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Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë

4.13 · Rating details · 1,623,567 ratings · 42,285 reviews

Jane Eyre is a wildly emotional romance with a lonely heroine and a tormented Byronic hero, pathetic orphans, dark secrets, and a madwoman in the attic. When it was
published in 1847, it was a great popular success. The power of the writing, the masterly
handling of the narrative, and the boldly realistic style were much admired. But many found it difficult to believe that ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published May 1st 1991 by Running Press Book Publishers (first published October 16th 1847)

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May 02, 2010 Nataliya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-kickass-heroines, i-also-saw-the-film, books-from-childhood-revisited, 2012-reads, my-childhood-bookshelves

Yes, I suppose you can view this book mostly as a love story. That's what I did at age 13 - but that's why I was left disappointed back then¹.

Or you can view this as an story of formation of a strong and independent female protagonist, a nineteenth-century feminist, light-years ahead of its time. And that's what left my now-closer-to-thirty-than-twenty self very satisfied and, quite frankly, rather impressed.²

¹(view spoiler)

Yes, I suppose you can view this book mostly as a love story. That's what I did at age 13 - but that's why I was left disappointed back then¹.

¹(view spoiler)

² "I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience."

Sing it, Jane. You tell him, you strong and awesome woman, you!

When I read it for the first time as a young and opinionated teen, I thought Jane Eyre was a boring and meek protagonist, too clingy to her 'outdated' morals, too afraid to do what I thought was a brave thing to do - say 'yes' to the apparent happiness that poor tragic Mr. Rochester was offering. (Oh naive young me, putting way too much stock in Rochester's woes after his (view spoiler)[first marriage (hide spoiler)], sleeping with everyone in Europe and rejecting them probably because they were not English enough for him!) Wow, was there ever a way to misunderstand a book more than I did this one? Sometimes life experience does matter indeed.

Jane Eyre has a good idea of her self-worth. And she has a good idea about her own morals. And, unlike many in her situation, she sticks to her morals and her idea of what is wrong or right regardless of what outcome is in it for her. Here is the prime example:

"Gentlemen in his station are not accustomed to marry their governesses."

The emphasis in this well-intentioned advice by Mrs. Fairfax is on the word MARRY. Ah, silly old lady, one may think, cautioning the young woman in such a prudish way. Ah, silly young woman, taking the advice of the old lady and acting prudishly. Ah, silly young woman, eventually rejecting the sincere love and offer of happiness for a seemingly prudish reason - not wanting to be a mistress. So old-fashioned and weak and caged-up, screamed my thirteen-year-old self.

But here's the thing. It's not just for the moral lesson for the readers that Bronte has Jane firmly say 'no'. It's not for the sake of mere societal appearance. It's for the sake of Jane, and Jane alone. MARRYING governesses was uncommon. Having them as mistresses - probably not as rare. In her society, protecting her virtue and reputation was not only the matter of religious views or stigma - it was the question of her future, as she had nobody to stand up for her if her reputation was ruined. And it was a question of her integrity - the quality that she maintains through thick and thin, refusing to fall head over heels for love, refusing to let love justify all the mistakes and wrong choices, refusing to let love blind her to everything else that was important for her sense of self-worth.

By refusing Rochester, Jane stays so true to herself without ever betraying herself. Jane refuses to take the steps that would destroy her integrity in her own eyes, and for that she has my strongest and most sincere respect and admiration. What Rochester did is unthinkable to her - not because of how others view it but because of her morals and convictions - and she shows unbelievable courage in sticking up for what she believes in, even if it is to her own material and soul-wrecking detriment. She will not give herself fully to something - or someone - that would destroy her integrity, tarnish her own self. And I love her for this unwavering determination to stay true to herself!

"Reader, I married him" may be one of the most famous phrases from this book (actually, the most famous, come to think of it) - but it is her refusal to marry him in the first place that allows her to keep her integrity and remain true to self, and continue developing into the amazing person she becomes. Jane has too much self-worth to have Rochester until he redeems himself in her eyes, until he repents. That's the point, not the marriage part.

Despite self-proclaimed meekness, Jane Eyre is far from weak or scared. She has been forced to make her own way in life without the luxury of relying on a rich male relative - father, brother, husband. And she did this in the world where being attached to a man was the best choice for a woman (just remember Jane Austen's heroines a few decades earlier reaching happiness only after finding a suitable gentleman!). She is a rebel - setting out to have her own career in a male-dominated world, refusing to let a man rule her life (that applies to both Rochester and St. John here), and making statements that may have not had the most sympathetic audience back in her day:

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, to absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex."

And here's what else I enjoyed about this book - its attempts to subvert the tropes, the same tropes that we still heavily rely on in literature. Bronte gets rid of the 'faultless' heroine - instead of being perfect (or having an imaginary flaw, like many literary heroines are prone to nowadays) Jane has a real one (for her time, at least) - her occasional temper. And she is not beautiful - not fake flaws, either but a consensus by many impartial observers that she is not a beauty. And to take it a step further - Mr. Rochester, our romantic lead, is quite frankly, rather ugly. This is not a beautiful couple (and Hollywood managed to "fix" that in all the movie adaptations, by the way - a slap in Bronte's face, I guess?). Jane is not in love with a pretty façade of Rochester - since he has none (a thing that contemporary writers should learn, by the way - writing love that stems from something else that simple attraction to physical beauty).

