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junethebookworm 's review for:
Mr. Rochester
by Sarah Shoemaker
Well, Mr. Rochester is no Jane Eyre. But then again, Mr. Rochester is no Jane Eyre.
The author certainly had a challenging task in front of her with this one: Jane Eyre being, of course, among the most beloved novels of all time. It is one of my all-time favorites, and I've read it enough times to know it very, very well, as I'm sure will be the case for most readers of Mr. Rochester. Each of those readers is likely bringing their own interpretation of this character with them when they sit down with this book, and that can be a recipe for disappointment if the story you are presented with doesn't match your own take on the character.
For me personally, this version of Rochester is a little too nice, a little less complicated and problematic than Bronte's presentation. The young Rochester's tale largely parallels Jane -- a lonely (if not loveless) upbringing away from family, largely buffeted about by larger forces. I would have liked to have seen more passion and agency from the character; even when Jane was powerless to exact any real control over her larger situation, she was always fiery, defiant, and independent. Mr. Rochester, by contrast, kind of comes off here as a bit of a sad sack -- yes, he's trying to be a dutiful son and believes (to his doom) that his father has his best interests at heart, but I would have liked to have seen more of Jane's spirit in him. After all, they are supposed to be very alike in many ways.
Parts of this telling of Rochester's side of the story come off as very apologist in a way that isn't entirely convincing for me. "I had to put on a disguise and try to trick her because she never talks about how she feels!" and other poor excuses abound. I was reminded at points of the Big Bad Wolf's narration in the children's book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs: logic-bending attempts to explain why his behavior was actually totally okay! It's all just a big misunderstanding! (I'm thinking, for example, of the addition of a character who doesn't appear in Jane Eyre and the reasons for his inclusion, among other things.)
Overall, while I enjoyed this take on the character, I think I would've preferred a more nuanced examination of a very complicated (and indeed, problematic) leading man. I think a lot of Rochester's darkness is glossed over here; the fact is, much of his behavior in Jane Eyre is downright bizarre and fundamentally Not Cool, Dude. I would've loved more acknowledgment of that.
I do recommend this book for any fans of Jane Eyre, and I do think that the author does a good job here, even if this Rochester isn't quite my Rochester. There's a good chance this Rochester will not match up with your own personal interpretation, either, but it will get you thinking again about Bronte's wonderful story, and how those characters continue to fascinate and resonate with us even now.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
The author certainly had a challenging task in front of her with this one: Jane Eyre being, of course, among the most beloved novels of all time. It is one of my all-time favorites, and I've read it enough times to know it very, very well, as I'm sure will be the case for most readers of Mr. Rochester. Each of those readers is likely bringing their own interpretation of this character with them when they sit down with this book, and that can be a recipe for disappointment if the story you are presented with doesn't match your own take on the character.
For me personally, this version of Rochester is a little too nice, a little less complicated and problematic than Bronte's presentation. The young Rochester's tale largely parallels Jane -- a lonely (if not loveless) upbringing away from family, largely buffeted about by larger forces. I would have liked to have seen more passion and agency from the character; even when Jane was powerless to exact any real control over her larger situation, she was always fiery, defiant, and independent. Mr. Rochester, by contrast, kind of comes off here as a bit of a sad sack -- yes, he's trying to be a dutiful son and believes (to his doom) that his father has his best interests at heart, but I would have liked to have seen more of Jane's spirit in him. After all, they are supposed to be very alike in many ways.
Parts of this telling of Rochester's side of the story come off as very apologist in a way that isn't entirely convincing for me. "I had to put on a disguise and try to trick her because she never talks about how she feels!" and other poor excuses abound. I was reminded at points of the Big Bad Wolf's narration in the children's book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs: logic-bending attempts to explain why his behavior was actually totally okay! It's all just a big misunderstanding! (I'm thinking, for example, of the addition of a character who doesn't appear in Jane Eyre and the reasons for his inclusion, among other things.)
Overall, while I enjoyed this take on the character, I think I would've preferred a more nuanced examination of a very complicated (and indeed, problematic) leading man. I think a lot of Rochester's darkness is glossed over here; the fact is, much of his behavior in Jane Eyre is downright bizarre and fundamentally Not Cool, Dude. I would've loved more acknowledgment of that.
I do recommend this book for any fans of Jane Eyre, and I do think that the author does a good job here, even if this Rochester isn't quite my Rochester. There's a good chance this Rochester will not match up with your own personal interpretation, either, but it will get you thinking again about Bronte's wonderful story, and how those characters continue to fascinate and resonate with us even now.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.