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catherine_the_greatest 's review for:
Mr. Rochester
by Sarah Shoemaker
I hate Mr. Rochester -- as in the version from Jane Eyre. I've never understood how some readers find him charming, dreamy, whatever. He's an ass. He's a 40-year-old man who keeps his crazy wife in the attic (sure, sure, because of reasons), toys with the emotions of poor teenage Jane (not to mention Blanche Ingram), then tries to marry her without telling her that he's already married. I hate that Jane actually goes back to him. Ew.
Ms. Shoemaker's version of Rochester (Call me Edward!) starts off much more promising. His father seems to have no emotions at all -- basically ignoring little Edward and issuing missives via letter. His brother is an egotistical ass who delights in torturing Edward whenever possible. At age eight, Edward is sent off to live with an eccentric scholar who privately educates boys in a very progressive way. This is probably the best thing that ever happens to him. He has friends, who are better than his actual brother. Then, in his teens, through another letter, he is ordered into an apprenticeship with a mill owner in another town. There again, he finds some happiness, as the childless mill owner and his wife are very kind people, but there are tragedies, and his father calls for him. After some formal education, he is shipped off to Jamaica to marry Bertha Antoinette Mason, and things go downhill quickly, then his father and brother die, and he's able to return to his beloved Thornfield, but with a burden with a capital B in tow.
I really liked Book 1, all of Edward's formative years, and found myself rooting for the poor kid. Book 2, the Jamaica years, was also very interesting -- Edward finds himself betrayed over and over again. (This differs from [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647] a lot -- taking place between the end of the slave trade and the end of actual slavery in Jamaica. Also, Jonas and Richard are Bertha's blood relatives.) Even the beginning of Book 3, when Edward first brings Bertha back to Thornfield, with all the adjustments it takes to get her set up, brought new material.
After Jane enters the story, things got a little less interesting. There were a few new additions ( that helped, but at that point Ms. Shoemaker was stuck with Bronte's original Rochester, and, as they say, "You can't polish a turd."
Excellent novel with lots of historical material that I really enjoyed. I just still don't like Rochester.
Ms. Shoemaker's version of Rochester (Call me Edward!) starts off much more promising. His father seems to have no emotions at all -- basically ignoring little Edward and issuing missives via letter. His brother is an egotistical ass who delights in torturing Edward whenever possible. At age eight, Edward is sent off to live with an eccentric scholar who privately educates boys in a very progressive way. This is probably the best thing that ever happens to him. He has friends, who are better than his actual brother. Then, in his teens, through another letter, he is ordered into an apprenticeship with a mill owner in another town. There again, he finds some happiness, as the childless mill owner and his wife are very kind people, but there are tragedies, and his father calls for him. After some formal education, he is shipped off to Jamaica to marry Bertha Antoinette Mason, and things go downhill quickly, then his father and brother die, and he's able to return to his beloved Thornfield, but with a burden with a capital B in tow.
I really liked Book 1, all of Edward's formative years, and found myself rooting for the poor kid. Book 2, the Jamaica years, was also very interesting -- Edward finds himself betrayed over and over again. (This differs from [b:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780|Wide Sargasso Sea|Jean Rhys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453021061s/25622780.jpg|142647] a lot -- taking place between the end of the slave trade and the end of actual slavery in Jamaica. Also, Jonas and Richard are Bertha's blood relatives.) Even the beginning of Book 3, when Edward first brings Bertha back to Thornfield, with all the adjustments it takes to get her set up, brought new material.
After Jane enters the story, things got a little less interesting. There were a few new additions (
Spoiler
Bertha's secret baby!Excellent novel with lots of historical material that I really enjoyed. I just still don't like Rochester.