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The Flight of Gemma Hardy

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 7,156 ratings · 1,671 reviews

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-y...more

Paperback, 480 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Harper Perennial (first published January 24th 2012)

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Mar 11, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2012, books-about-books, in-by-of-england, in-by-of-the-americas, scottish, boston-janeites, jane-austen-made-me-do-it

The mistake people usually make in adapting Jane Eyre is to skip the early years. For some reason, they want to go right to that dark road on the Yorkshire moors, the startled horse, the thrown rider, and Jane's first act of kindness to the wounded man. But how did she get there? Who is she? Why is that moment so important? There's no way to get there without starting at the beginning and it is a great disappointment to me whenever authors fail to grasp the importance of Jane's development into...more The mistake people usually make in adapting Jane Eyre is to skip the early years. For some reason, they want to go right to that dark road on the Yorkshire moors, the startled horse, the thrown rider, and Jane's first act of kindness to the wounded man. But how did she get there? Who is she? Why is that moment so important? There's no way to get there without starting at the beginning and it is a great disappointment to me whenever authors fail to grasp the importance of Jane's development into the woman who is walking that dark road.

Margot Livesey didn't forget. The unfolding of the early story is perhaps the best part of her story. The changes she made to bring the story into the twentieth century are clever and she maintains the important themes of the book. She even introduces ruth into the story in a sly little way, which is my favorite theme in Jane Eyre. I was so grateful to see Livesey picked it up here. Livesey doesn't cheat with this book. She doesn't borrow these characters so that she doesn't have to develop her own. She adopts them from love, not laziness, and it shows throughout the book. I confess I got a little weepy at that point in the first volume where Gemma sneaks out to join her school friend, so small, so gentle, so kind, so sad.

Gemma does go off on her adventure to Orkney, among places I've visited and in the summer light that I remember. The combination of places I know and the layers of the Jane Eyre story underneath this one leads me through familiar territory, lending it a reflected beauty and gothic sensibility that I loved. That is why one does it, isn't it? Why one uses the old story, takes up the tale that has been told before and respins it for another purpose. The weight of old stories, like myths, adds heft and complexity, the feeling of history comes through the pages, and all the author has to do is be smart enough to manage it, neither letting it overwhelm what she is creating on her own, nor leaving too much behind. She needs to draw together the right amount or she's lost, either to one side or another. Livesey should get a dozen stars for this one. I've not read a single adaptation of a Bronte or Austen work as well done as this.

For me (let me stress that again, for me), the book falls down at the end. (view spoiler) I wouldn't have made the choices Livesey did but I get them.(view spoiler) If Jane Eyre has always been a book about identity, and written at a time when women's identity wasn't much regarded, to have the same theme in a modern book would be more difficult to do. Livesey really works on that here, with multiple false and hidden names and an additional mystery of family and origin that didn't quite work for me (but again, I feel like it would probably work for others so I don't want to bias anyone against it).

The ending. Reader, what can I say? I'm not sure anything could ever be as satisfying as the ending of Jane Eyre for those of us who fell in love with both Jane and Mr. Rochester. This one makes more logical choices, is more reasoned and sensible, but I missed the passion of Charlotte Brontë's one direct sentence. Livesey shouldn't be blamed for that. She did the right thing but I can't help but miss it, just a little.(less)

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Elizabeth Yes!!!!

The problem was the integrity. Gemma is great in the first half of the book for it and then just completely falls down. Do people not recognize...more
Apr 29, 2012 07:20am

Moira Russell Elizabeth wrote: "Gemma is great in the first half of the book for it and then just completely falls down. Do people not recognize what integrity look...more
Apr 29, 2012 07:32am

Apr 26, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kelly by: Elizabeth

Shelves: 20th-century-postwar-to-late, brit-lit, cultural-meetings, examined-lives, fiction, great-and-terrible-men, its-the-quiet-ones

