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A review by thebookphile
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
4.0
Jane Steele is an homage to Jane Eyre (not a retelling-- despite what the official summary will tell you), an original story with a few broad plot parallels to Jane Eyre. The aforementioned novel actually exists within the world of Jane Steele, and our protagonists comments on the similarities between their stories.
I was also under a somewhat false impression - my own fault I think - that Jane Steele was a serial killer Jane Eyre, what with the description like "leaving a trail of corpses of her tormentors"-- instead Jane Steele is more of vigilante who doesn't mind getting her hands bloody. She kills mostly out of self-defense or to defend those who she loves from abuse. At first I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't end up being a heartless sociopath (I mean come on, what a fascinating concept), but in the end, I liked the story for what it was instead.
Jane Steele is a story of redemption. Jane herself is a fantastic character, who undergoes lots of growth as the story progresses. Her path starts off in a very dark place, abused by her extended family after her mother dies, and then she faces even more abuse at the boarding school. But at the school, Jane also finds people she cares about, and I think that's what helps her escape darkness entirely, but her past enables her to do whatever it takes - including murder- to protect those she loves. Jane's arc of redemption begins early, but it doesn't really start until she becomes entirely surrounded by people she cares about-- and who care about her. It was very touching to see Jane realize that she may not be as awful and condemned as she had thought.
The plot itself is meandering, we follow Jane to many places, her childhood home, her school, the criminal London, and then a rich man's house. Faye’s description of the various settings are rather vivid and it’s not hard to picture yourself, traveling along side of. This is a story of a survival, growth, redemption, mystery, and even romance.
I liked most of the supporting characters, but the main focus is always on Jane. I'm not entirely sure I liked the romance, but then I again, I rarely do.
Overall, I really liked the novel, it didn't turn out to be what I thought it would be, but it turned out to be great for what it was.
1st edition: Hardcover, 432 pages
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Publishing House: G.P. Putnam's Sons
I was also under a somewhat false impression - my own fault I think - that Jane Steele was a serial killer Jane Eyre, what with the description like "leaving a trail of corpses of her tormentors"-- instead Jane Steele is more of vigilante who doesn't mind getting her hands bloody. She kills mostly out of self-defense or to defend those who she loves from abuse. At first I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't end up being a heartless sociopath (I mean come on, what a fascinating concept), but in the end, I liked the story for what it was instead.
Jane Steele is a story of redemption. Jane herself is a fantastic character, who undergoes lots of growth as the story progresses. Her path starts off in a very dark place, abused by her extended family after her mother dies, and then she faces even more abuse at the boarding school. But at the school, Jane also finds people she cares about, and I think that's what helps her escape darkness entirely, but her past enables her to do whatever it takes - including murder- to protect those she loves. Jane's arc of redemption begins early, but it doesn't really start until she becomes entirely surrounded by people she cares about-- and who care about her. It was very touching to see Jane realize that she may not be as awful and condemned as she had thought.
The plot itself is meandering, we follow Jane to many places, her childhood home, her school, the criminal London, and then a rich man's house. Faye’s description of the various settings are rather vivid and it’s not hard to picture yourself, traveling along side of. This is a story of a survival, growth, redemption, mystery, and even romance.
I liked most of the supporting characters, but the main focus is always on Jane. I'm not entirely sure I liked the romance, but then I again, I rarely do.
Overall, I really liked the novel, it didn't turn out to be what I thought it would be, but it turned out to be great for what it was.
1st edition: Hardcover, 432 pages
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Publishing House: G.P. Putnam's Sons