their own perspectives. I loved the friendship, the imagination of 5 girls stuck with an overbearing father and a religious fanatic for an aunt. I did find Charlotte's manner to be radically different in the end in comparison to the beginning of the book.
To be honest, one of the reasons I am giving this book a 3 is the omission of some of Charlotte's life. a Lot of time is spent on her early life, but not her later one where she becomes a celebrated author. Likewise, her relationship with Arthur Nichols, the man that became her husband is similarly glossed over. It feels that the book evokes only the snippets of the Bronte sisters (and on occasion brother) and in no way some of those snippets are looked on as important in some way.
I think I appreciated the tidbits about the sisters, the facts of their actual lives. The author makes one wonder about the hardship experienced by Charlotte and her sisters. Often unwanted, plain (although looking at the portraits of the sisters, only by standards of their times) and their perseverance in staying alive, surviving awful employers, unrequited romances and the cruelty with which children of the not so well off were treated.
I loved Anne's voice most of all, although both Emily and the girls' father provided their own perspectives. I loved the friendship, the imagination of 5 girls stuck with an overbearing father and a religious fanatic for an aunt. I did find Charlotte's manner to be radically different in the end in comparison to the beginning of the book.
To be honest, one of the reasons I am giving this book a 3 is the omission of some of Charlotte's life. a Lot of time is spent on her early life, but not her later one where she becomes a celebrated author. Likewise, her relationship with Arthur Nichols, the man that became her husband is similarly glossed over. It feels that the book evokes only the snippets of the Bronte sisters (and on occasion brother) and in no way some of those snippets are looked on as important in some way.