Penguin Classics Jane Eyre [Hardcover]

 

 

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It's hard to imagine a better gothic romance than "Jane Eyre" -- gloomy vast houses, mysterious secrets, and a brooding haunted man with a dark past.

In fact, Charlotte Bronte's classic novel has pretty much everything going for it -- beautiful settings, a passionate romance tempered by iron-clad morals, and a heroine whose poverty and lack of beauty only let her brains and courage shine brighter. And it's all wrapped in the misty, haunting atmosphere of a true gothic story -- madwoman in the attic and all.

Jane Eyre was an orphan, abused and neglected first by relatives, then by a boarding school run by a tyrannical, hypocritical minister. But Jane refuses to let anyone shove her down -- even when her saintly best friend dies from the wretched conditions.

But many years later, Jane moves on by applying to Thornfield Hall for a governess position, and gets the job. She soon becomes the teacher and friend to the sprightly French girl Adele, but is struck by the dark, almost haunted feeling of her new home.

Then she runs into a rather surly horseman -- who turns out to be her employer, Mr. Rochester, a cynical, embittered man who spends little time at Thornfield. They are slowly drawn together into a powerful love, despite their different social stations -- and Rochester's apparent attentions to a shallow, snotty aristocrat who wants his wealth and status.

But strange things are happening at Thornfield -- stabbings, fires, and mysterious laughter. Jane and Rochester finally confess their feelings to each other, but their wedding is interrupted when Rochester's dark past comes to light. Jane flees into the arms of long-lost family members, and is offered a new life -- but her love for Rochester is not so easily forgotten...

"Jane Eyre" is one of those books that transcends the labels of genre. Charlotte Bronte spun a haunting gothic romance around her semi-autobiographical heroine and Byronic anti-hero, filling it with brilliant writing and solid plot. It has everything all the other gothic romances of the time had... but Bronte gave it depth and intensity without resorting to melodrama.

Bronte wrote in the usual stately prose of the time, but it has a sensual, lush quality, even in the dank early chapters at Lowood. At Thornfield, the book acquires an overhanging atmosphere of foreboding, until the clouds clear near the end. And she wove some tough questions into Jane's perspective -- that of a woman's independence and strength in a man's world, of extreme religion, and of the clash between morals and passion.

And Bronte also avoided any tinges of drippy sentimentality (Mrs. Reed dies still spewing venom) while injecting some hauntingly nightmarish moments ("She sucked the blood: she said she'd drain my heart"). She even manages to include some funny stuff, such as Rochester disguising himself as an old gypsy woman.

The story does slow down after the abortive wedding, when Jane flees Thornfield and briefly considers marrying a repressed clergyman who wants to go die preaching in India. It's rather boring to hear the self-consciously saintly St. John prattling about himself, instead of Rochester's barbed wit. But when Jane departs again, the plot speeds up into a nice, mellow little finale.

Bronte did a brilliant job of bringing her heroine to life -- as a defiant little girl who is condemned for being "passionate," as an independent young lady, and as a woman torn between love and principle. Jane's strong personality and wits overwhelm the basic fact that she's not unusually pretty. And Rochester is a brilliantly sexy Byronic anti-hero with a prickly, mercurial wit.

Of Charlotte Bronte's few novels, "Jane Eyre" is undoubtedly the most brilliant -- passionate, dark and hauntingly eerie. Definitely a must-read.

Written in 1847 by the woman writer Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre remains a classic of 19th century literature. This novel was one of the finest of its time and what made it all the more incredible was that it was written by a woman. Charlotte Bronte and her sisters, the Brontes, were British women who grew up in Yorkshire, the English countryside. To kill time when they were bored in the domestic and boarding-school ambiance, they wrote great works of literature. It's a must read for young women, but also for men and young males (preferably in the high school or college level) Jane Eyre is ultimately a literary novel and only a literary-minded intellectual can truly enjoy it for the masterpiece that it is. It ranks among the greatest works of English fiction, taking its place with the other male greats- Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Curl up, warm up some tea or coffee, put on some mood music and read this incredibly engaging book. In this edition, we get commentary and preface by noted scholars.