Elizabeth wrote in her review that the major point in this book’s favor is that it doesn’t skip over Jane Eyre’s childhood, unlike most other retellings generally do: mostly in order to get to the fun Gothic Rochester stuff. I think that that is the right way to approach this novel, it’s certainly what Livesey has the most to say about, and it is her strongest section. The atmosphere that she created for the book’s opening was entirely appropriate. Everything is hard, a little bit sharp, with a...more Elizabeth wrote in her review that the major point in this book’s favor is that it doesn’t skip over Jane Eyre’s childhood, unlike most other retellings generally do: mostly in order to get to the fun Gothic Rochester stuff. I think that that is the right way to approach this novel, it’s certainly what Livesey has the most to say about, and it is her strongest section. The atmosphere that she created for the book’s opening was entirely appropriate. Everything is hard, a little bit sharp, with a sprinkling of sordid (though I’m not sure I liked the sordid as much). The way that Gemma constantly runs up against walls in her conversations with others was very well done, for instance. There’s always this very hard line that people won’t go past with helping her or liking her, even the people who do the decent (if not kind) thing around her. You can see how she grows up to be the girl who values her principles above everything. It is even more apparent how she becomes the girl who is brave enough to speak the truth without flinching, even to characters others might be intimidated around. It’s interesting all the degrees of obligation, excuses, and pettiness Livesey was able to collect around Gemma, and how it’s doing that 1% more that separates the good from the merely keeping-up-appearances-of-not-being-terrible. Livesey does a fantastic job of wrapping Gemma up in this universe of tired, disappointed people, where it takes years of moving mountains to let her catch even one half of a millionth of a percent of a break. Everyone wants their own choices to be validated, and the idea that Gemma somehow sees them with eyes that aren’t implicated in the game irritates everyone. Oh yes. This is the girl who leaves the day after the not-wedding.

Even the part immediately after she takes the job at not!Thornfield was good. The new location was a good choice, and her initial attitudes and relations with those around her made sense. She doesn’t immediately morph into someone desperate to please the second someone is kind to her because she’s never known it before. Her character had hardened to such an extent that that’s not going to happen. I wish we had gotten more of a sense of reaction from her about transitioning into a situation where she’s not slaving away every second of the day just to survive. I wish we’d stayed with her wandering around the fields for awhile longer.
Mostly because the second Not!Rochester showed up things went downhill pretty fast. I’ve thought a little bit about what the explanation could be. I think, ultimately, it has to do with a very astute comment of Emilie’s about how Livesey stopped taking care of her characters before the end of one of her other books. That is exactly the right way to phrase what happened here.

Except I don’t think that it was because she was rushed or half-assed, or she ran out of room or anything like that. I mean, of course I have no idea what her actual motivations were, but to me it felt like she was scared of the second part of the story, or embarrassed by it. Either way, Rochester to the end read like it was about the plot, and not about Gemma or characters anymore. The march of events and the scene work became about getting us to the next signpost, so we could have the next high point of drama between them- but reworked in a suitably modern way. A great deal of buildup in the Jane-Rochester relationship is skipped over. Livesey makes the decision that what is important to these two characters’ relationship is the jealousy stuff and the part where Rochester tells her about the opera dancer, and then the part where she runs. Those are symptoms, those are not the relationship. For me, the heart of their relationship is in the night where she nurses Mason and the scene where he sees her sketch of him. Yes, jealousy is woven through the Rochester side of the relationship, but it’s the discordant note, not the major chord. I mean, part of the failing is that this Rochester replacement is not at all compelling. He feels like a cipher. While it is unreasonable to expect the incarnation of Byron come again, I’m not sure what the point of Rochester is if he isn’t angry, sharp, intelligent, bitter. This is a vaguely dissatisfied banker with the most ridiculous let down of a secret ever, who is fairly calm and reasonable and a tad distant and absent minded. I do not see the desperation here that leads Rochester to finding the one like minded soul he can in Jane. He knows some okay people, and if he wanted to, he could clearly find someone perfectly suitable to marry. I have no idea why he lights on Gemma. Convenience? He’s just that lazy? I don’t know, but Livesey doesn’t give me a better reason.

The back half of the book loses that sense of place and people that made the first half of the book so effective. Instead, we’re rushing about trying to make sure that Jane falls in all the ditches that she needs to and then makes it back home in a way that is “believable” for the 1950s, but still hits all the signposts. She also has Gemma do something so wildly out of character that I couldn’t believe it. I mean, (view spoiler)

The danger of retellings is certainly getting yourself trapped in the material, and that’s what happened here. The book laid such a strong foundation, it’s a shame that it was wasted on trying to squeeze her perfectly wonderful story into a tube that wasn’t big enough to hold it.
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Apr 10, 2012 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

