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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m giving this one 4 stars because the first half of the book was excellent. The Thornfield backstory felt like overkill (pun intended), and didn’t gel as well with the rest of the plot. Not a bad retelling of Jane Eyre, however.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
One of my favorite books. A very gratifying feminist read.
The beginning was a bit hard to get thru because it felt a little like Faye was just dumping as much hardship as possible onto Jane's lap, but Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorites so I stuck with it and it was definitely worth it.
Jane Steele is a great character once she gets past all the sadness and horrors of childhood, and she grows up to be strong because of them not despite them. The characters she meets along the way all add their own little spice to the story, keeping the plot rolling adding great mysteries for Jane to solve.
The last half of the book is where things really get rolling and the story becomes a page turner, complete with the introduction of a mysterious set of characters and a perfect love interest for Jane. The book's sudden turn into mystery/spy thriller territory takes Jane into exciting territory and gives Faye a chance to fully explain Jane's circumstances and past.
I loved the twists and turns it takes towards the end and would have never guessed at half of the great twists that get introduced. A great piece of writing, indeed - just give a few pages to really get going.
Jane Steele is a great character once she gets past all the sadness and horrors of childhood, and she grows up to be strong because of them not despite them. The characters she meets along the way all add their own little spice to the story, keeping the plot rolling adding great mysteries for Jane to solve.
The last half of the book is where things really get rolling and the story becomes a page turner, complete with the introduction of a mysterious set of characters and a perfect love interest for Jane. The book's sudden turn into mystery/spy thriller territory takes Jane into exciting territory and gives Faye a chance to fully explain Jane's circumstances and past.
I loved the twists and turns it takes towards the end and would have never guessed at half of the great twists that get introduced. A great piece of writing, indeed - just give a few pages to really get going.
“I hope that the epitaph of the human race when the world ends will be: Here perished a species which lived to tell stories.”
― Lyndsay Faye, Jane Steele
My first five star read in what feels like ages! I was so hesitant to pick this up, because Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorites and I am always wary of retellings. In this case, however, it was worth it. The story is essentially a Gothic reworking of the famous story, but with a few significant changes to give it a character of its own. We are introduced to Jane Steele, who through a series of difficult circumstances finds herself alone in the world and having to fend for herself when all forces seem directed against her. Even though she is far from perfect, I really felt for her and was rooting for her throughout the novel as she grows older. I really loved that Thornfield is not as much as a macho as Rochester (though perhaps wrongly, I have a soft spot for this fellow, too). He is an affable man, with wit and a willingness to accept Jane as his equal. The sub-tory regarding a theft of jewels in India was interesting and nicely woven into the main plot, and now that the last page has been turned, I wish it were a little longer.
Faye has an excellent grip of the timely language and sketches a vivid portrait of Victorian London and the broody countryside. The characters are intriguing and multi-dimensional - even side characters - and the pace was fast with new twists around every page.
Needless to say, I will certainly be keeping an eye on this talented author in the future!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
― Lyndsay Faye, Jane Steele
My first five star read in what feels like ages! I was so hesitant to pick this up, because Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorites and I am always wary of retellings. In this case, however, it was worth it. The story is essentially a Gothic reworking of the famous story, but with a few significant changes to give it a character of its own. We are introduced to Jane Steele, who through a series of difficult circumstances finds herself alone in the world and having to fend for herself when all forces seem directed against her. Even though she is far from perfect, I really felt for her and was rooting for her throughout the novel as she grows older. I really loved that Thornfield is not as much as a macho as Rochester (though perhaps wrongly, I have a soft spot for this fellow, too). He is an affable man, with wit and a willingness to accept Jane as his equal. The sub-tory regarding a theft of jewels in India was interesting and nicely woven into the main plot, and now that the last page has been turned, I wish it were a little longer.
Faye has an excellent grip of the timely language and sketches a vivid portrait of Victorian London and the broody countryside. The characters are intriguing and multi-dimensional - even side characters - and the pace was fast with new twists around every page.
Needless to say, I will certainly be keeping an eye on this talented author in the future!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Choppy in parts, but an enjoyable read. The mystery was mostly incidental to all the character interactions.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The protagonist is a fan of Jane Eyre and relates to JE; this is really a homage to the novel. The heart of the story really begins when Jane Steele returns to HIghgate. This is not a gruesome story, she murders several, but she is a sympathetic character. A blurb on the cover of one of the editions compares it to Dexter, but that is misleading.
2024 Beyond the Bookends Fall: Serial Killer.
2024 PopSugar Reading Challenge #2: A bildungsroman.