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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
This book was received from Net Galley in exchange for a fair review.
I was always a reader from early childhood and when I was 7 years old my zest for a good story exceeded my stamina for reading long, dense books. It was at this precise moment, 15₵ in hand, that I discovered my first Classics Illustrated comic book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. And thus began a love affair. In the ensuing year, I devoured every single Classics Illustrated comic book I could find. Every penny of allowance money went to this great cause. Eventually, after reading the Classics Illustrated Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, I picked up the actual book from my parents' library and at the age of almost 9, dictionary by my side, mother working as my consultant (how do you even pronounce Eyre, anyway, I asked first), read the book. I then started going back and reading some of the other books from which the comics had been adapted. Sometimes, I found the books daunting. A Tale of Two Cities, a fantastic story set against the French Revolution (which captured my imagination greatly because like Tudor England, there was so much beheading going on) was dense and sometimes I lost the trail of the story. That was a common experience with Dickens, with Emily Brontë and other authors, especially Shakespeare. I was a child, trying to read long, unillustrated often dense and socially complex books. But the taste of these classics left by Classics Illustrated comics, the concepts of the magnificent stories, from actual plot to world building, whetted my appetite for great literature.
And so it was with great interest that I received Jane Eyre adapted by Stacy King (and it would be so grand if this Goodreads listing said just that, instead of BY Stacy King) to a manga presentation. I love the idea and especially I love that it is in true manga format, read from the back forwards, from right to left, all of which might make a young reader pause to think about other ways of writing (literal writing) and other cultures. We all know that Jane Eyre is a great, good book, even though I always mentally berate Jane for still loving Mr. Rochester after all that went down. If this manga gets one more child to be thrilled at a great classic story and to hold that story in their mind and heart, it's a success. The only negative thing I have to say is that seeing Japanese manga imagery for these staid Victorian gothic characters felt dissonant somehow. But I got over it!
I was always a reader from early childhood and when I was 7 years old my zest for a good story exceeded my stamina for reading long, dense books. It was at this precise moment, 15₵ in hand, that I discovered my first Classics Illustrated comic book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. And thus began a love affair. In the ensuing year, I devoured every single Classics Illustrated comic book I could find. Every penny of allowance money went to this great cause. Eventually, after reading the Classics Illustrated Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, I picked up the actual book from my parents' library and at the age of almost 9, dictionary by my side, mother working as my consultant (how do you even pronounce Eyre, anyway, I asked first), read the book. I then started going back and reading some of the other books from which the comics had been adapted. Sometimes, I found the books daunting. A Tale of Two Cities, a fantastic story set against the French Revolution (which captured my imagination greatly because like Tudor England, there was so much beheading going on) was dense and sometimes I lost the trail of the story. That was a common experience with Dickens, with Emily Brontë and other authors, especially Shakespeare. I was a child, trying to read long, unillustrated often dense and socially complex books. But the taste of these classics left by Classics Illustrated comics, the concepts of the magnificent stories, from actual plot to world building, whetted my appetite for great literature.
And so it was with great interest that I received Jane Eyre adapted by Stacy King (and it would be so grand if this Goodreads listing said just that, instead of BY Stacy King) to a manga presentation. I love the idea and especially I love that it is in true manga format, read from the back forwards, from right to left, all of which might make a young reader pause to think about other ways of writing (literal writing) and other cultures. We all know that Jane Eyre is a great, good book, even though I always mentally berate Jane for still loving Mr. Rochester after all that went down. If this manga gets one more child to be thrilled at a great classic story and to hold that story in their mind and heart, it's a success. The only negative thing I have to say is that seeing Japanese manga imagery for these staid Victorian gothic characters felt dissonant somehow. But I got over it!
Mr. Rochester: Do you think me handsome?
Jane Eyre: No, sir.
[b:Jane Eyre|4722840|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320434602l/4722840._SY75_.jpg|2977639] (the book): A Gothic novel of 38 long yet amusing chapters, with such light yet so sweet and pure romance. Some gloomy descriptions were so powerful that I got the creeps while reading the lines. A great emphases on social life at that era is given in the novel.