In her acknowledgements, Margot Livesey writes that her literary inspiration for this tale should be clear. I would argue that "inspiration" is too weak a word for the novel whose events are, with very few exceptions, scrupulously followed from start (the orphaned niece hiding behind the curtains reading a book about birds) to finish (reconciliation with the metaphorical lord of the manor). Because Gemma Hardy is retracing Jane Eyre's footsteps, reading this book became more an exercise in remem...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As all readers know, the beauty, tragedy, inspiration, and loveliness that came from the original Jane Eyre is something that many over the years have tried to imitate or duplicate. Seeing as that you would have to be a remarkable writer to even touch the magic that Charlotte Bronte created, all that can be said is that THIS is a remarkable writer. This contemporary retelling based loosely on the original is filled with characters that the reader will remember far into the future, perhaps with r...more As all readers know, the beauty, tragedy, inspiration, and loveliness that came from the original Jane Eyre is something that many over the years have tried to imitate or duplicate. Seeing as that you would have to be a remarkable writer to even touch the magic that Charlotte Bronte created, all that can be said is that THIS is a remarkable writer. This contemporary retelling based loosely on the original is filled with characters that the reader will remember far into the future, perhaps with readers one day comparing the two when Ms. Livesey’s version joins the first in literary history.

Gemma Hardy’s incredibly kind uncle was full of compassion and love for the young girl. He was the one who stepped-up when Gemma’s parents met their odd fates. In Iceland, in her home by the beautiful sea, Gemma lost her mother when she took a fall and hit her head while protecting Gemma; and her father was lost when he went out on his boat for work and the boat came back without him, drowning in the ice-cold sea. Gemma’s uncle was a savior but, unfortunately, her tragedy did not stop there. When her uncle was skating by himself on the frozen river near his home he fell through the ice and succumbed to the reaper, as well. And when that accident happened, Gemma’s aunt and cousins turn into the nastiest people on the face of the earth.

Gemma finds freedom, at first, by being accepted into a boarding school called Claypoole - far away from the horror and pain she left behind with her so-called family. Claypoole looks lovely from he outside. Unfortunately, upon entering, Gemma sees her lot in life; she will simply be a slave, bullied by teachers and students while she tries her best to fight her way through yet another tragic chapter of her life. This fiercely intelligent young girl finds even more determination when Cecil, the library ghost, appears, and she ends up growing up with her spine straight and her mind firmly focused on having a life of her own.

From the dark, desolate hallways of Claypoole to the amazing au pair job Gemma accepts with the Sinclair’s on an island where the Orkneys - Gemma’s favorite bird is honored - she finds herself a part of an odd family unit. With her strength and determination intact, she falls for a type of man who is the owner of secrets, yet he is also the owner of a heart that perhaps young Gemma can one day own.

Every scene is monumental in its own way. The characters are so enticing, the reader simply does not want to put this book down. The contemporary feel flows quite easily with the memories of the original Jane Eyre. Gemma goes from abused girl to a woman who finds redemption, love, and peace at last.

An amazing book filled with such beautifully written locales that one can actually smell the scent of the sea; and a girl who is impossible not to fall in love with as she overcomes trials that the rest of us can hardly imagine. A MUST READ!

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Apr 16, 2013 Kami Reeve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm trying to figure out why I didn't give this 5 stars. Maybe it's a 4.5? I loved it. It was wonderful. I think maybe I was expecting it to more closely follow Jane Eyre, which I love. Although, I'm glad the author spouted her wings and let the novel fly. I truly enjoyed reading this and could recommend it to anyone.

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Feb 16, 2013 Kim Triedman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a nice story, prettily told. Conceived as a retelling of Bronte’s Jane Eyre in mid-20th-century Scotland, it follows the character of Gemma, orphaned early and treated brutally through much of her young life. After years of not-so-benign neglect, Gemma winds up at age 18 as governess to an orphaned child at Blackbird Hall, the estate of her uncle, a Scottish banker on the isolated Orkney Islands. Livesey does a very good job of creating a very readable iteration of Jane Eyre. The writing...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Asheley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(a similar version of this review can be found here at Into the Hall of Books: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...)

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY by Margot Livesey is a beautiful story that is reminiscent of Charlotte Bronte's classic JANE EYRE. Gemma is orphaned at a young age; both of her parents die in Iceland tragically while she is still very young. Gemma's Uncle, having made a promise to his sister, travels to Iceland to bring Gemma back to live in Scotland with him.

Under the care of her...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Avry15 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family, historical, inspirational, young-adult, reviewed

originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions

I haven’t read Jane Eyre, yeah, I know, you can’t believe me. But I live in the Philippines, and we’re not required to study English Classic Literatures, except when you majored in it in college. So, I have nothing to compare “The Flight of Gemma Hardy” to.

