"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
I absolutely LOVED this book! Wow, where do I even begin? I guess I will take you on through a time warp to when I turned 12 years old. My dad took me to the book store and bought me my first copy of Jane Eyre. I remember him telling me that this was a very important novel, and that I would most likely love it because it was about a very strong-willed girl, just like me of course! Unfortunately, I have tried to read the book every year since then and had never been able to get into it. Around page 40 or so, I had given up. Every year I got a few pages farther, but I just couldn't imagine myself in the world that Charlotte Brontë occupied. Also, since my vision is not the greatest, I did myself a favor and purchased a new and larger print edition with a cool cover. I don't know about you, but sometimes fun covers do wonders for me with my imagination. Since I am obsessed with all things Michael Fassbender, I did watch the new movie and was determined to FINALLY read the book that has eluded me for many years. This was my first dip into the gothic, romantic, puritan realm, so I really didn't know what to expect on some levels. As I mentioned before, the book is a bit hard to read since it has many allusions to other works of literature, which I know about now and did not at age 12. Once I crossed that bridge (and finally met Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester!) it was somewhat smooth sailing all the way. So let's begin the review of the Victorian masterpiece, shall we?
First of all, why did I love this book? Jane Eyre! She is probably one of my favorite characters I have ever read about. Jane is an orphan and lives with her Aunt in Gateshead with her cousins. Unfortunately, she is not loved, and she lives a hard life for the first ten years. Jane is very plain, sickly looking, and meek. You really get a sense that this character does not get by with her looks or charm. She is very sharp-tongued and opinionated, which were not good traits for Victorian women back then. She is then enrolled into Lowood school under a harsh taskmaster and is ostracized from the beginning because of her bad reputation. Of course, Jane encounters many heartaches along the way like a loss of a dear friend and living in squalor, but eventually she becomes a well-educated woman and becomes a governess for hire for a wealthy family.
Now this is where the book picks up, and boy, does it pick up! Jane moves to Thornfield Hall to teach young Adele, the ward of Mr. Rochester. At first, I didn't know what to think of Mr. Rochester since he is 20 years older than Jane, not attractive, and very brusque and forceful. Then like a moth to a flame, Jane's sharp wit and tongue and Mr. Rochester's arrogance and charm melt together to form a truly gothic romance. Seriously, I was salivating by the bits with reading this book. Eventually, Mr. Rochester falls in love with Jane, but other matters come up, (which I will not reveal the suspenseful surprise for anyone wanting to read the book) and all hell breaks loose. She has to face many struggles including basic survival until she finds true love and peace.
It is no shock that I am a bit of a feminist and enjoy feminist literature and books. Jane Eyre is definitely a pre-feminist text, and now I understand why my father bought it for me so many years ago. She believes that a man should love her and value her equally and will do anything to prove this point. She would even leave a man against her heart's judgement just to make it known. Also, she is incredibly independent even though she is a person of low means. The best quote in the entire book has to be, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." Honestly, could you write those words in Victorian England? I could easily write an essay on the feminism of Jane Eyre and the brilliance behind her character, but I will leave it for the Literature classes.
Mr. Rochester is a very complex character as well. All female readers have to choose between Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff (which I plan to read about next!) and Mr. Knightley to find the most desirable and romantic man of these novels. Mr. Rochester is truly one-of-a-kind because he knows how to express his love for Jane, but he has a very hard situation to overcome. Out of all the popular male leads, I've gotta go with Mr. Rochester. (Sorry, Mr. Knightley. He used to be #1 on the list).
To all my feminist sisters out there, do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be happily surprised! Also, if you are a fan of real romance, complicated characters, and more, then you too should read this book. I didn't want to put it down!
Jen's Rating: *****