Jane Eyre (the character): I wonder if the idiom of Plain Jane initially appeared and was especially meant for our heroine in this book, because Jane is a plain yet very strong woman. A feminist who I couldn't easily comprehend with my too humble historical knowledge that such a mentality like hers, thirsty for independence and claiming equality with men, existed in the 19th century.
I'll sum up the focal points of the book below so you can be familiar with the faces and places.
Gateshead:
Jane (our heroine) is an orphan who lived her first 10 years with her late uncle's wife; Mrs. Reed of Gateshead, a pitiless stone-hearted woman who mistreated her, and her spoiled brat cousins; John, Eliza, and Georgiana, who bullied, teased, and abused her. Her life was never easy since the beginning with those Reeds.
Lowood:
Then she spent 8 years in Lowood Institution, a charity boarding school for orphans. A too strict system which I believe resulted in her minimalist lifestyle and disinterest in fancy things, that remained with her even after leaving the school. There she met her first friend, Helen Burns, who influenced Jane's perspectives on life and deepened her way of thinking.
Thornfield:
She worked as a governess for Rochester's ward, the little French girl, Adéle. Love is in the air. The peculiar employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester is like a sexy beast in Jane's eyes. But is that her happy ending... ALREADY?! Guess again. Something is not right in Thornfield Hall. A ghost or a lunatic? I said too much, don't wanna spoil it anymore!
Moor House:
In this area, among the vast moor lands, my heart was aching and paining over Jane! I utterly felt uncomfortable trying to imagine the hardships she faced. With her hunger; I felt hungry, with her thirst; I was thirsty. Soon she is revived by the Rivers; St. John, Diana, and Mary. They will occupy a big place in Jane's heart, even though Mr. St. John is cold as an iceberg, such a stubbornass personality!
Final impression:
I loved [a:Charlotte Brontë|1036615|Charlotte Brontë|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1335001351p2/1036615.jpg]'s writing-style. So close to the heart, so rich in language, and so real in reactions.. Well, minus some superstition in the end of the novel that sounded so illogical, but what's the harm? The book was fantastic. If you are a sucker for classics, I highly recommended it. If you are not into classics, you have no idea what you're missing.
Jane Eyre: No, sir.
[b:Jane Eyre|4722840|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320434602l/4722840._SY75_.jpg|2977639] (the book): A Gothic novel of 38 long yet amusing chapters, with such light yet so sweet and pure romance. Some gloomy descriptions were so powerful that I got the creeps while reading the lines. A great emphases on social life at that era is given in the novel.
Jane Eyre (the character): I wonder if the idiom of Plain Jane initially appeared and was especially meant for our heroine in this book, because Jane is a plain yet very strong woman. A feminist who I couldn't easily comprehend with my too humble historical knowledge that such a mentality like hers, thirsty for independence and claiming equality with men, existed in the 19th century.
I'll sum up the focal points of the book below so you can be familiar with the faces and places.
Gateshead:
Jane (our heroine) is an orphan who lived her first 10 years with her late uncle's wife; Mrs. Reed of Gateshead, a pitiless stone-hearted woman who mistreated her, and her spoiled brat cousins; John, Eliza, and Georgiana, who bullied, teased, and abused her. Her life was never easy since the beginning with those Reeds.
Lowood:
Then she spent 8 years in Lowood Institution, a charity boarding school for orphans. A too strict system which I believe resulted in her minimalist lifestyle and disinterest in fancy things, that remained with her even after leaving the school. There she met her first friend, Helen Burns, who influenced Jane's perspectives on life and deepened her way of thinking.
Thornfield:
She worked as a governess for Rochester's ward, the little French girl, Adéle. Love is in the air. The peculiar employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester is like a sexy beast in Jane's eyes. But is that her happy ending... ALREADY?! Guess again. Something is not right in Thornfield Hall. A ghost or a lunatic? I said too much, don't wanna spoil it anymore!
