"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." — Madeleine L'Engle

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Published: 1847
Pages: 408
Rating: 5/5
Summary: Part love story, part mystery, part Gothic novel, Jane Eyre is also an exploration of an independent woman's struggle to escape the repressive forces of Victorian society. Jane's life seems to be a search for happiness and acceptance and she narrates her story in such a suspenseful and enigmatic manner that the reader is eager to learn more about her.
Jane is a plain, simple girl, with little to offer her benefactress or the society around her. She is defiant and stubborn with strong moral values that give her strength to overcome the oppression she often suffers. When she becomes the governess for a young French girl, Jane has no idea what lurks in the depths of the isolated Thornfield mansion: joy, laughter, hope, love, fear, secrets, attempted murder...

Review: This was the second time that I read it and I loved it as much as the first time or even more!

Jane starts her story when she is small and in the care of an aunt who doesn't like her or want her to be in her house. She is treated bad and desires to leave her horrible short life to a better life. She is sent to a school where she is treated as bad but soon things turn better. During this time she is given an education that eventually lands her a job where her life drastically changes from the calm and neutral that it is to a life with more things than she could imagine.

I love how Jane seems to belong on a more modern time when women are treated more equally than her time. She keeps to her beliefs and honestly doesn't care what the people of higher status in society will care. Despite the women of her time are not given the education that we now have, she took advantage of the education that she was given and made it the most out of it. Jane might be a very big reason why I love this book so much, how brave and strong she is even though I think at times she might have taken better choices.

And what about Mr. Rochester? He was different from what I read most of the time but I loved him as much. For one, he was double the age of Jane (which I admit creeps me out a bit) and he makes some very stupid choices. This time around I knew what was happening but that didn't stop me from wanting him to make some different choices. I think that what happened to him at the end was something else that made me love him. He didn't end up being perfect but I could tell that this was the way it had to be.

I loved talking to my classmates about it and listening to what they thought was going to happen. During class discussions I wanted to say things but I knew that I shouldn't ruin a great story to the rest of them. Most of the time I dread having to read books that are required for school but this was an exception. Definitely a book that I think even those who dislike classics would enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your review about your thoughts on the book. Jane Eyre is one of favourite classics and probably the only classic that I have read twice. :) I love the movie version too - the one starring Anna Paquin as young Jane.

    Hmm, I don't really know why I like the story. Probably because of Jane and her independence.

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  2. i really want to read this! it's been on my shelf for so long! thanks for the great review!!

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