Review: Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte & Sherri Browning Erwin
Jane Slayre
by Charlotte Bronte & Sherri Browning Erwin
Remember back in 2009/2010 when mashups between classic novels and classic monsters was the biggest trend in publishing? Kicked off by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the genre flourished for about a year and then faded away as suddenly as it had appeared. It is now quite easy to find these books inexpensively as copies pass from personal bookshelves to library sales and used book stock. I thought I’d revisit one of these titles on a hot summer day when I just want to read something silly and fun. I think that Jane Slayre will suit quite nicely!
After being orphaned, Jane is raised by vampyre relatives. Her aunt cruelly insists that her human niece observe the same hours as the family, forcing Jane to forsake the daylight and eat nearly raw meat at mealtime. One evening, while being punished for fighting with her cousin, Jane is confronted by the ghost of her uncle, who instructs her become a slayer of monsters as her parents were before her. Sent to a boarding school where ailing students are transformed into zombies (compliant and perfect for a future in domestic service!), Jane finds a sympathetic teacher who begins her instruction in the way of slaying. Upon graduating, Jane finds a position as a governess. Upon meeting the master of the house, the brooding Mr. Rochester, Jane begins to fall in love - but she can’t shake the feeling that there’s a great secret being kept from her, something that threatens her safety and happiness…
Bronte’s original novel has plenty of supernatural overtones, with ghosts, an old house dripping atmosphere, and communication through dreams. Expanding that world into one in which vampyres, zombies, and werewolves coexist works surprisingly well. While some might find the novel a bit crowded for including all these different creatures, it makes sense to me - if you’re going to create a world in which one sort of paranormal being can exist, why not more? After all, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fought just about every sort of demon literature has seen fit to create! The twists on the original plot are fitting: the Reeds are vampyres, explaining one reason for why Jane is never embraced by them. Her boarding school specializes in creating zombies from its students. No wonder the institution treats the children so poorly - the administrator Mr. Bokorhurst wants them to die! Mr. Rochester’s secret wife, kept hidden in the attic, is eventually revealed to be a werewolf. His strange decision to hide her existence from Jane suddenly makes a little more sense than it did in the original story. The origins of each creature are distinct: vampirism seems common in Europe and in India (whether it’s a result of colonialism or common throughout Asia is never explored) while werewolves originate in the far-off tropical islands where Mrs. Rochester was raised. Zombies can only be created by a bokor/witch doctor, and are thus introduced into England only when Mr. Bokorhurst begins creating them through his “charitable” institutions. I can’t remember if this variation of zombie can spread through bites, because I can’t recall a case of anyone surviving an attack. No matter. The point is, within the context of the story all these different monsters make sense.
Jane Eyre’s character is consistent with how I remember her, but it’s been several years since I last read the novel so I may not have noticed the subtle changes. It’s a ridiculous parody of the original novel that brings many laughs while still celebrating the language and the characters that make Jane Eyre so beloved today.
3.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Jane Slayre, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
2013: Happy Fourth of July!
2012: Theater: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
2011: Fashionista Piranha will be on hiatus for a while
2010: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2009: Reading Challenge: The Newbery Medal
2008: Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Grace Fincher
by Charlotte Bronte & Sherri Browning Erwin
Remember back in 2009/2010 when mashups between classic novels and classic monsters was the biggest trend in publishing? Kicked off by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the genre flourished for about a year and then faded away as suddenly as it had appeared. It is now quite easy to find these books inexpensively as copies pass from personal bookshelves to library sales and used book stock. I thought I’d revisit one of these titles on a hot summer day when I just want to read something silly and fun. I think that Jane Slayre will suit quite nicely!
After being orphaned, Jane is raised by vampyre relatives. Her aunt cruelly insists that her human niece observe the same hours as the family, forcing Jane to forsake the daylight and eat nearly raw meat at mealtime. One evening, while being punished for fighting with her cousin, Jane is confronted by the ghost of her uncle, who instructs her become a slayer of monsters as her parents were before her. Sent to a boarding school where ailing students are transformed into zombies (compliant and perfect for a future in domestic service!), Jane finds a sympathetic teacher who begins her instruction in the way of slaying. Upon graduating, Jane finds a position as a governess. Upon meeting the master of the house, the brooding Mr. Rochester, Jane begins to fall in love - but she can’t shake the feeling that there’s a great secret being kept from her, something that threatens her safety and happiness…
Bronte’s original novel has plenty of supernatural overtones, with ghosts, an old house dripping atmosphere, and communication through dreams. Expanding that world into one in which vampyres, zombies, and werewolves coexist works surprisingly well. While some might find the novel a bit crowded for including all these different creatures, it makes sense to me - if you’re going to create a world in which one sort of paranormal being can exist, why not more? After all, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fought just about every sort of demon literature has seen fit to create! The twists on the original plot are fitting: the Reeds are vampyres, explaining one reason for why Jane is never embraced by them. Her boarding school specializes in creating zombies from its students. No wonder the institution treats the children so poorly - the administrator Mr. Bokorhurst wants them to die! Mr. Rochester’s secret wife, kept hidden in the attic, is eventually revealed to be a werewolf. His strange decision to hide her existence from Jane suddenly makes a little more sense than it did in the original story. The origins of each creature are distinct: vampirism seems common in Europe and in India (whether it’s a result of colonialism or common throughout Asia is never explored) while werewolves originate in the far-off tropical islands where Mrs. Rochester was raised. Zombies can only be created by a bokor/witch doctor, and are thus introduced into England only when Mr. Bokorhurst begins creating them through his “charitable” institutions. I can’t remember if this variation of zombie can spread through bites, because I can’t recall a case of anyone surviving an attack. No matter. The point is, within the context of the story all these different monsters make sense.
Jane Eyre’s character is consistent with how I remember her, but it’s been several years since I last read the novel so I may not have noticed the subtle changes. It’s a ridiculous parody of the original novel that brings many laughs while still celebrating the language and the characters that make Jane Eyre so beloved today.
3.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Jane Slayre, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
2013: Happy Fourth of July!
2012: Theater: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
2011: Fashionista Piranha will be on hiatus for a while
2010: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2009: Reading Challenge: The Newbery Medal
2008: Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Grace Fincher