Even though this book is a tribute to Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I find myself falling for this book’s charm alone. I don’t need to compare it with the original classic, because this one is not an old class...more originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions

I haven’t read Jane Eyre, yeah, I know, you can’t believe me. But I live in the Philippines, and we’re not required to study English Classic Literatures, except when you majored in it in college. So, I have nothing to compare “The Flight of Gemma Hardy” to.

Even though this book is a tribute to Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I find myself falling for this book’s charm alone. I don’t need to compare it with the original classic, because this one is not an old classic, but rather a retelling of a great classic in another way. It’s something of a modern and revitalizing tale that is wonderful in its own way.

Every scene in the book is monumental and heart-breaking. The author’s writing is compelling and has this wonderful flow that the story is not forced at all. Iceland and Scotland, complete with their history and geography was also vividly described that I find it easy to picture the places and bring myself back into the 50’s and 60’s time.

The characters are unique in their own way. Some of them, you might hate, but this only makes the story real and engaging. The plot is filled with twist and emotions.

Gemma Hardy’s life was no other. She lost both her dear parents and even her uncle who took care of her after her parent’s death has suffered the same fate with the reaper. Unfortunately for Gemma, life was never as she knows it when her aunt and cousins showed that they are not nice at all. And a whole lot of adventure, tragedy and learning sprout in Gemma’s journey from a young girl into a full grown woman.

I instantly liked Gemma Hardy from the very first page. Although her life was sad and full of tragedy, her little light of hope can’t help but shine through in everything she’s been true.

“The Flight of Gemma Hardy” has its own beauty, inspiration and tragedy which it could be proud of. I’m glad to be part of Gemma’s journey of passion and betrayal, secrets, lies, learning and growth, dreams and friendship.

Ms. Margot Livesey is another brilliant contemporary writer and “The Flight of Gemma hardy” is another brilliant masterpiece.

Highly Recommended!(less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Lacie Ernst rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. This is a modern-day adaptation of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite books. This book follows the basic framework of the original. Having recently read Jane Eyre, it was easy for me to follow the storyline and "plug-in" the characters. Unfortunately for me, it was probably one of the reasons I didn't "love" this book. I wanted to like this book more, but my love of Jane's character got in the way and I couldn't separate her from Gemma. Gemma is interesting, but not en...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Vannessagrace Vannessagrace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: margot-livesey

The Flight of Gemma Hardy was beautifully written. The story wasn’t a new one but one with a satisfying ending. The Fight of Gemma Hart is a story of abuse, loneliness, perseverance, adversity, hardship, discovery, passion and betrayal, secrets and lies, redemption, growth, realization, happiness and love.

Gemma Hardy parents died when she was three years old. Her mother Scottish and her father Icelandic were madly in love. Gemma’s mother moved to Iceland to join her husband and raise a family. G...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Tilden rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The story of Gemma Hardy is loosely based on "Jane Eyre." The plot is similar to "Jane Eyre" but it takes place in the early 1960's in Scotland.

Gemma is an orphan whose aunt and cousins are very cruel to her. She is sent off to a horrible school as a "working student." For room and board and lessons she has to work as a servant in the school and is treated little better than a slave.

The school goes bankrupt and Gemma gets a job as a au pair in the Oukley Island to teach Mr. Sinclair's niece Nel...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Karen (Book Light Graveyard) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being obsessed with all things Jane Eyre, as soon as I found out that this book was a modernization/retelling, I knew I had to read it. Aaaand . . . it turned out to be a bit of a mixed experience for me.

Generally, the book follows the basic storyline of Jane Eyre fairly closely, and generally I approved of the ways that Livesey made the story her own. In fact, if it wasn’t for a bit in the middle, I think I could’ve fallen in love with this book and the way Livesey stayed true to the spirit of...more Being obsessed with all things Jane Eyre, as soon as I found out that this book was a modernization/retelling, I knew I had to read it. Aaaand . . . it turned out to be a bit of a mixed experience for me.

Generally, the book follows the basic storyline of Jane Eyre fairly closely, and generally I approved of the ways that Livesey made the story her own. In fact, if it wasn’t for a bit in the middle, I think I could’ve fallen in love with this book and the way Livesey stayed true to the spirit of the original plot while still developing the characters and story in ways suited to it taking place in 1960s Scotland (which setting was wonderfully well done, by the way). But I think where the book fell flat for me was in the places where the author departed drastically from Jane Eyre—namely, there is no crazy wife in the attic and there is no fire and consequently scarred Mr. Rochester (or Mr. Sinclair in this case). Livesey went with a more realistic route for those big moments, and for me, in making those aspects less dramatic, she somehow made the story less believable, because all of a sudden, without the crazy drama, the truths Gemma discovers don’t seem shocking enough to cause her to make the life-changing choices she does.

