Jane Eyre

I love, love, love this classic. Charlotte is, by far, my favorite Bronte sister!

!!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A book that I loved, an absolute must read, and now a favorite of mine. It's a book that will live on my shelves forever and I would re-read in the future. I would pick up anything else by this author without question. This book is now one of my all-time favorites,

I don't know why I waited so long to read this classic!

The story of Jane's life was beautifully told. From her childhood to her time shared with Mr. Rochester.

I couldn't put it down! I always had to know what happened next.

Now I know why this is considered a timeless classic.

I alternated between reading on kindle and audiobook. I had access to more than one audiobook with my Audible membership and I couldn't get the right kindle book edition that would sync with the audiobook narrator I preferred. I preferred the narration by Thandie Newton. But the narration by Susan Ericksen was not bad. I just preferred the more animated voices from Thandie Newton. I do wish Amazon/Audible would make their system work better. I can always find the match if I go from Kindle to Audiobook, but going from Audiobook to kindle is more difficult, especially for old books where there are so many kindle editions.

I did not expect the ending. I really thought it was going to end with a moralized Christian ending. I was glad that it didn't.

I also was amused that there was a line by a man who was trying to convince Jane that God had told him that she was going to be his wife and that was what God had ordained.

I went back and reread the chapter in Karen Swallow Prior's book about great literature Booked on Jane Eyre after I was done. Prior has an introductory essay on Jane Eyre in her series of classics that I want to pick up at some point.

I do need to keep reading old books.

I must say, I read Wuthering Heights before I read Jane Eyre and I absolutely hated it; then I watched a terrible screen adaptation of Jane Eyre that made me wonder how anyone in the world could possibly ever like this story (after seeing a different adaptation and reading the book, I can now conclude that that particular adaptation was just especially poorly done). For these reasons, Jane Eyre actually sat on my shelf for quite a while before I finally gave in and read it. It is my mother-in-law's favorite classic, so I figured it must at least have some redeeming qualities and I eventually acquiesced and began reading it. Having now finished it, I can say that I am glad I did, and that I actually thoroughly enjoyed it! I will likely even read it again at some point - what a happy surprise - and am already thinking about which Bronte book I should try next.

Charlotte's writing is so beautifully descriptive and engaging and her world-building so engrossing that you can picture every element of the story so vividly. Her characters come alive on the page. I found myself thinking the first few chapters about Jane's childhood reminded me of the first few chapters of Dickens' David Copperfield. I couldn't help but like Jane, just as I couldn't help but like David. Rochester has his issues, of course, but is also a well written, well developed, complex character and the story itself is a good one. I would definitely recommend it for someone who wants to get lost in a good book for a while!

There are a couple of words / ideas that have not “aged well” present in the book, and there is a significant age difference between the male and female leads that might be disturbing for some. Trigger warnings would include narcissism and spiritual abuse.

Jane Eyre is a study on what it meant to be a woman in the Victorian Era, therefore, its message could be cloudy for the modern reader. Jane takes us through the tale of an orphan who tries to find her place in life. Many point out that the book is not “feminist enough” and, I agree. Brontë could have given Jane an opportunity to grow and flourish as a woman, but sadly, she did not.

Reading Jane Eyre was a good experience, the language used was very concise and clear, however, some parts of the book tend to just drag on and on.

Overall, a very good read.

It's fine. I don't hate it.

The ending is terrible.

A theme that transcends time. Loved it. A couple more suited for one another, I have never read.

Todo mal, fatal. Por qué ha sido una lectura conjunta y por eso he aguantado... Pero es que he llegado a un punto que no aguantaba ya tanto racismo, clasismo, machismo... Es que no... No.

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

A perfect quick read for when you miss Jane eyre.. which I do everyday

I read JANE EYRE mainly so I could say I read JANE EYRE. Though there were good parts and some great writing, it was an exhausting experience. It may have been because I was reading an annotated edition, which explained everything! However, that was helpful at time due to the colloquial terms and now obscure references.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and I couldn't wait to finish, just to see where she ended up. It started off rather gloomy, and pretty much stayed that way until the middle. However, considering when she was born, and when the book was written, she did all right for herself.

