I have a confession to make.
I have my Bachelor of Arts degree in English...and until now, at age 27, I had never read Jane Eyre.
I know, I know! I should have my B.A. confiscated! In any case, when I finished Churchill and was hankering for some good fiction, I went to Goodreads and saw that they were doing a Jane Eyre Challenge, since the new film with Mia Wasinowski (of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland fame) playing Jane, I decided what the hell, I'd give it a shot.
From Goodreads: Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester. The loneliness and cruelty of Jane’s childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect.
Having never read the book before, but knowing the storyline from seeing the 1970 film version with George C. Scott and Susannah York, I began reading this book with very little expectation. Before two days were out, I was halfway done with it. I heard from several of my friends that Jane Eyre was boring, dull, antiquated, etc. But it's apparently a matter of taste, because I definitely enjoyed this book, as much as I enjoyed Jane Austen's Mansfield Park at the end of 2010. Jane can be a difficult character to relate to, at times -- she is stoic and strong and self-deprecating, and thinks very little of herself as a rule. Yet her desire to love, and more importantly, to be loved in return for all of herself, is an emotion that even the most hardhearted of readers can relate to.
Rating: ****
I have my Bachelor of Arts degree in English...and until now, at age 27, I had never read Jane Eyre.
I know, I know! I should have my B.A. confiscated! In any case, when I finished Churchill and was hankering for some good fiction, I went to Goodreads and saw that they were doing a Jane Eyre Challenge, since the new film with Mia Wasinowski (of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland fame) playing Jane, I decided what the hell, I'd give it a shot.
Having never read the book before, but knowing the storyline from seeing the 1970 film version with George C. Scott and Susannah York, I began reading this book with very little expectation. Before two days were out, I was halfway done with it. I heard from several of my friends that Jane Eyre was boring, dull, antiquated, etc. But it's apparently a matter of taste, because I definitely enjoyed this book, as much as I enjoyed Jane Austen's Mansfield Park at the end of 2010. Jane can be a difficult character to relate to, at times -- she is stoic and strong and self-deprecating, and thinks very little of herself as a rule. Yet her desire to love, and more importantly, to be loved in return for all of herself, is an emotion that even the most hardhearted of readers can relate to.
Rating: ****
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