Another crucial place where the book didn’t work for me was Gemma and Mr. Sinclair’s relationship (this is the bit in the middle I mentioned earlier). I just didn’t feel the passion between them at all. In fact, it really doesn’t seem like they spend any time together or get to know each other or do any of the things that make me adore Jane and Mr. Rochester. To me, their relationship, from Gemma’s side at least, came off as unhealthy—with her falling for him because he’s the only man who’s ever paid her any real attention. She seems so desperate to be wanted that she clings to Mr. Sinclair out of gratitude and inexperience. Which was decidedly NOT the turn I wanted the relationship to take.

And honestly, Gemma is just not as likeable as Jane. Whereas I always admire Jane, Gemma tends to come off as straight-laced and sanctimonious. Plus, she makes some decisions towards the end that, while softening her holier-than-thou attitude and reconciling her to Mr. Sinclair, just didn’t seem consistent with her character.

I realize that this review is coming off more negative than I intended, so I’ll just reiterate that I did enjoy the majority of the ways the book stayed true to and departed from Jane Eyre. Not to mention the setting—from Scotland to the Orkneys to Iceland—is gorgeous. It’s just that the story didn’t come through for me in some really crucial ways. Which maybe if I didn’t love Jane Eyre so much wouldn’t have normally bothered me, but love Jane Eyre I do, so disappoint me they did. For a modernization of Jane Eyre that I endorse wholeheartedly, try "Jane," by April Lindner.

Rating: 3 / 5

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Jan 10, 2013 Sarahz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, I thought this captured the feel of the original, while having its own identity, quite nicely. I really enjoyed the settings, and for the most part I had fun reading about this version of Jane/Gemma.

I had some issues with the story, but those were mostly artifacts of the story it's retelling. For example, the deep dark secret that causes Gemma to run away from her fiance isn't really that bad, and certainly doesn't warrant leaving him without any word. In general, the main character is...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Flight of Gemma Hardy is set in 1950's and 60's Scotland, and is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, a book which I really love. Gemma Hardy was orphaned and sent to live with her kind uncle. But when he died, she was left under the rule of her tyrannical aunt. She thinks going to Claypoole, a boarding school, will save her, but arrives there and finds herself treated as a menial servant. The school eventually goes out of business, and Gemma takes a job as an au pair on the remote O...more The Flight of Gemma Hardy is set in 1950's and 60's Scotland, and is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, a book which I really love. Gemma Hardy was orphaned and sent to live with her kind uncle. But when he died, she was left under the rule of her tyrannical aunt. She thinks going to Claypoole, a boarding school, will save her, but arrives there and finds herself treated as a menial servant. The school eventually goes out of business, and Gemma takes a job as an au pair on the remote Orkney Islands, where she meets Mr. Sinclair of Blackbird Hall. His eight year old niece is Gemma's charge. Gemma finds herself fascinated by the comparatively rich Mr. Sinclair. Her biggest trial is about to begin.

I really loved this one just as much as the original novel, if not a teensy bit more. The writing is certainly much more modern than Bronte's, but it bears a certain resemblance to that of Jane Eyre. The novel sticks very closely to the original storyline for the first half, but in the second half, there's a lot added in and a lot taken out. Even though I knew the story, I still really wanted to find out what was going to happen next as I was reading, and there were plenty of surprises. Gemma is an interesting character on her own, and The Flight of Gemma Hardy is an amazing book on its own too. Who knows whether it will be remembered as Jane Eyre is now, but I certainly loved it.

I also loved the design of the hardcover edition that I checked out of the library. The cover is very nice, but what I really liked was the spine, flaps, and the back cover. So elegant.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a much better classic retelling than For Darkness Shows the Stars. It sticks closer to Jane Eyre, but also explores more too. Also, though it's set in the 20th century, you don't really notice it that often, expect when it occasionally mentions cars. I still felt that somehow it was set in the 19th century (or at the very least, early, early 20th century). And I liked that.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy is an excellent novel, both on its own and compared to the original.