Moor House:
In this area, among the vast moor lands, my heart was aching and paining over Jane! I utterly felt uncomfortable trying to imagine the hardships she faced. With her hunger; I felt hungry, with her thirst; I was thirsty. Soon she is revived by the Rivers; St. John, Diana, and Mary. They will occupy a big place in Jane's heart, even though Mr. St. John is cold as an iceberg, such a stubborn
Final impression:
I loved [a:Charlotte Brontë|1036615|Charlotte Brontë|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1335001351p2/1036615.jpg]'s writing-style. So close to the heart, so rich in language, and so real in reactions.. Well, minus some superstition in the end of the novel that sounded so illogical, but what's the harm? The book was fantastic. If you are a sucker for classics, I highly recommended it. If you are not into classics, you have no idea what you're missing.
Alles in allem ein sehr unterhaltsames, würdiges Werk.
Jane Eyre ist eine so kluge, starke Frau, deswegen kommt es mir schlicht unlogisch vor, dass sie im Laufe der Handlung 2x "vergisst", dass ihr Onkel ihr ein Vermögen vererben will.
Jane Eyre ist eine so kluge, starke Frau, deswegen kommt es mir schlicht unlogisch vor, dass sie im Laufe der Handlung 2x "vergisst", dass ihr Onkel ihr ein Vermögen vererben will.
Coup de cœur.
Je ne sais même pas par quoi ni où commencer tellement j'ai tout aimé dans ce roman. Que ce soit le caractère de Jane, la personnalité de Rochester, la description des paysages, l'observation et l'analyse des personnes entourant le personnage principal ou alors les-dits personnages secondaires, je me suis littéralement délectée de tous les aspects de l'histoire.
Je me suis énormément attachée au personnage de Jane Eyre au cours de ma lecture. J'ai aimé sa force de caractère, sa capacité à se raisonner lorsque la passion l'assaillit et s'empare de son cœur et son esprit, sa morale chrétienne qui l'accompagne tout au long de sa vie, sa vivacité et son audace, son courage, sa bienveillance, son intelligence. Même dans les situations les plus difficiles, elle finit par s'en sortir et par retrouver cette naïveté et joie de vivre qui la caractérisent si bien. Elle ne cherche pas son bonheur dans l'opulence et l'argent mais plutôt dans des choses simples. Sa position dans la hiérarchie sociale n'est peut-être pas élevée mais ce qu'elle recherche avant tout c'est d'être indépendante et satisfaite de sa situation. Elle est prête à endurer patiemment un travail laborieux et fastidieux, un travail qui l'ennuie mais qui lui permet de vivre et de gagner quelques sous plutôt que de dépendre entièrement de quelqu'un. C'est une personne modeste aux goûts simples, qui peut se contenter de peu et qui compensera les manques de son existence par l'imagination.
L'éducation qu'elle reçut au pensionnat de Lowood est probablement une des périodes que je préfère dans tout le roman. Ses souvenirs sont teintées de douceur et on sent clairement que sa vie là-haut lui plut. Son environnement était peut-être austère mais elle y acquerra un trait de caractère que j'ai énormément apprécié et qui est la raison même de mon attachement à son personnage : son rationalisme. La faculté qu'elle a à ne pas se laisser berner par ses sentiments et sa passion. Là où elle pourrait agir sans se préoccuper des éventuelles conséquences, là où elle pourrait laisser sa fougue et son audace prendre le dessus, elle garde son sang-froid pour analyser la situation et prendre la meilleure décision. Elle a un côté stoïque qui m'a beaucoup plu.
Le personnage de Edward Rochester est ambivalent. D'un côté, il a des traits de caractère, des défauts qui ne donnent pas envie au lecteur de l'aimer ; de l'autre côté, il a ce petit « quelque chose » qui fait qu'on n'arrive pas à lui résister bien longtemps et qu'on finit toujours et inévitablement par l'apprécier. C'est un personnage étrange et bizarre, arrogant et fier, sûr de lui et un peu sauvage. Il n'est pas beau et en a parfaitement conscience mais n'en est absolument pas affecté. Ses divagations lorsqu'il parle sont déconcertantes et difficiles à suivre, mais elles font finalement partie du charme du personnage. C'est comme si pendant quelques instants, son entourage n'existe plus pendant que lui se remémore des périodes passées douloureuses que nous, lecteur comme Jane, ne sommes pas en mesure de saisir et de comprendre.