Beautifully written! Interesting plot. Complex characters. A part of me wishes I'd read this sooner, but I also feel that I read it at the right time. I found Jane very relatable and I really like that Jane is satisfied with herself and who she is. I also have such a soft spot for Helen who seems to really help Jane mature. Although I'm not fond of the romance of this book I really enjoy the character development.

Loved Jane, hated the men. lol. But for an almost 19 year old, she was fairly strong willed and principled.

I adored this book and I'm not sure how I hadn't read it sooner. Where Wuthering Heights left me frustrated and disappointed, Jane Eyre soothed my soul. Not only was Jane a likable and oftentimes relatable character, but the romance was genuine.

I know many people fail to see the romance between Jane and Rochester, and that's their prerogative. I personally did not see any romance in Wuthering Heights despite the universal claim. But something about the rapport between Jane and Rochester reminded me of my boyfriend and myself. Two independent, stubborn people who respect each other enough to enjoy a conversational back-and-forth. They share little inside joke insults but share a tenderness for each other that is rare for them.

Something about this book exudes womanhood, and I loved it.

29 minutes before finishing the book:

>> Been reading “Jane Eyre” (yes, the classic) and am horrified by the character of St. John Rivers. (Please don't condemn me for my choice of literature. I love reading and it pains me that people would assume I'm in the wrong for the literary choices I sometimes make.)

On first thoughts I gave this book a 3/5 but I've revised it to a 4/5 - Mr Rochester is a mostly unappealing romantic lead with his age gap and his clinginess (especially in comparison to Jane Austen's Mr Darcy), but it's kind of amazing that Charlotte Brontë wrote something like this as a woman in the 19th century.

I am surprised by the feminism in this story. I was expecting a gentle, submissive Victorian flower and get an independent, intelligent woman that wouldn't have difficulties living in today's world. I also like Charlotte's writing. Easy read.added 2.9.2020I just read [b:The Scarlet Letter 12296 The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404810944l/12296.SY75.jpg 4925227] and found that too to be feminist. I went to see the reception of these two books, and read this: “In 1848, Elizabeth Rigby, reviewing Jane Eyre in The Quarterly Review, found it “pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition,” declaring: “We do not hesitate to say that the tone of mind and thought which has overthrown authority and violated every code human and divine abroad, and fostered Chartism and rebellion at home, is the same which has also written Jane Eyre.” That alone would be reason enough to read this book :-D I would like to say to Elizabeth Rigby, that one should not obey authorities who are unfair, unwilling to listen, and unjust. One should rebel against such authorities, whether they are parents, employers, friends or God. And every person should support Chartism, because people are created equal and should be treated as equal, and not promoted because they happen to be rich, and hindered because they happen to be poor. Codes Jane Eyre violates need to be violated, broken and discarded, because they are bad, offensive to good sense and truly Christian heart, and destructive, created to raise sheep, slaves, and cannon fodder, degrading human value and deeply chauvinist. And it is not an “illegitimate romance”, because Jane left immediately when she found out that Edward was married, and didn't return until he was a widower.Added 3/4-23 Now I have read [b:Wide Sargasso Sea 25622780 Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453021061l/25622780.SY75.jpg 142647]. I hate him. Also, Adèle could be Rochester's daughter. He was having sex with her mother, she says he is, and he took her in. She is about 10 years old. It doesn't much matter if she was or not, she could have been. “Bertha” was locked in the attic while Rochester was having an affair with this French dancer. Just consider [b:The Yellow Wallpaper 8217236 The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1276430319l/8217236.SX50.jpg 17352354]. Wouldn't you go mad? Too bad she didn't get him.I kind of want to read a book about Adèle, where she gets even with her “dad”.

An intense story about a strong-willed girl growing up without love, struggling through other horrible conditions, and finding freedom in body, mind, and soul in a time that didn't recognize freedom for women. The theme, love is not something you must earn, plays out beautifully throughout the book. But note to first-time readers of Jane Eyre; the annotations contain spoilers. I found this annoying, despite my familiarity with the story, and left off reading them for several chapters, catching up with them later. But on the whole, I appreciated the excellent annotations as a writing structure guide. A really insightful way to read a story.

Purity Orphan passes from one abusive male to the next for an insufferable number of pages.

I just...can't. I'm sorry. Mr. Rochester was unlikable and Jane's devotion to him was something I just really cannot understand or root for. This was a quite a book to try and get through, but hey, my second “classic” of the year is done!

DNF. We just got the Bertha reveal, and there's still SEVEN HOURS of book left? I'm done.

This doesn't even have a plot - it's a stultifying series of events that occasionally runs across a brief plot, then moves on to resume a mere catalog of experiences by the protagonist, most of them ridiculously dolorous, and told in the most verbose and moralizing way possible. How did I manage to read this in junior high?

Thandie Newton does a lovely job, but cannot save this.

(For the record, I understand the important influence of this book in western literature - hence the second star. It can be revolutionary and influential without actually being, you know, good.)

Dear lord, why didn't I read this book sooner?

Clearly, one of the best reading experiences there can be is when you find a book that makes you express yourself physically while reading. And this definitively happened while I was reading Jane Eyre. Every time I felt outraged, or filled with warn feelings or completely desperate for things to work out, my body of its own volition had to let out a scream, hit my reading table or just get the goofiest smile on. Reading Jane Eyre feels like that.

What I specially like about this novel is how real it treats life. Jane Eyre is very aware of her position in the world and how it works, and never aspires to more than she thinks she deserves, or that she'll get. And everything that happens to Jane, and the rest of the characters as well, is very real as well. From the happiest moments to the most miserable times. And it's very refreshing to find that. It's a very honest book.

I also loved how, despite everything that happened, she always stayed true to her own, passionate self. I find that a very hard mission in life, and I admire her for that.

In other words, this is my new favorite book. Also, please go read it.

This is a beautifully written book about Jane Eyre. However, I didn't quite enjoy the romance. At first it was exciting, but once they confessed their love, the way they acted I just didn't like. Especially Mr. Rochester. Some people would say that this is a feminist book, but concerning the romance I don't think so. Mr. Rochester seems to try to change her physically into someone she isn't. Later, St John tries to do change her personality-wise. I liked how the story ends, however, as people change after certain events.

Also, I wished Jane expressed her opinion more than she did the few times in the novel. Yes, there were a few passages that are empowering women, but some other times she retells a some parts without any of her own thoughts and opinions to enable the reader to retrace her actions.

Jane also addresses the issue of prejudice. One topic that continues throughout the novel is the prejudice towards poor people. It starts with Jane's opinion when she was a child and under the influence of Mrs. Reed and her children. Later, she was poor hersself and meets someone with that attitude. Jane, then, explains beautifully why some people might have prejudices and why they are so difficult to get rid of.

All in all, the novel was beautiful and I enjoyed reading it. I do recommend it for people who do not mind romance.

Thank goodness this was selected for book club, since I'd never read it! I really enjoyed it, enjoyed Jane's point of view and her attitude towards independence, and OY VEY the men in this book are pieces of work, but that contributed to the entertainment. Jane's like, I do what I want! No I won't marry you while your wife is locked in the attic, Mr. Rochester! I'mma go teach underprivileged kids and try my hand at match-making! No I won't go to India with you or marry you, Mr. Rivers, because you are super demanding and kind of a lousy robot human and also you're my cousin. (Okay, the latter was less of a problem in the book.) I'm really glad to have read this, especially since the second Lady Janies book is coming out this year ([b:My Plain Jane 36301023 My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, #2) Cynthia Hand https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507936746s/36301023.jpg 51943406]), which centers on Jane Eyre's story and I'm so ready to get my paws on it.

gdi jane eyre is such a badass. she's just out there in the world, making her own choices, living her own life, super aware of her own worth. freaking Goals. all those weak ass bitches (men)? she doesn't need them. none of them deserve her and she knows it.

(let me also point out that she's clearly the happiest surrounded by smart and cool girls but that's neither here nor there)