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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
A clever reimagining of Jane Eyre. I am usually put off by the Victoria language so often used in the classics, i.e. Austen, Dickens, etc.; however, the prose used in this book was clever and witty and mostly enjoyable.
Oh my God, this is booooooring.
More with the stabby-stab and less of the talky-talk
More with the stabby-stab and less of the talky-talk
The first 1/3-1/2 of this book was really great.
[b:Jane Steele|25868918|Jane Steele|Lyndsay Faye|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443487111s/25868918.jpg|45741473] is being called a retelling of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639], but it isn't. The narrator presents the story as an autobiography and claims to have read Bronte's most famous novel and "the work inspires me to imitative acts". And Jane Steele's life does indeed resemble that of Jane Eyre.
But with a huge twist - a lot more blood, murder and vengeance.
Regardless of whether you like [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639] or not (and I do), it's hard to not be pulled in by Jane Steele's narrative voice. Her mother dies, leaving her orphaned and at the mercy of her constantly-disapproving aunt, who later sends her to a strict, miserable boarding school. But that's not before she commits her first murder.
Steele is fuelled by fire and vengeance. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty. And even though she seems increasingly nuts and lacking in human empathy, the author somehow manages to convince the reader that her crimes were warranted. From attempted rapists to sanctimonious religious hypocrites, Steele is a serial killer with strong - and often understandable - motivations.
Her time at boarding school is my favourite part of the story because that place is horrid. Nothing drags you into a story like a nice serving of despair and unfairness to really piss you off. And the boarding school is full of it. As well as the angst, there's also some great (but complex and not always loyal) female friendships. The section ends with blood and drama, and it was sad to see the novel never quite reach that level again.
Truth be told, once Jane Steele becomes a governess for Mr Thornfield, the story kind of loses its momentum. Every bit of excitement and bloodthirsty drama is gradually drained away as the romance is introduced (though gradually; no instalove in sight) and Jane finds a place for herself in Thornfield's life.
The pacing slowed and it became far less compelling. A disappointing and anticlimactic, if not unexpected, end to a novel that started so well.
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[b:Jane Steele|25868918|Jane Steele|Lyndsay Faye|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443487111s/25868918.jpg|45741473] is being called a retelling of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639], but it isn't. The narrator presents the story as an autobiography and claims to have read Bronte's most famous novel and "the work inspires me to imitative acts". And Jane Steele's life does indeed resemble that of Jane Eyre.
But with a huge twist - a lot more blood, murder and vengeance.
Regardless of whether you like [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639] or not (and I do), it's hard to not be pulled in by Jane Steele's narrative voice. Her mother dies, leaving her orphaned and at the mercy of her constantly-disapproving aunt, who later sends her to a strict, miserable boarding school. But that's not before she commits her first murder.
Steele is fuelled by fire and vengeance. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty. And even though she seems increasingly nuts and lacking in human empathy, the author somehow manages to convince the reader that her crimes were warranted. From attempted rapists to sanctimonious religious hypocrites, Steele is a serial killer with strong - and often understandable - motivations.
Her time at boarding school is my favourite part of the story because that place is horrid. Nothing drags you into a story like a nice serving of despair and unfairness to really piss you off. And the boarding school is full of it. As well as the angst, there's also some great (but complex and not always loyal) female friendships. The section ends with blood and drama, and it was sad to see the novel never quite reach that level again.
Truth be told, once Jane Steele becomes a governess for Mr Thornfield, the story kind of loses its momentum. Every bit of excitement and bloodthirsty drama is gradually drained away as the romance is introduced (though gradually; no instalove in sight) and Jane finds a place for herself in Thornfield's life.
The pacing slowed and it became far less compelling. A disappointing and anticlimactic, if not unexpected, end to a novel that started so well.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Store
Reader, I adored it. Perfection in a tribute to Jane Eyre.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I am on record as a great admirer of Lyndsay Faye’s work but she has really pulled out all of the stops in this one. Fresh off her trilogy of historical mysteries involving the beginnings of the New York City police department, she turns her attentions now towards one of the great classics of literature, [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639].
