Author: Charlotte Bronte
Orginal Publication Date: 1847
Publisher: Pocket
Page Count: 545 pages
Genre: Classic Fiction
From Goodreads.com:
Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, and her arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847, under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine one whose virtuous integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. Hailed by William Makepeace Thackeray as "the masterwork of great genius," Jane Eyre is still regarded, over a century later, as one of the finest novels in English literature.
My Review:
I have read this book before, and remember enjoying it. However, when I picked it up to read it this time, I was struck by a different story than I remembered. I enjoyed it as much as I remember enjoying it, but it is funny that the story seemed so different to me. (I may have read it in high school, and was just reading it to get by and not reading it fully for content, who knows?!)
I find it interesting that a lot of "classic literature" are stories about orphans. I don't relate to being an orphan, but I find myself drawn to stories that are centered around orphans. The sense of adventure excites me, their can-do, in spite of everything attitude inspires me, their often unconditional love of those who don't like them is humbling. I think of Harry Potter, Anne Shirley, Mary Lennox, Tom Sawyer, Cinderella... to name a few. Who do you think of? Why is this is such a common theme? Do we as humans have that much of a desire to see the so-called 'underdog' prevail, rise up and succeed? (I am sure that many an English thesis has been written about such topic, and funny enough, a book I read about another orphan, often compared herself to the many orphans in literature, so much so that she created a similar list to mine. I don't claim to be uncovering the big secret to the world of fiction, just an observation... I digress.)
Jane Eyre is a well-told story of love, loss and life. It is a bit denser than some other books I have chosen to read, but I honestly felt that this book was well worth the time it took me to read it. I will probably read it again in my lifetime (even though there are millions upon millions of books I would like to read) because I feel that this is the type of book that depending on where you are in your life when you read it, you may find something new or connect with the character in a way you hadn't before (which I have experienced first hand in my second reading of it).
Bronte's novel has stood up against the test of time for me, and for many others, I presume and will remain a classic for years and years to come.
Overall rating:
9/10
Next Review: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
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