Il a cette aura, ce charisme qui font qu'on est attiré par sa personnalité et par sa personne. C'est un homme blessé et hanté par sa culpabilité qui se perd dans ses souffrances à voix haute. A travers les yeux de Jane, on apprend à aimer cet homme, à l'apprivoiser et à l'apprécier. On aime la flamme qui brille dans ses yeux lorsque la jeune fille est près de lui, on aime son côté excentrique et extravagant, sa chaleur animale. On frissonne devant sa douleur et l'impression qu'il a de perdre la tête. Il a la sensation de devenir totalement impuissance face à ses sentiments et au sort que lui réserve la vie, il en perd le contrôle sans que cela soit à son avantage.
Gravitent autour de ces deux personnages principaux une foule de personnages plus ou moins secondaires, dont certains sont plus importants (notamment St-John Rivers, personnage phare du dernier tiers du roman) que d'autres (Mrs Fairfax, Miss Temple, Mrs Reed, etc.). Il est difficile de n'en mentionner qu'un petit nombre alors que beaucoup d'entre eux apportent quelque chose à l'histoire même si leur apparition est rapide et donc leur personnalité n'est que très peu développée. Une grande partie de ces personnages finit néanmoins par marquer le lecteur, qui continue de se souvenir d'eux bien après leur disparition de l'histoire. Le personnage d'Helen Burns est probablement celui qui rayonne le plus dans tout le roman. Il est empli de grâce et d'une force intellectuelle tellement plaisante à suivre.
St-John Rivers, quand à lui, semble au premier abord l'exact opposé de Jane et de Rochester. Stoïque et glacial, irascible et volontaire, aussi beau qu'une statue grecque, il est impossible de savoir ce qu'il pense mais rien n'échappe à ses yeux scrutateurs. Pourtant, il est lui aussi un être empli de fougue et de passion. Ses émotions sont simplement tournées vers l'accomplissement de sa destinée. Il est ambitieux et sait exactement ce qu'il veut. La vie à la compagne n'est pas faite pour lui, il faut qu'il bouge, qu'il partage son savoir et ses croyances aux gens du monde. Encore une fois, au travers des yeux de Jane, on finit par trouver un certain charme au personnage du pasteur Rivers. On aime l'affection qu'il a et l'attention porte à ses soeurs (toutes deux bienveillantes et harmonieuses), on apprécie son caractère et sa relation avec Jane.
En conclusion, Jane Eyre est un roman exceptionnel. On suit avec enthousiasme et excitation le récit de la jeune fille. L'écriture de Charlotte Brontë est absolument magnifique, elle a un côté délicat et simple, on se laisse porter par ses descriptions des lieux et son observation des personnages et de leur caractère. Jamais l'histoire ne s'essouffle, on se plonge avec délice sans vouloir en ressortir dans l'univers et dans l'ambiance caractéristique de Thornfield, du pensionnat de Lowood ou tout simplement l'atmosphère sauvage mais réconfortante des landes. On prend plaisir à suivre le point de vue de Jane, sa vision des choses et des événements, sa franchise et sa sincérité naturelle, son jugement et ses pensées. Ce roman est un petit bijou de la littérature anglaise, un merveilleux moment de lecture.
Je ne sais même pas par quoi ni où commencer tellement j'ai tout aimé dans ce roman. Que ce soit le caractère de Jane, la personnalité de Rochester, la description des paysages, l'observation et l'analyse des personnes entourant le personnage principal ou alors les-dits personnages secondaires, je me suis littéralement délectée de tous les aspects de l'histoire.
Je me suis énormément attachée au personnage de Jane Eyre au cours de ma lecture. J'ai aimé sa force de caractère, sa capacité à se raisonner lorsque la passion l'assaillit et s'empare de son cœur et son esprit, sa morale chrétienne qui l'accompagne tout au long de sa vie, sa vivacité et son audace, son courage, sa bienveillance, son intelligence. Même dans les situations les plus difficiles, elle finit par s'en sortir et par retrouver cette naïveté et joie de vivre qui la caractérisent si bien. Elle ne cherche pas son bonheur dans l'opulence et l'argent mais plutôt dans des choses simples. Sa position dans la hiérarchie sociale n'est peut-être pas élevée mais ce qu'elle recherche avant tout c'est d'être indépendante et satisfaite de sa situation. Elle est prête à endurer patiemment un travail laborieux et fastidieux, un travail qui l'ennuie mais qui lui permet de vivre et de gagner quelques sous plutôt que de dépendre entièrement de quelqu'un. C'est une personne modeste aux goûts simples, qui peut se contenter de peu et qui compensera les manques de son existence par l'imagination.
L'éducation qu'elle reçut au pensionnat de Lowood est probablement une des périodes que je préfère dans tout le roman. Ses souvenirs sont teintées de douceur et on sent clairement que sa vie là-haut lui plut. Son environnement était peut-être austère mais elle y acquerra un trait de caractère que j'ai énormément apprécié et qui est la raison même de mon attachement à son personnage : son rationalisme. La faculté qu'elle a à ne pas se laisser berner par ses sentiments et sa passion. Là où elle pourrait agir sans se préoccuper des éventuelles conséquences, là où elle pourrait laisser sa fougue et son audace prendre le dessus, elle garde son sang-froid pour analyser la situation et prendre la meilleure décision. Elle a un côté stoïque qui m'a beaucoup plu.
Le personnage de Edward Rochester est ambivalent. D'un côté, il a des traits de caractère, des défauts qui ne donnent pas envie au lecteur de l'aimer ; de l'autre côté, il a ce petit « quelque chose » qui fait qu'on n'arrive pas à lui résister bien longtemps et qu'on finit toujours et inévitablement par l'apprécier. C'est un personnage étrange et bizarre, arrogant et fier, sûr de lui et un peu sauvage. Il n'est pas beau et en a parfaitement conscience mais n'en est absolument pas affecté. Ses divagations lorsqu'il parle sont déconcertantes et difficiles à suivre, mais elles font finalement partie du charme du personnage. C'est comme si pendant quelques instants, son entourage n'existe plus pendant que lui se remémore des périodes passées douloureuses que nous, lecteur comme Jane, ne sommes pas en mesure de saisir et de comprendre.
Il a cette aura, ce charisme qui font qu'on est attiré par sa personnalité et par sa personne. C'est un homme blessé et hanté par sa culpabilité qui se perd dans ses souffrances à voix haute. A travers les yeux de Jane, on apprend à aimer cet homme, à l'apprivoiser et à l'apprécier. On aime la flamme qui brille dans ses yeux lorsque la jeune fille est près de lui, on aime son côté excentrique et extravagant, sa chaleur animale. On frissonne devant sa douleur et l'impression qu'il a de perdre la tête. Il a la sensation de devenir totalement impuissance face à ses sentiments et au sort que lui réserve la vie, il en perd le contrôle sans que cela soit à son avantage.
Gravitent autour de ces deux personnages principaux une foule de personnages plus ou moins secondaires, dont certains sont plus importants (notamment St-John Rivers, personnage phare du dernier tiers du roman) que d'autres (Mrs Fairfax, Miss Temple, Mrs Reed, etc.). Il est difficile de n'en mentionner qu'un petit nombre alors que beaucoup d'entre eux apportent quelque chose à l'histoire même si leur apparition est rapide et donc leur personnalité n'est que très peu développée. Une grande partie de ces personnages finit néanmoins par marquer le lecteur, qui continue de se souvenir d'eux bien après leur disparition de l'histoire. Le personnage d'Helen Burns est probablement celui qui rayonne le plus dans tout le roman. Il est empli de grâce et d'une force intellectuelle tellement plaisante à suivre.
