Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | 1847 | Penguin Classics | Paperback $ 9.00
Born into a poor family and raised by an oppressive aunt, young Jane Eyre becomes the governess at Thornfield Manor to escape the confines of her life. There her fiery independence clashes with the brooding and mysterious nature of her employer, Mr. Rochester. But what begins as outright loathing slowly evolves into a passionate romance. When a terrible secret from Rochester’s past threatens to tear the two apart, Jane must make an impossible choice: Should she follow her heart or walk away and lose her love forever?
This is another re-read for me. I read it first in high school, not because it was required for a class, but because I had some vague idea that I should be reading more classic literature and the library happened to have a copy on display… which, now that I think about it, is still pretty much how I end up picking which books to read all these years later. Anyway, I remembered vaguely enjoying it, but not much else.
Jane Eyre is essentially the story of a young woman who must overcome all sorts of obstacles — financial, social, interpersonal, philosophical — to find happiness in life. It’s usually described as a romance, and it is that to some extent, but in my opinion the romance is secondary to the story of the titular character’s life events and associated personal growth.
Even though the primary plotline has our heroine ultimately finding true love, and that’s what a lot of summaries of this book seem to focus on, that’s not the point of the story. Jane Eyre, herself, is the point of the story; it’s about her growth into an independent, intelligent adult despite a youth full of hardships, as well as the development of and her dedication to her protofeminist principles.
I’m so glad I did pick this one up again; I enjoyed it so much that I think it might become a regular re-read for me in the future. It’s the sort of book that you expect to find something new in each time you read — but even if you don’t, the reading itself is just an enjoyable experience.
I would recommend this book to… well, anyone. It’s an easy read — no need to be too intimidated by overwrought old-timey prose — but it isn’t shallow; it’s an engagingly-told story, even if admittedly rather melodramatic; it’s as long as it needs to be, though not quite a doorstopper and never too slow. It’s the perfect sort of book to snuggle up with under a quilt with a nice big mug of something warm during this dreary season of short days and depressing weather.
Links:
- Author profile from The Brontë Society
- Author profile from the Poetry Foundation
- Author profile from the British Library
Publication information: Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, UK: Penguin Classics, 1994. Print.
Source: Personal library.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
