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vyhurz's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book in about two days for a class. I'm not doing a full review.
vallehlg's review against another edition
4.0
I thought I hated Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre. Turns out, I could hate him even more in Wide Sargasso Sea.
He took away her name and I would really like to take away a lot from him. His eyeballs for example, or maybe eat his kneecaps.
He took away her name and I would really like to take away a lot from him. His eyeballs for example, or maybe eat his kneecaps.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
I have read several books over the past year that were inspired by or offered different viewpoints on other books and stories. These included "The Red Tent", "Wicked", "The Hours", and most recently "Wide Sargasso Sea." I have enjoyed reading all of them and love seeing new perspectives on classic tales. "Wide Sargasso Sea" is Jean Rhys' take on Bronte's "Jane Eyre". However, instead of focusing on Jane Eyre, Ryhs instead turns the lens onto the life of Bertha, the mad woman who is locked in the attic of Mr. Rochester's house. The story takes place in Jamaica and Dominica in the mid-1800's. It is a time of unrest between the English colonizers, the recently freed slaves, and the Creoles. Antoinette Cosway (Bertha) is the Creole daughter of former slave owners and an heiress. Rhys relays Antoinette's lonely childhood and her misfortunes with friendship and love. Antoinette's family arranges a marriage for her with a young English gentleman, Mr. Rochester. The book sheds a new, completely different light on the character of Mr. Rochester than what we saw in "Jane Eyre".
"Wide Sargasso Sea" is narrated in several different voices including Antoinette and Mr. Rochester. These voices switch throughout the novel with little warning. Some may find this hard to follow. The novel also creates a great sense of place. Rhys does an excellent job of evoking the hot, humid atmosphere of the Caribbean.
"Wide Sargasso Sea" was a recent selection in my book group. We enjoyed discussing it while dining on Caribbean fare. The discussion focused on topics such as colonialism, rich vs. poor, slavery, love, and of course madness. This was a good book for a discussion group since there were many themes to cover and also since it was inspired by "Jane Eyre", the group could also compare both books. I read the Norton Critical Edition of "Wide Sargasso Sea" which contained footnotes and an Appendix of essays and articles written about the book. The footnotes helped to deepen my understanding of the book since there were many references (literary and otherwise) that I may've missed.
"Wide Sargasso Sea" is narrated in several different voices including Antoinette and Mr. Rochester. These voices switch throughout the novel with little warning. Some may find this hard to follow. The novel also creates a great sense of place. Rhys does an excellent job of evoking the hot, humid atmosphere of the Caribbean.
"Wide Sargasso Sea" was a recent selection in my book group. We enjoyed discussing it while dining on Caribbean fare. The discussion focused on topics such as colonialism, rich vs. poor, slavery, love, and of course madness. This was a good book for a discussion group since there were many themes to cover and also since it was inspired by "Jane Eyre", the group could also compare both books. I read the Norton Critical Edition of "Wide Sargasso Sea" which contained footnotes and an Appendix of essays and articles written about the book. The footnotes helped to deepen my understanding of the book since there were many references (literary and otherwise) that I may've missed.
mw27's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
cvs18's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yushirou's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
laval's review against another edition
3.5
the og fan fiction ‼️
i got complicated feelings on this one. i am feeling a good 7/10. insanely important concepts covered here. i love the idea that bertha is a genuine character and not just an inconvenience to jane and rochester. do i wish some things were different about this book. honestly yeah, but do i think that those nitpicks need to be voiced and overshadow the important messages that are given a voice here. no. everyone should read this especially after jane eyre. we need to remember that these romanticized times were built on slavery, corruption, and exploitation.
i would recommend this book to taylor swift to remind her that she would not like the 1830s very much 🥰
i got complicated feelings on this one. i am feeling a good 7/10. insanely important concepts covered here. i love the idea that bertha is a genuine character and not just an inconvenience to jane and rochester. do i wish some things were different about this book. honestly yeah, but do i think that those nitpicks need to be voiced and overshadow the important messages that are given a voice here. no. everyone should read this especially after jane eyre. we need to remember that these romanticized times were built on slavery, corruption, and exploitation.
i would recommend this book to taylor swift to remind her that she would not like the 1830s very much 🥰