St-John Rivers, quand à lui, semble au premier abord l'exact opposé de Jane et de Rochester. Stoïque et glacial, irascible et volontaire, aussi beau qu'une statue grecque, il est impossible de savoir ce qu'il pense mais rien n'échappe à ses yeux scrutateurs. Pourtant, il est lui aussi un être empli de fougue et de passion. Ses émotions sont simplement tournées vers l'accomplissement de sa destinée. Il est ambitieux et sait exactement ce qu'il veut. La vie à la compagne n'est pas faite pour lui, il faut qu'il bouge, qu'il partage son savoir et ses croyances aux gens du monde. Encore une fois, au travers des yeux de Jane, on finit par trouver un certain charme au personnage du pasteur Rivers. On aime l'affection qu'il a et l'attention porte à ses soeurs (toutes deux bienveillantes et harmonieuses), on apprécie son caractère et sa relation avec Jane.
En conclusion, Jane Eyre est un roman exceptionnel. On suit avec enthousiasme et excitation le récit de la jeune fille. L'écriture de Charlotte Brontë est absolument magnifique, elle a un côté délicat et simple, on se laisse porter par ses descriptions des lieux et son observation des personnages et de leur caractère. Jamais l'histoire ne s'essouffle, on se plonge avec délice sans vouloir en ressortir dans l'univers et dans l'ambiance caractéristique de Thornfield, du pensionnat de Lowood ou tout simplement l'atmosphère sauvage mais réconfortante des landes. On prend plaisir à suivre le point de vue de Jane, sa vision des choses et des événements, sa franchise et sa sincérité naturelle, son jugement et ses pensées. Ce roman est un petit bijou de la littérature anglaise, un merveilleux moment de lecture.
I love that Jane is not what I envision when I think of a heroine. She is quiet and plain and very awkward. She falls in love with a man who seems totally unsuitable, but I’m cheering for her all the way through the twists and turns.
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It is so difficult to rate and review this book. It took me months to go through the first 300 pages (my edition has 656 pages), as the story of Jane’s childhood is deeply bleak, depressing and full of fury. Jane loses both her parents very early, and was taken up by her uncle as a daughter. But once he dies, his wife and children mistreat Jane to any extents they can – even locking her up in a room for hours despite her screams of fear. This causes a deep trauma in Jane, who later on is sent to a charity school.
Her experiences there are not good either, the school is ill-kept, with not enough food, and strict rules. Jane is a child with a temper, she gets angry and speaks out for the injustices she sees – which causes her so much trouble. After graduating from the school, she decides to become a governess instead of a teacher. She wants more from life than becoming a teacher at her school can give her.
This is when she meets Mr. Rochester, for whom she is now working. I did not like their interaction, the way he thinks himself so superior to her and others, but takes such liberties to talk of things to Jane to see if she is “too sensitive” or so. I know their romance is famously swoon-worthy, but I didn’t quite see that. I didn’t like Mr. Rochester, really. He pretends for a really long time to be about to marry a beautiful lady, and constantly tells Jane how “plain” she is, how little she knows of the world. He also dismisses his possible-daughter, who only speaks French (so if you don’t know French, you’ll be quite lost at what she says, but hardly matters… she mostly exclaims things). He is a Byron-style hero, which irks me. Also the age difference makes me cringe.
I did get VERY enthralled by the story at its last 100 or 200 pages, when it becomes so, so intense. The romance then for me was much more beautiful and I actually cheered for them. Also Jane shows lots of backbone and I admire her for that. She was a great character to follow and I love the way she talks so clearly and beautifully and I’m glad the story is narrated by her. A 3rd person narration would hardly be this impacting.
The story has lots of symbolism, allegories and many touches of supernatural. Knowing this is mostly autobiographical, it breaks my heart that Charlotte went through so much. All in all, I actually liked the book, and gave it an extra star for its intense ending. I need to re-read it to fully enjoy it, though, so I look forward to doing that! I recommend it if you like gothic stories, and a slow burn plot.
