Jane Eyre

I must say, I read Wuthering Heights before I read Jane Eyre and I absolutely hated it; then I watched a terrible screen adaptation of Jane Eyre that made me wonder how anyone in the world could possibly ever like this story (after seeing a different adaptation and reading the book, I can now conclude that that particular adaptation was just especially poorly done). For these reasons, Jane Eyre actually sat on my shelf for quite a while before I finally gave in and read it. It is my mother-in-law's favorite classic, so I figured it must at least have some redeeming qualities and I eventually acquiesced and began reading it. Having now finished it, I can say that I am glad I did, and that I actually thoroughly enjoyed it! I will likely even read it again at some point - what a happy surprise - and am already thinking about which Bronte book I should try next.

Charlotte's writing is so beautifully descriptive and engaging and her world-building so engrossing that you can picture every element of the story so vividly. Her characters come alive on the page. I found myself thinking the first few chapters about Jane's childhood reminded me of the first few chapters of Dickens' David Copperfield. I couldn't help but like Jane, just as I couldn't help but like David. Rochester has his issues, of course, but is also a well written, well developed, complex character and the story itself is a good one. I would definitely recommend it for someone who wants to get lost in a good book for a while!

There are a couple of words / ideas that have not “aged well” present in the book, and there is a significant age difference between the male and female leads that might be disturbing for some. Trigger warnings would include narcissism and spiritual abuse.