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amycrea's review
3.0
Eh. There are a few good stories in here (especially the ones by Evie Wyld and Elizabeth McCracken), but overall, an awfully mixed bag.
dawnlizreads's review against another edition
3.0
I was initially disappointed to discover that most of the stories within this anthology were "inspired by" Jane's famous declaration rather than different takes on "what happened next" (which is what I thought the book would contain).
However, I found I didn't actually enjoy that the few "what happened next" stories that the book did contain - they either questioned the love between Jane and Rochester or questioned Jane’s motives. I love Jane Eyre because it’s about finding love against the odds, so I don’t want read anything that undermines that! Mind you, Audrey Niffenegger’s (she of Time Traveller’s Wife fame) The Orphan Exchange was one of my favourite stories of the whole book. While that completely changes the plot of Jane Eyre, Jane is still the steely “poor, plain, and little” woman with a strong moral compass that made the Bronte’s book so great.
I much preferred the “inspired by” stories, so more so than others. I particularly enjoyed “Since I first saw your face” by Emma Donoghue, which I found reassuring because I have to read her Frog Music for my book club – would have picked up that book with a heavy heart if hadn't liked the story! Similarly, I am glad I liked A Migrating Bird by Elif Shafak because her The Architect's Apprentice is also on my "to-read" list.
Overall, I think this a lovely book to read if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre (not sure why you would read it if you’re not a fan). It does remind me why I don’t usually read short story collections – they can be hit and miss and the “hits” are never long enough – but I am glad I read it. Given my obsession with Jane Eyre, I think it would be remiss of me to not have done so!
However, I found I didn't actually enjoy that the few "what happened next" stories that the book did contain - they either questioned the love between Jane and Rochester or questioned Jane’s motives. I love Jane Eyre because it’s about finding love against the odds, so I don’t want read anything that undermines that! Mind you, Audrey Niffenegger’s (she of Time Traveller’s Wife fame) The Orphan Exchange was one of my favourite stories of the whole book. While that completely changes the plot of Jane Eyre, Jane is still the steely “poor, plain, and little” woman with a strong moral compass that made the Bronte’s book so great.
I much preferred the “inspired by” stories, so more so than others. I particularly enjoyed “Since I first saw your face” by Emma Donoghue, which I found reassuring because I have to read her Frog Music for my book club – would have picked up that book with a heavy heart if hadn't liked the story! Similarly, I am glad I liked A Migrating Bird by Elif Shafak because her The Architect's Apprentice is also on my "to-read" list.
Overall, I think this a lovely book to read if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre (not sure why you would read it if you’re not a fan). It does remind me why I don’t usually read short story collections – they can be hit and miss and the “hits” are never long enough – but I am glad I read it. Given my obsession with Jane Eyre, I think it would be remiss of me to not have done so!
ngreader's review
3.0
This was a fun short story collection - some based loosely on "Jane Eyre" and some based soley on the line "Reader I Married Him".
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I quite liked this collection of short stories inspired by Jane Eyre. Some of these stories offer interesting new takes on scenes from the book (even though I don't always agree with their characterisation), others are set in different times or environments but still show us a glimpse of our beloved characters. With some stories, however, I had no idea at all how they were in any way connected with Jane Eyre or any of the book's themes or characters. I'd really like an explanation for those, but the majority were at least good and some even really excellent.
socorrobaptista's review
5.0
Absolutamente fascinante! Claro que sou muito suspeita, visto que Jane Eyre é meu livro favorito, mas estes contos, todos partindo da frase “Reader, I married him”, são muito instigantes. Alguns eu amei, outros me assustaram um pouco, mas foi uma leitura maravilhosa.
novelesque_life's review
4.0
RATING: 4 STARS
2016, William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins
"Reader, I married him" is the most famous lines from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. The story behind this line is briefly discussed in the introduction of this short story anthology, but it is recommended that you read Jane Eyre first. Various writers were given the line "Reader, I Married Him" and asked to write a short story in ode to Jane and the novel. Although, Susan Hill has not read Jane Eyre but her story is fabulous, in my opinion. At the back of the book there is a small biography of each writer and most have a sentence on what Jane Eyre means to them.
I did read the entire anthology though I did skim a few that did not hold my interest. The ones I loved were written by Joanna Briscoe, Helen Dunmore, Emma Donoghue, Susan Hill, Francine Prose, Sally Vickers, Audrey Niffenegger and Tracy Chevalier. The standouts being Niffenegger, Prose, Hill and Dunmore. All the stories in the anthology were well-written and done with passion, but depending on writing style and interest different readers will be attracted to different stories. I recommend this book to all fans of Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte...but also to those who like these authors or want to try a new author.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
2016, William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins
"Reader, I married him" is the most famous lines from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. The story behind this line is briefly discussed in the introduction of this short story anthology, but it is recommended that you read Jane Eyre first. Various writers were given the line "Reader, I Married Him" and asked to write a short story in ode to Jane and the novel. Although, Susan Hill has not read Jane Eyre but her story is fabulous, in my opinion. At the back of the book there is a small biography of each writer and most have a sentence on what Jane Eyre means to them.
I did read the entire anthology though I did skim a few that did not hold my interest. The ones I loved were written by Joanna Briscoe, Helen Dunmore, Emma Donoghue, Susan Hill, Francine Prose, Sally Vickers, Audrey Niffenegger and Tracy Chevalier. The standouts being Niffenegger, Prose, Hill and Dunmore. All the stories in the anthology were well-written and done with passion, but depending on writing style and interest different readers will be attracted to different stories. I recommend this book to all fans of Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte...but also to those who like these authors or want to try a new author.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog