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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I was a bit hesitant when I picked this book up, because the description says it’s a “retelling of Jane Eyre.” I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of simply changing one variable--making Jane evil--and then retelling a classic, even if it’s a classic that I love. But Jane Steele is much more complex than a purely evil caricature of the original Jane, or "a predator in the guise of a slender young woman," and this is definitely not merely a retelling of Jane Eyre.
I would probably classify this book as a Victorian novel that is written for a modern reader. Of course, thrillers like "Gone Girl"seem to appeal more to the modern reader than long Victorian novels with the heavy realism of the plight of the unfortunate...But somehow Lindsay Faye has managed to create a modern, “Victorian thriller” that has war, plot twists, intrigue, murder, passionate love, female war heroes, and more. And all the while, she retains familiar Victorian themes of transcendence between class and cultural boundaries, the inner workings of the mind, and discourses of nostalgia, craving, and belonging.
This is also definitely more of a derivative of Jane Eyre than a retelling. Jane Steele is particularly self-conscious about the similarities between her own life and her favourite literary heroine Jane Eyre’s. As an orphan and an outcast, I think that Jane Steel clings to her favourite novel, Jane Eyre, as a way of navigating a cruel and lonely Victorian world. And while she draws parallels between herself and Jane Eyre to make sense of her world, she's also cognizant that she’s not exactly cut from the same cloth as Jane Eyre is.
While the plot is really exciting and twisty, this book also has thematic depth; on a deeper level it’s about what happens when Jane Steele internalizes society’s negative perception of her as an “other.” The way that society's perceptions of Jane shape her own self-image as a murderess reminded me a lot of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (and specifically how Victor Frankenstein's monster is not inherently good or evil at the outset, but internalizes society’s treatment of him as a monster), but I would only draw this comparison on a thematic level.
I would probably classify this book as a Victorian novel that is written for a modern reader. Of course, thrillers like "Gone Girl"seem to appeal more to the modern reader than long Victorian novels with the heavy realism of the plight of the unfortunate...But somehow Lindsay Faye has managed to create a modern, “Victorian thriller” that has war, plot twists, intrigue, murder, passionate love, female war heroes, and more. And all the while, she retains familiar Victorian themes of transcendence between class and cultural boundaries, the inner workings of the mind, and discourses of nostalgia, craving, and belonging.
This is also definitely more of a derivative of Jane Eyre than a retelling. Jane Steele is particularly self-conscious about the similarities between her own life and her favourite literary heroine Jane Eyre’s. As an orphan and an outcast, I think that Jane Steel clings to her favourite novel, Jane Eyre, as a way of navigating a cruel and lonely Victorian world. And while she draws parallels between herself and Jane Eyre to make sense of her world, she's also cognizant that she’s not exactly cut from the same cloth as Jane Eyre is.
While the plot is really exciting and twisty, this book also has thematic depth; on a deeper level it’s about what happens when Jane Steele internalizes society’s negative perception of her as an “other.” The way that society's perceptions of Jane shape her own self-image as a murderess reminded me a lot of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (and specifically how Victor Frankenstein's monster is not inherently good or evil at the outset, but internalizes society’s treatment of him as a monster), but I would only draw this comparison on a thematic level.
I came in expecting a straightforward retelling of Jane Eyre with murder thrown in, such as countless ones I've read of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast (guilty pleasures) and perhaps the more literal retelling of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (which is just P&P intact with zombie references thrown in.) Jane Steele isn't really all of that. The narrator references the source, Jane Eyre, as a book she's read and is now inspired to write her own tale, and sure, her life kind of follows the same trajectory to a point. It's as much of a retelling as Bridget Jones' Diary is a retelling of P&P (except Jane Steele occurs during a similar era as Jane Eyre, so that's not a perfect analogy either). Personally, I found the book more enjoyable when I stopped looking for the Jane Eyre pattern and started enjoying it for what it was.
The book is split into 3 volumes. Volume 1 captured me pretty quickly, establishing her first ever murder and formative years. I'll be honest, Volume 2 was a struggle for me, and I nearly laid the book aside, ready to give the book 2 stars. I pushed on to Volume 3 and was reasonably satisfied with the climax and the ending, which redeemed it up to 3 stars. Overall, it was a pretty fun ride, although a little slow at times.
The book is split into 3 volumes. Volume 1 captured me pretty quickly, establishing her first ever murder and formative years. I'll be honest, Volume 2 was a struggle for me, and I nearly laid the book aside, ready to give the book 2 stars. I pushed on to Volume 3 and was reasonably satisfied with the climax and the ending, which redeemed it up to 3 stars. Overall, it was a pretty fun ride, although a little slow at times.
I was a bit apprehensive to read this initially, as I normally don't like this type of novel to much, but it was a pretty good reader. Though to be honest, I think the only reader I liked it was due to how it was narrated. That's it.
I liked the MC, she was enjoyable. The rest of the characters and the whole plot - it wasn't terrible, but I wasn't overly invested in any of it either. I think I liked this book only because of how it is written, and it should be read purely for that, as that narration and tone of the book was great.
I liked the MC, she was enjoyable. The rest of the characters and the whole plot - it wasn't terrible, but I wasn't overly invested in any of it either. I think I liked this book only because of how it is written, and it should be read purely for that, as that narration and tone of the book was great.
So disappointing. The premise of this story is fantastic, but the execution left much to be desired.
Really fun 3.5. I love Jane Eyre so I found that aspect enjoyable.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lots of action and an interesting plot but the dialogue was a bit grating.
Also the premise that Jane felt guilty her whole life for murdering rapists and abusers seemed dumb to me.
Also the premise that Jane felt guilty her whole life for murdering rapists and abusers seemed dumb to me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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