It seems like I've been reading Jane Eyre forever but I finally finished it last night. My paperback copy is so old it only cost 60 cents. The print was tiny and the pages were a little brown, but my eyes survived the ordeal and I learned that, with maturity and patience, I really like this book.
The book requires patience because of the writing style of Bronte's era. In the beginning Jane is only 10 years old, yet she thinks and speaks in an adult manner. She says her future is too uncertain for conjecture, for instance. She studies faces of the other orphans and their teachers at Lowood Institute and describes individually each feature, nose, lips, hair, hands, etc. Each feature tells her something about the character of the person she observes, and that does get somewhat tiring at times. Not to worry, though; you can skim and not miss a thing.
Jane is an orphan whose kindly uncle has undertaken to give her a home and raise her. Then he dies and his horrid widow treats Jane wickedly, while brainwashing the little girl into thinking herself evil. Finally, escape comes in the form of being sent to Lowood where the children are underfed, taken outdoors in winter without warm clothing, and strictly monitored 24 hours a day.
As Jane becomes an adult she finds a position as governess to one child in the home of Mr. Edward Rochester on a large estate. I think most people know that she and Rochester fall in love but there is an unsurpassable burden in the way of marriage; he already has a wife - the madwoman in the attic.
Margaret, of BooksPlease, has said that reading this as a youngster she was terrified of the madwoman in the attic. Frankly, I was nervous as to what the woman was capable of. After all, she did set fire to the bedcurtains in Rochester's room one night. From the time Jane arrives at this estate the story gets better and better. There are coincidences that are unbelievable but I think that was common in Bronte's day, and therefore forgivable.
Reading Jane Eyre has convinced me to go back and reread or read for the first time many other classic novels so I'll be reviewing a classic now and then. Hopefully the rest of them will have a bit larger print.
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I've found it always takes me a little while to get into books written during that time period. I've never read Jane Eyre (or Moby Dick) and am impressed that you've read both!
ReplyDeleteI wonder just how old that book is - 60 cents!
Apparently it also takes forever to WATCH Jane Eyre, but that is because my daughters are too busy watching other series much of the time. Some days NCIS wins ;)
ReplyDeleteI think I read Jane Eyre in my teens or twenties. I recall it as being very tragic and romantic, That may have been my age. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Congratulations to Dave on his retirement. I know I'd love the baking but I'd go awol on the clean-up.
ReplyDeleteI swear that is my biggest complaint with classics is the small print! And I will also admit to wishing they had more editing, which is why when I go for classics, I (shame shame) tend to rent the movies rather than read the books!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite 19thC novels. I like the way Jane's relationship with Rochester develops, and how she will only agree to it on her terms. Plus it's pretty radical in the way that the 'happy ever after' part only occurs after Jane has risen in the world and he has fallen. I do feel for Bertha though, was she mad or did she just step outside society's notion of what was acceptable behaviour for a woman and get punished for it? 'Wide Sargosso Sea' is a pretty interesting version of Bertha's story.
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