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Nov 29, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a huge fan of Jane Eyre, I was first quite skeptical about this book when I originally heard about it, but I am so glad I gave it a chance. Margot Livesey's writing is quite lovely -- I really can't think of any other word to describe it. She has a deft hand with descriptions without them becoming overwrought or heavy. Her reimagining of Jane Eyre is well-thought out: the references, if you know the original work, are obvious, yet she puts her own spin on them that keeps the story feeling fre...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Katie Krauter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mine

The Flight of Gemma Hardy has been a wonderful, emotional, and fairly easy read so far. I have less than a quater left of it and I love it. I find it easy to relate to the character because of her wit and individuality. I highly recomment it to any girl, regardless of age who enjoys adventure, romance, humor, and drama.

Gemma is a young, headstrong woman who has had a lot happen to her in her 18 years of life including both of her parents dying, living with her uncle who also died, her aunt angri...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Jane Eyre. It is one of my all time favorites stories and so I was a little worried reading this book. But guess what, I loved it! It talks about places I have been or really want to go. I have been to Perth Scotland (best fish and chips I have ever eaten at Chinese Fish and Chips shop) and I have a Pitlochry sweater and have been to Pitlochery. I have been to Inverness and NOW...I want to go to the Orkneys' I have always wanted to go to Iceland too, and now I have some more places in Ice...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Frances rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a retelling of Jane Eyre set in Scotland of the late 1950's. Gemma Hardy, originally from Iceland, is sent to live with her uncle and his family in Scotland after she is left orphaned as a 4 year old. When her beloved uncle dies a few years later she is left at the mercy of her Aunt and cousins who view her as an interloper in their home. She is packed off to a harsh boarding school, from which she must make her own way in the world.

For those who have read and loved...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Bonnie Fazio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book for two-thirds of it, and ended up loving it less but liking it a lot by the end.

There's something about the story of a blameless child in hideous circumstances -- as long as they're not TOO hideous. I think that something is the satisfaction any of us might derive from being wrongly accused of a minor wrong -- especially if it looks as though the truth will out.

There's the expectation or at least hope of vindication -- if not actual reward -- for righteousness. There's the ch...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Ann Woodbury Moore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Flight of Gemma Hardy" by Margot Livesey. It's a retelling of the Jane Eyre story, set in Scotland in the late 1950's-early 1960's. It inspired me to reread "Jane Eyre" itself, a book I owned but hadn't looked at since college. I must admit I found this quite daunting! Charlotte Bronte's plot is intriguing and it's clear why her novel has remained popular: an ill-treated orphan goes from a horrible home life with a nasty, uncaring aunt to a horrible boarding school wher...more I thoroughly enjoyed "The Flight of Gemma Hardy" by Margot Livesey. It's a retelling of the Jane Eyre story, set in Scotland in the late 1950's-early 1960's. It inspired me to reread "Jane Eyre" itself, a book I owned but hadn't looked at since college. I must admit I found this quite daunting! Charlotte Bronte's plot is intriguing and it's clear why her novel has remained popular: an ill-treated orphan goes from a horrible home life with a nasty, uncaring aunt to a horrible boarding school where her best friend dies of tuberculosis, but then makes something of herself, becomes well-educated, and takes the initiative to find a governess position (one of the few ways women could legitimately earn money at that time). Her situation and pupil are pleasant--and then arrives the "dark, impassioned" Mr. Rochester (reportedly based on Lord Byron), with whom she
falls in love. He reciprocates, despite being 20 years older and of a much higher social station. But wait! He has a mad wife locked up in the attic! Their marriage is thwarted--and I found this a neat twist, it's as a result of Jane contacting her long-lost, wealthy uncle in an effort to not be so poor and dependent (Jane is a truly remarkable and surprisingly modern young woman, for the early 1800's). Uncle thinks he's doing Jane a favor by uncovering the truth about Rochester, when in fact he's breaking her heart. Jane holds to her high moral standards (and has been quoted in LDS General Conference for doing so) and flees, only to stumble across a family of two sisters and a clergyman brother. They accept her into their home and find a job for her, running a school for the poor local girls. St. John ("Sinjin"), the brother, a fervent missionary with the goal to serve in India, proposes marriage but Jane wisely realizes he doesn't love her, or she him. In another touch of modernity, she offers to accompany him to India as his "curate" and assistant; he's totally appalled at the thought and can't comprehend it at all. In one of those coincidences 19th-century authors are so fond of, St. John and his sisters turn out to be Jane's cousins, and when she inherits her uncle's wealth she generously splits it with them. After what can only be described as a vision (or spiritual inspiration), she returns to Rochester, who's been blinded and maimed in a fire set by the mad wife, which destroyed his home and ended (tidily for the
happy-ever-after ending) in her dramatic death. Jane concludes, "Reader, I married him." The brief final chapter describes Rochester partially regaining his sight and the birth of their son.