Jane Eyre has been scrutinized time and again. It is understood by many that the heroine Jane is Charlotte Bronte herself. It's partially autobiographical in some portions- Charlotte Bronte did grow up in lowly conditions and was in boarding school that was cold and freezing. Charlotte did love a married man who was older than her, though nothing came of it of course. Jane Eyre, a feisty, spirited young orphan, is taken away from her home where her wicked aunt and cousins mistreat her. She is taken to a boarding school for girls until she comes of age. She lands a job as a governess for the eccentric and mysterious Mr. Rochester, who is hardly ever at home and takes care of his daughter Adele, teaching her to read and write, etc. But the mystery surrounding Mr. Rochester's past becomes a present reality in Jane Eyre's own life. Furthermore, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre fall in love. A novel that is inspired by Gothic fiction, it is strewn with Gothic, supernatural and suspenseful atmosphere and symbolism. The tree that is struck by lightning is a warning for Jane Eyre to leave Mr. Rochester's mansion, the strange cries in the attic later turn out to be Mr. Rochester's first wife, the crazed Bertha. A fire destroys the mansion and Mr. Rochester ends up diabled and blind. Bittersweet though the ending is, Jane Eyre and the blind Mr. Rochester marry and live happily, after much water under the bridge. This novel is a long read and should take up at least a whole summer, but it's very worth reading. It's a classic. Time and again, it will appear on the list of reading material for high school and college courses. And a bit of advice- dont' just read it to pass a class, get into the story. You will score even more points.

Beautiful book, very nicely bound and will make a lovely gift. It is a classic. and I don't really have anything else to say about it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Eyre, Bronte's Best
I studied the novel Jayne Eyre while in high-school and loved it. Since then I have re-read it several times and have also seen four different versions of the movie plus a... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Therese

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you!
I received all three books - which are all brand-new, in great time, even with the long weekend. Thank you very much. Read more

Published 13 months ago by CatLady

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story
This is my favourite novel, and I have many editions of this text. This one came with many great discussion questions for classes or book groups. Read more

Published 15 months ago by A. De Palma

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest of the Victorian Novels
Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre' has pretty much everything going for it - beautiful settings, a passionate romance tempered by iron-clad morals, and a heroine whose poverty and... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Sonia Frances

5.0 out of 5 stars All Jane Eyre lovers desiring sequels - Read this review!
Jane Eyre being my favourite book, I have read any sequels, prequels or spin-offs that I could find:
- Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, which tells the story from Bertha's... Read more

Published on Jan 18 2010 by Valancy Stirling

5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Romance Classic
On October 16th, of 1847, "Jane Eyre: An Autobiography", edited by Currier Bell (pseudonym of Charlotte Brontė) was published. Read more

Published on Oct 3 2009 by Dave_42

5.0 out of 5 stars "Jane Eyre" deserves its standing as a classic in English literature
"Jane Eyre" is one of the world's best-loved classic novels for so many reasons.

It's an exciting piece of feminist literature written at a time when feminist... Read more

Published on Feb 6 2009 by Paul Weiss

5.0 out of 5 stars "Jane Eyre" deserves its standing as a classic in English literature
"Jane Eyre" is one of the world's best-loved classic novels for so many reasons.

It's an exciting piece of feminist literature written at a time when feminist... Read more

Published on Feb 6 2009 by Paul Weiss

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Story EVER!
Please do not listen to the reviewer who said this book has no plot. It is a story of emotions, hardship, women's rights, madness, intense love and intrigue. Read more

Published on July 14 2008 by T. Zuk

5.0 out of 5 stars The most fantastic piece of fiction I've ever read.
This book is easily my most favourite piece of literature. I could not put the book down.

Published on Aug 3 2006 by Jane Elliott

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