Alison's review
Wide Sargasso Sea
by Jean Rhys
Alison's review
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Alison's review
rating:
bookshelves:
alltime100novel,
contemporaryfiction,
modernlibrary100best
recommended for: anyone interested in West Indies culture/politics; Jane Eyreites
This is a must-read for anyone who's read and enjoyed "Jane Eyre." It's the story of Bertha...Mr. Rochester's first wife. This short novel (around 100 pages) is divided into three parts.
Part I tells the story of Bertha's childhood in the West Indies from her own point of view. It outlines her relationship to her mother, her few aquaintances, and her homeland.
Part II is from the point of view of Bertha's new husband (an unnamed Mr. Rochester) and details his reaction to disspelled secrets about his new wife. Part III takes place in England at Thornfield. This is Bertha's point of view as experienced from her attic room.
This story is vivdly detailed, beautifully written and very interesting, even more so if you're familiar with Jane Eyre's story. I'm guessing over the years many readers have lamented the literary treatment that Bertha received, and Rhys more than makes up for it here. Bertha and, surprisingly, Mr. Rochester are analyzed sympathetically. Mu...more
Part I tells the story of Bertha's childhood in the West Indies from her own point of view. It outlines her relationship to her mother, her few aquaintances, and her homeland.
Part II is from the point of view of Bertha's new husband (an unnamed Mr. Rochester) and details his reaction to disspelled secrets about his new wife. Part III takes place in England at Thornfield. This is Bertha's point of view as experienced from her attic room.
This story is vivdly detailed, beautifully written and very interesting, even more so if you're familiar with Jane Eyre's story. I'm guessing over the years many readers have lamented the literary treatment that Bertha received, and Rhys more than makes up for it here. Bertha and, surprisingly, Mr. Rochester are analyzed sympathetically. Mu...more