This novel is billed as a satirical romance and indeed it is. The description of “accidental vigilante” is best, I think for Ms. Jane Steel is the heroine of this novel and herself also a devoted fan of the novel, “Jane Eyre”. Jane Steele’s life has many parallels to her fictional counterpart and we readers get to re-live those but this time with a heroine who is adept not only in standing up for herself but also in doing something about it. If that something involves wrongdoing such as deceit, theft, and even multiple counts of murder, well then, we can be sure they deserved it. But do not expect a re-do of the “Jane Eyre” plot because just when you think you know what should happen next, the novel goes in a completely different direction.
Also, please do not get the impression that this novel is some sort of re-imagining of Jane Eyre except with the protagonist acting as a serial killer with no soul or remorse. Quite the opposite in fact. It’s not a pastiche like ‘Jane Eyre, Zombie Hunter’ might be (although that could be good too). Rather this is a true Victorian romance, written in a keenly similar style with subtle allowances for modern audiences. Lyndsay Faye has always impressed me with her sheer mastery of English prose and this book is no exception. Her phrasing and word choice express so much and with such beauty that we readers are sucked into each scene. The characters, especially Jane Steele, are wonderfully complex and many of their motivations continually unfold over the course of the entire novel. And finally, the plot adds a solid helping of history, not only through the plight of women (especially those under economic distress during that era), but also through some great characters of Indian descent that allows us a window into Sikhism. It’s a romance, a mystery, and an historical novel all wrapped up into one.
I would say that it is not a prerequisite to have read Jane Eyre first, but I highly recommend it. It’s a very nice novel without the benefit of that prior knowledge but you will miss out on any number of clever tie-ins and Easter eggs if you haven’t. This certainly seems to be a stand-alone novel but I can see possibilities for a sequel or three, especially given Ms. Steele’s keen eye for solving mysteries and not being afraid to get her hands dirty in doing so.
A very engaging novel and highly recommended.
This novel is billed as a satirical romance and indeed it is. The description of “accidental vigilante” is best, I think for Ms. Jane Steel is the heroine of this novel and herself also a devoted fan of the novel, “Jane Eyre”. Jane Steele’s life has many parallels to her fictional counterpart and we readers get to re-live those but this time with a heroine who is adept not only in standing up for herself but also in doing something about it. If that something involves wrongdoing such as deceit, theft, and even multiple counts of murder, well then, we can be sure they deserved it. But do not expect a re-do of the “Jane Eyre” plot because just when you think you know what should happen next, the novel goes in a completely different direction.
Also, please do not get the impression that this novel is some sort of re-imagining of Jane Eyre except with the protagonist acting as a serial killer with no soul or remorse. Quite the opposite in fact. It’s not a pastiche like ‘Jane Eyre, Zombie Hunter’ might be (although that could be good too). Rather this is a true Victorian romance, written in a keenly similar style with subtle allowances for modern audiences. Lyndsay Faye has always impressed me with her sheer mastery of English prose and this book is no exception. Her phrasing and word choice express so much and with such beauty that we readers are sucked into each scene. The characters, especially Jane Steele, are wonderfully complex and many of their motivations continually unfold over the course of the entire novel. And finally, the plot adds a solid helping of history, not only through the plight of women (especially those under economic distress during that era), but also through some great characters of Indian descent that allows us a window into Sikhism. It’s a romance, a mystery, and an historical novel all wrapped up into one.
I would say that it is not a prerequisite to have read Jane Eyre first, but I highly recommend it. It’s a very nice novel without the benefit of that prior knowledge but you will miss out on any number of clever tie-ins and Easter eggs if you haven’t. This certainly seems to be a stand-alone novel but I can see possibilities for a sequel or three, especially given Ms. Steele’s keen eye for solving mysteries and not being afraid to get her hands dirty in doing so.
A very engaging novel and highly recommended.
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was good…ended predictably
I enjoyed this book but was upset that the character just HAD to fall in love with her employer/ cousin by marriage. I enjoyed the different representation of people in book but…she didn’t need to fall in love. Good otherwise and enjoyed it
I enjoyed this book but was upset that the character just HAD to fall in love with her employer/ cousin by marriage. I enjoyed the different representation of people in book but…she didn’t need to fall in love. Good otherwise and enjoyed it
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes