Jane Slayre [Paperback]

I love Jane Eyre. It is one of my favorite classics so I approached this book with some reserve, especially since I did not like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and was unable to finish that particular classic mashup. There is a huge difference between Jane Slayre and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies however. It is obvious from the first page that the author has much respect for the original work. The addition of vampyres, werewolves, and zombies is cleverly and rather tastefully done. Most of the book retains the feel of Jane Eyre so I felt like I was rereading the original much of the time. Jane Eyre is a grave book and does not have much humor in it but I found the humor sprinkled throughout Jane Slayre to be refreshing in instances like Jane wondering if perhaps Blanche Ingram is a vampyre. The main characters retain their essence and much of the dialogue is the same so I was able to enjoy the interactions between Jane and Mr. Rochester. In the original, Bertha Mason is merely mad. Here she is also a werewolf, which explains further Mr. Rochester's treatment of her and her strange behavior. I loved that the Reeds were vampyres. I thought they were horrible people in the original so I thought this suited them perfectly.

There were some things that I did not enjoy-particularly the zombies at Lowood and the treatment of Helen Burns. In the original, Helen is a close friend of Jane and very important to her. In Jane Slayre, I didn't feel that Jane was as close to Helen and I didn't like Helen's fate in the novel. Most of the time however, I was able to enjoy the changes to the story but there were a few times that I did want to go pick up Jane Eyre instead. My favorite parts of the novel were at Thornfield Hall and I thought the author did a fantastic job with it, particularly Jane and Rochester's relationship.

Overall I thought this was a tastefully and respectfully written mashup with some great humorous moments mixed in with a good story. I love Jane Eyre but I enjoyed Jane Slayre as well and it made me want to reread the original Bronte novel. There have been a number of mashup novels since the publication of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but this one would be a cut above the rest. I would recommend this to fans of that new genre as well as to those who enjoy satirical writing. Be sure to check out the reader's guide in the back as well. The discussion questions will have you howling! If the idea of messing with the story of Jane Eyre sounds sacrilegious to you, you may want to skip Jane Slayre but I think it is an excellent retelling which might inspire new fans to seek out the classic.

I received my copy of Jane Slayre courtesy of Gallery Books as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

Bravo to this author for being brave enough to face the hordes of literary snobs (such as myself) that would bristle at the thought of their beloved Jane Eyre being toyed with in any manner. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book so much...the thought of Jane stalking around the manor slaying vampires was just brilliant! What an image! I am thrilled with this and would ask all other literary snobs to give it a chance. It's a cross between Jane Eyre and Buffy the Vampire Slayer...too good to pass up.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontė has to be one of my all time favorites classic books. So, I was excited to learn that someone took that book and made a paranormal out of it. Sherri Browning Erwin has made what I believe as a successful adaptation of the Jane Eyre. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I can also see why some people may not like it. The purists who hate to have a classic "messed" with might not have the same fun that I had with this book. The main story of Jane was altered a bit and not just by the paranormal parts. Jane had a more amiable time with the humans in her life than in the original book. Her fortitude seemed to come more from the frightening circumstances in her life before she was old enough to handle such things. Even Mr. Rochester was more likable from his introduction into Jane's life. It still was not a happy childhood, and Rochester is still forever the antagonist, but the main turning points in her life still held. It is as though a fan just tweaked parts of her life we would have all liked for our heroine. That I understand completely. :)

I do recommend this book for those who want to have a bit of fun with their classic version of Jane. Finding a new way to cheer for her. For those that are purists of classic literature, I suggest you pass this one and read the original Jane Eyre. I gave this book 4 stars and had fun reading it.

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