It is so difficult to rate and review this book. It took me months to go through the first 300 pages (my edition has 656 pages), as the story of Jane’s childhood is deeply bleak, depressing and full of fury. Jane loses both her parents very early, and was taken up by her uncle as a daughter. But once he dies, his wife and children mistreat Jane to any extents they can – even locking her up in a room for hours despite her screams of fear. This causes a deep trauma in Jane, who later on is sent to a charity school.
Her experiences there are not good either, the school is ill-kept, with not enough food, and strict rules. Jane is a child with a temper, she gets angry and speaks out for the injustices she sees – which causes her so much trouble. After graduating from the school, she decides to become a governess instead of a teacher. She wants more from life than becoming a teacher at her school can give her.
This is when she meets Mr. Rochester, for whom she is now working. I did not like their interaction, the way he thinks himself so superior to her and others, but takes such liberties to talk of things to Jane to see if she is “too sensitive” or so. I know their romance is famously swoon-worthy, but I didn’t quite see that. I didn’t like Mr. Rochester, really. He pretends for a really long time to be about to marry a beautiful lady, and constantly tells Jane how “plain” she is, how little she knows of the world. He also dismisses his possible-daughter, who only speaks French (so if you don’t know French, you’ll be quite lost at what she says, but hardly matters… she mostly exclaims things). He is a Byron-style hero, which irks me. Also the age difference makes me cringe.
I did get VERY enthralled by the story at its last 100 or 200 pages, when it becomes so, so intense. The romance then for me was much more beautiful and I actually cheered for them. Also Jane shows lots of backbone and I admire her for that. She was a great character to follow and I love the way she talks so clearly and beautifully and I’m glad the story is narrated by her. A 3rd person narration would hardly be this impacting.
The story has lots of symbolism, allegories and many touches of supernatural. Knowing this is mostly autobiographical, it breaks my heart that Charlotte went through so much. All in all, I actually liked the book, and gave it an extra star for its intense ending. I need to re-read it to fully enjoy it, though, so I look forward to doing that! I recommend it if you like gothic stories, and a slow burn plot.
Jane Eyre, though not necessarily an enjoyable book, was at the least very interesting. It is written as a sort of autobiography of Jane, who is an incredibly thoughtful person, which means, in this case, only that she thinks all the time. Luckily for the readers, most of her thoughts are mostly interesting, though occasionally she decorates unimportant ideas and leaves the important ones out of the picture. I did have a hard time getting into it (I had to try a few times to make it through the first section), but once I got past the 100 page mark, I was fine.
"Jane Eyre" was somehow one of those books that, despite majoring in English and it being considered a classic, I never came across. In fact, I knew pretty much nothing about the plot, so I didn't know what to expect going in. And despite an interesting but maybe a tad slow beginning, I found myself completely wrapped up in the story, especially the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. And I tend not to like romances.
This was an interesting read. As a teenager I read this several times but what I didn't know at the time, I was reading a condensed version of the story. I also had some trepidation about re-reading the story as I have re-read some other teenage favourites and wondered why I liked them in the first place.
But this was interesting, the love story of a young governess is well known, the problems she has in finding love are involved an interesting. I really did enjoy the insight it gave me into the life of the period and the role of a governess of the time. Of course it's helped by the fact that I read a few books about the background in the last few years.
Jane does grow through the story, and develops as an interesting character through her trials and tribulations. As do several of the other characters in the story.
I enjoyed the experience of re-visiting my teenage years but with the longer and more involved story, I enjoyed reading some of the undercurrents that were excised in the earlier edition that I possibly wouldn't have really "got".
But this was interesting, the love story of a young governess is well known, the problems she has in finding love are involved an interesting. I really did enjoy the insight it gave me into the life of the period and the role of a governess of the time. Of course it's helped by the fact that I read a few books about the background in the last few years.
Jane does grow through the story, and develops as an interesting character through her trials and tribulations. As do several of the other characters in the story.
I enjoyed the experience of re-visiting my teenage years but with the longer and more involved story, I enjoyed reading some of the undercurrents that were excised in the earlier edition that I possibly wouldn't have really "got".