So--terrific story. But... I found the Victorian language ponderous, difficult, and filled with allusions to the Bible, literature, and numerous other references, plus passages in (untranslated) French, showing how illiterate modern readers are compared to those of 175 years ago. (I hunted
for an annotated edition, and one of the Amazon reviews commented, among other things, that Bronte assumes you've read the Bible cover-to-cover.) Many of the characters are stereotypes of the worst sort, extremes of nastiness or saintliness, and eye-rollingly unbelievable. There are lengthy
and tedious descriptive passages, long sermons, and so forth. About one-third of the way through, plodding along, I borrowed three children's adaptations and read those just to get a general idea of the story. This actually was quite helpful! (It was also extremely interesting to see the
differences in the summaries, and what each author included and omitted.) I returned to Bronte feeling refreshed and actually enjoyed (for the most part--St. John was a bit much) the rest of the novel.

Livesey, in comparison, holds up well. She doesn't follow Bronte's plot exactly, and analyzing why and how she changed things is fascinating in and of itself. Her characters are much better developed than Bronte's; she adds real "meat," for instance, to Gemma's (Jane's) aunt and schoolgirl friend. The straits Gemma finds herself in are realistic and believable. And, it's
in modern English!

I read several interviews with Livesey and one item that struck me was her comment that she used the particular time period (late 50's-early 60's) deliberately, and not just because of drawing on her own life experiences. She felt that had she moved it later, the massive social and cultural
changes that occurred during the latter part of the 60's (such as ready access to birth control for women) would have totally changed the tone of the book.
(less)

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Sep 11, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished this book so the ending is foremost in my mind. I did not, like the ending. I enjoyed the book profusely until the ending.

I am giving this book four stars...... by itself. It is supposed to be a modern adaptation to Jane Eyre. If this is the case, then I should give this book 2 stars.

The characters in The Flight of Gemma Hardy do not stand anywhere near close to Jane Eyre and that bugged me through out the book so I separated the two. The Flight of Gemma Hardy doesn't hold a ca...more

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Aug 15, 2012 O_susannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm going to write a real review of this when I finish (I'm almost there), because I have strong feelings about all adaptations of Jane Eyre, and this is no exception.

For now I'll just say that I liked the beginning, but now I no longer much care for the heroine, which is a pretty big problem.
***********

Ok, I finished the book. Anyway. This review will be full of spoilers, for the record. So obviously this book is a retelling of Jane Eyre, set in the 1960s. I guess this could work in theory, al...more

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Aug 11, 2012 EThayer3 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was highly recommended to me and because of this I purposely have not read any reviews, except for the first sentence of the one who recommended it. I did not want my opinion to be skewed in any way by what others had to say. I never read Jane Eyre but did see the movie for the first time about six months ago. I was a bit put off in the beginning as to the similarities between the two but as I came to realize this was intentional and I began to feel better about it. Because I never rea...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Rebekah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, historical, realistic-fiction, classic-retelling

This was a retelling of Jane Eyre. Of sorts. It followed the main story: parents die, uncle dies, aunt hates her, she goes to a boarding school that is horrible, she becomes a governess (au pair) to a little girl and falls in love with the master of the house.

But though it followed the main story plot, it didn't follow all of them. There was no crazy wife. Mr. Sinclair (the Rochester in this book) is not mean and manipulative. He has secrets, but he's rather sane. I liked that.

I also liked Gem...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 20, 2012 Nancy Kennedy added it · review of another edition

Love Jane Eyre in the original, not in this remake. The similarities between the two stories are so numerous and so deliberate, it makes me wonder: Where is the line between an homage and outright plagiarism?
Because the plot lines were so similar, I just kept noting that fact, rather than immersing myself in this supposedly new story.

I stuck with the story for about half the book, and now I've just lost interest. The so-called love scenes between Mr. Sinclair and Gemma are so clumsy as to be la...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Florinda rated it 3 of 5 stars

The literary sub-genre of “re-worked classics” seems to offer a good deal of potential discussion fodder. Are these works a more highbrow variant of fan-fiction? Do they have a built-in audience thanks to their basis in known source material, and is that a good thing or a bad thing? My short answers to those questions would be “depends,” “probably,” and again “depends,” but longer, more thoughtful ones are certainly warranted.

Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy reworks a particularly endu...more The literary sub-genre of “re-worked classics” seems to offer a good deal of potential discussion fodder. Are these works a more highbrow variant of fan-fiction? Do they have a built-in audience thanks to their basis in known source material, and is that a good thing or a bad thing? My short answers to those questions would be “depends,” “probably,” and again “depends,” but longer, more thoughtful ones are certainly warranted.

Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy reworks a particularly enduring classic, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. I’ve read the original just once, during my university-era phase of filling gaps in my literary experience. My response to it was largely indifferent (although I greatly preferred it to her sister Emily’s sole novel, Wuthering Heights) and my recollections of it are vague on details (although they were sufficient to get me through Jasper Fforde’s The Eyre Affair). For the most part, I like Jane as a character, but I really don’t find Rochester or her relationship with him appealing; for me, ...Gemma Hardy’s inspiration wasn’t a compelling reason to read the novel. But as I learned more about the book’s merits apart from its source material, I grew more interested, and I’ve been meaning to read Margot Livesey for a while.

...Gemma Hardy follows the basic framework of Jane Eyre: A bright young orphan is exiled to a terrible boarding school where she is treated more as laborer than student. When the school closes and she is forced to leave, she has few options and fewer resources, and takes a job as a live-in nanny/teacher at a remote estate, where she becomes intrigued by its mysterious master. However, Livesey has relocated the story’s place and time to Scotland in the mid-twentieth century, and for me, the more modern setting was an asset to both plot and character development. She also uses Brontë’s model of first-person narration, but gives Gemma a distinctive voice and a unique history; our Scottish orphan was born in Iceland, and is deeply curious to know more about her native land and whether she has family remaining there.

Perhaps it’s because I did only read it once and my memory is faulty, but I think of Jane Eyre as primarily a romance...and one that I don’t find particularly romantic or convincing. ...Gemma Hardy’s involvement with her employer/fiancé Mr. (Hugh) Sinclair is the Jane/Rochester plot, and while I found it somewhat more appealing here--mainly because I think Sinclair is a better-drawn character than Rochester--I still didn’t find it terribly romantic or convincing. I preferred the novel before and after that, and was drawn to Gemma on her own, with her resourcefulness, intelligence, and drive. I didn’t entirely buy the events of the last several chapters of the novel, but considering how Gemma came to them, they felt right.

I’d like to revisit that fan-fiction question another time, but I do think that fiction based on other fiction does have certain potential advantages in attracting an audience. On the other hand, those same qualities can have the opposite effect, either turning fans of the original against the retelling or discouraging interest from non-fans. I fell into the second camp for a while with The Flight of Gemma Hardy and its Jane Eyre connection, but I’m glad I got over myself--for me, this was a more satisfying read than its inspiration.(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Gene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Flight of Gemma Hardy was an enjoyable book with a heroine that I greatly admired. The story reminded me of the Cinderella tale garnished with a little flavor of Thomas Hardy.

Throughout the story, Gemma endured extreme misfortune and outright abuse with grace, dignity, and integrity. Her struggle to overcome the many obstacles in her path is a gratifying journey toward understanding herself and the world around her.

I was particularly impressed with the ending. Gemma was not rescued in fairy...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Aban (Aby) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since "Jane Eyre" is one of my favourite books, I was interested to see how a writer would attempt a modern version of the novel. Margot Livsey followed the course of the original story fairly closely and incorporated many tiny details from it (such as the heroine reading a book about birds in the library of her aunt's home and being helped out by a woman named Hannah when she ran away from her employer). The author did not, however, blindly repeat the story but created an Islandic background fo...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really, really liked this story and was sad to finish it today. I wanted to stay with the characters of Gemma and Mr. Sinclair, and the rest, just a while longer. Ms. Livesey has invented some wonderful characters, including the two mains but other favorites of mine were Archie and the two lesbian women who take Gemma in at a crucial point in her life, Hallie in Iceland, and Gemma's friend at school, Miriam. They stand out to me because they were so kind to Gemma and show her the way to live a...more

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About Margot Livesey

Margot Livesey grew up in a boys' private school in the Scottish Highlands where her father taught, and her mother, Eva, was the school nurse. After taking a B.A. in English and philosophy at the University of York in England she spent most of her twenties working in shops and restaurants and learning to write. Her first book, a collection of stories called Learning By Heart, was published by Peng...more

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“Running, I soon realized, was the best way to stay ahead of fear.” — 5 people liked it

“She was afraid of numbers the way some people are of spiders. The sight of them made her want to hide. What I loved about them, their clarity, was for her duplicity. Behind an innocent 2,or 5, or 9, she spied a mass of traps and pitfalls.” — 3 people liked it

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