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I won't lie, I struggled with this one but, then again, a novel of almost 500 pages written in the 1800's isn't supposed to be a piece of cake.
It took me a while to get into the story and understand where it was headed at. The first third of the book is rather slow, and the bits in French didn't help me out, although it surely wasn't all that important for the plot.
Nevertheless this was a novel I enjoyed, and Jane a girl I found myself cheering for and admiring quite often.
It took me a while to get into the story and understand where it was headed at. The first third of the book is rather slow, and the bits in French didn't help me out, although it surely wasn't all that important for the plot.
Nevertheless this was a novel I enjoyed, and Jane a girl I found myself cheering for and admiring quite often.
Re-read 22/6/18 as part of the Bronte book club
Re-read 17/7/16 in honour of Charlotte Brontes' 200th anniversary.
I'm struck by how this novel changes for me as I grow older and go through different things.
Re-read 17/7/16 in honour of Charlotte Brontes' 200th anniversary.
I'm struck by how this novel changes for me as I grow older and go through different things.
I thought I'd end up hating this, but what can I say, those two silly lovebirds completely won me over...*sniff*
JANE EYRE was one of the first assigned books that I couldn’t put down. And I think it may have been the ONLY book I read and enjoyed in college. It has been almost 20 years and I still remember the euphoria of staying up into the wee hours reading and reading. So I jumped at the chance to revisit this old favorite during CLASSICS RETOLD.
Jane is completely relatable. Not only is she smart, funny and articulate, she is strong and impertinent in the face of all the crazy at Gateshead. OMG! And they have the nerve to cast her off…the only family she has left. Good riddance. Jane is quite a trooper actually finding a home within the Boarding School she was sent to. For me, I would have choked on its rigid religious, anti-female agenda. It is a wonder that she comes out so adjusted and not self-loathing and broken.
Rochester just delights me. Very Rhett Butler. He recognizes his own black marks, but knows it is his money that buys him a pass. He doesn’t expect to really find love, but when he does he is ALL IN. The tension and mutual amusement was so much fun to reread. Those sweet and innocent moments still translate to a level of intimacy today.
It is the ultimate heart-breaker. Kleenex worthy weeping. At times, I wasn’t sure who I was more mad at…Jane or the antiquated propriety. Jane is a better woman than I. I don’t know if I have that kind of strength. The strength to further break her already wounded heart. And John!! I want to punch his religious practicality in the face. To make her think she is only made to be a help-mate and not get to enjoy the passion of real love. JANE EYRE is definitely an emotional roller-coaster that holds up.
To know real LOVE and accept nothing less…Jane Eyre.
Jane is completely relatable. Not only is she smart, funny and articulate, she is strong and impertinent in the face of all the crazy at Gateshead. OMG! And they have the nerve to cast her off…the only family she has left. Good riddance. Jane is quite a trooper actually finding a home within the Boarding School she was sent to. For me, I would have choked on its rigid religious, anti-female agenda. It is a wonder that she comes out so adjusted and not self-loathing and broken.
Rochester just delights me. Very Rhett Butler. He recognizes his own black marks, but knows it is his money that buys him a pass. He doesn’t expect to really find love, but when he does he is ALL IN. The tension and mutual amusement was so much fun to reread. Those sweet and innocent moments still translate to a level of intimacy today.
It is the ultimate heart-breaker. Kleenex worthy weeping. At times, I wasn’t sure who I was more mad at…Jane or the antiquated propriety. Jane is a better woman than I. I don’t know if I have that kind of strength. The strength to further break her already wounded heart. And John!! I want to punch his religious practicality in the face. To make her think she is only made to be a help-mate and not get to enjoy the passion of real love. JANE EYRE is definitely an emotional roller-coaster that holds up.
To know real LOVE and accept nothing less…Jane Eyre.
Final birdwatch: “‘Oh, you are indeed there, my skylark! Come to me. You are not gone: not vanished? I heard one of your kind an hour ago, singing high over the wood: but its song had no music for me, any more than the rising sun had rays.’” Jane does not contradict him.
The recording was kind of spotty at times but overall, pretty good. I will say I forgot how dang long the St. John stuff is, and how much I hate him. I read this for the first time almost a decade ago now (!!!) and basically came away with: why does she marry that jacka**, who cares, it's sexist. Now, on my second full reading, I have a much bigger appreciation of how great Jane is, how empowering the text is, and also, proportionally, a much deeper hatred of Rochester after having seen how men actually work in the real world. Also, he has so many good lines in this book and his observations of her are so sharp it makes me hate him all the more. Another interesting note was of course her attention towards women vs. men; her descriptions and love of women reads completely lesbian to me, and i'm not being revisionist here; I know Helen Burns gets brough up a lot in these discussions but Jane's love for Diana Rivers? Hello? Anyway, like 70-75% enjoyable. St. John isn't worse than Rochester but he's bad in a different and infinitely more boring way. Reader, I hate him.
The recording was kind of spotty at times but overall, pretty good. I will say I forgot how dang long the St. John stuff is, and how much I hate him. I read this for the first time almost a decade ago now (!!!) and basically came away with: why does she marry that jacka**, who cares, it's sexist. Now, on my second full reading, I have a much bigger appreciation of how great Jane is, how empowering the text is, and also, proportionally, a much deeper hatred of Rochester after having seen how men actually work in the real world. Also, he has so many good lines in this book and his observations of her are so sharp it makes me hate him all the more. Another interesting note was of course her attention towards women vs. men; her descriptions and love of women reads completely lesbian to me, and i'm not being revisionist here; I know Helen Burns gets brough up a lot in these discussions but Jane's love for Diana Rivers? Hello? Anyway, like 70-75% enjoyable. St. John isn't worse than Rochester but he's bad in a different and infinitely more boring way. Reader, I hate him.
Can't really give it a rating, because the audiobook was a shortened version and I didn't really pay attention a lot of the time.
Review later because im not in the mood to describe how AWESOME it was
I couldn't believe how readable and relatable this book was. Also all the tie-ins to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, or rather Rebecca's tie-ins to Jane Eyre, were really interesting. I read Rebecca first, several years ago, so I didn't realize that book was almost in some ways a retelling of this one.