And finally, the atmosphere of this story. Oh, the wonderfully gothic atmosphere written so well, with intense moods palpable in every paragraph. So colorful, so vivid, so immersing - every room, every moor, every tree. Every description of landscape or interior actually serves a purpose to establish the mood of the scene, and it is very well-done.
.................................
All that said, I'm giving a condescending pat on the shoulder to my teenage self from the 'wisdom' of another fifteen years. Sorry, teen Nataliya, you little annoying know-it-all - you just needed to grow up to appreciate this story. 4.5 stars and high recommendation. ...more

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Feb 26, 2014 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, love-and-romance, darkness-horror-gothic, 5-star-reads, feminism

Reader, I gave it five stars. Please let me tell you why.

Jane Eyre is the quintessential Victorian novel. It literally has everything that was typical of the period, but, unlike other novels, it has all the elements in one story. At the centre is the romance between Jane and Rochester, which is enhanced by gothic elements such as the uncanniness of the doppleganger and the spectre like qualities of Bertha. In addition, it is also a governess novel; these were an incredibly popular type of stor ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ye-old-bois, 2018-abc-reading-challenge, audiobook

Old books get a bad rap...but do they deserve it? Check out my latest BooktTube Video - all about the fabulous (and not so fabulous) Olde Bois.

The Written Review

"Though you have a man's vigorous brain, you have a woman's heart and--it would not do."

"It would do," I affirmed with some disdain, "perfectly well.

Oh Jane, you wondrously bold and beautiful gal.

After she was orphaned, Jane Eyre was sent to live with her maternal uncle and his wife (Mrs. Reed). When her uncle ...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Vinaya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-loved, re-reading-times-1-million

FIVE REASONS WHY JANE EYRE WOULD NEVER BE A BESTSELLER IN OUR TIMES:
5. Four hundred-odd pages of purely descriptive writing
4. Overt religious themes and moral preaching
3. A plain-Jane heroine who stays plain. No makeovers to reveal a hitherto hidden prettiness that only needed an application of hydrogen peroxide and some eyebrow plucking to emerge full-blown.
2. The world is not well-lost for love. In the war between self-respect and grand passion, principles win hands down. Rousing, yet tender s FIVE REASONS WHY JANE EYRE WOULD NEVER BE A BESTSELLER IN OUR TIMES:
5. Four hundred-odd pages of purely descriptive writing
4. Overt religious themes and moral preaching
3. A plain-Jane heroine who stays plain. No makeovers to reveal a hitherto hidden prettiness that only needed an application of hydrogen peroxide and some eyebrow plucking to emerge full-blown.
2. The world is not well-lost for love. In the war between self-respect and grand passion, principles win hands down. Rousing, yet tender speeches do not make our heroine forsake her creed to fall swooning and submissive into her alpha's arms.
1. NO SEX!!!

When I was a little girl, I had a doll named Saloni. Now Saloni wasn't a particularly attractive specimen as dolls go, especially since, over the years, I had drilled a hole in her little rosebud mouth in order to 'feed' her, I had 'brushed' her hair till all the poor synthetic threads had fallen out and I had dragged her around with me so much, one of her big blue eyes had fallen off. But in my eyes, Saloni was the best doll ever created. She was my comfort, my mainstay in a world filled with confusing new things like school and daycare and other little people. Jane Eyre is my grown-up version of Saloni. Comfort food for my brain.

There are two authors I will read over and over and over again, until the day I die. One of them is Charlotte Bronte, the other one is Georgette Heyer. I have read Jane Eyre a million times, but I never tire of the story. Every time I reach the scene where she professes her love to Mr. Rochester, I come out in goosebumps. Every single time. Age and experience have taught me to spot the flaws in the story and the characters. The ineffable belief in English superiority. The condescending attitude towards servants and people of the lower class. The ill-treatment of mentally disabled people. The almost Quaker-ish sentiments of Jane Eyre. But all of this detracts not a whit from one of the greatest love stories ever told.

And there are a lot of things to admire in this book as well. Edward Rochester, ugly as sin, but powerful and dominant and unbelievably attractive in spite of his looks. A love that grows and strengthens on the basis of mutual sympathy, respect and a meeting of the minds, that a lot of our authors would do well to learn from. Jane Eyre, who does not think that her great love excuses acts of selfishness and immorality. Despite being drawn as a somewhat submissive personality, Jane manages to hold her own with quiet fortitude, never loudly asserting her intelligence or talent, but nonetheless displaying a strength of character that would put the Bellas and Noras of out time to shame.

Jane Eyre would never, as I have said above, be a bestseller if it had been written in our times. And that is a loss we must take upon ourselves. That we have put such prime value on lust and looks and power that we have forgotten to be real in our writing. There is a reason why millions of people the world over remember and revere a book written a hundred and fifty-odd years ago while the bestsellers of our times slip quickly and quietly from our memories. Jane Eyre is more than just a beautiful book about a love story that transcends all boundaries; it is a testament to the power of pure emotion, that can be felt through the ages and across all barriers of time and culture. ...more

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Jun 21, 2007 Cristin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites

I could bang Mr. Rochester like a screen door 'till next Tuesday. That's not all I got from this book, honestly...

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Apr 14, 2017 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it liked it · review of another edition

I feel like an ass saying this but... who actually thinks this is a cute romance!? What the actual f!!

Now that this is out of the way.

I did like Jane as a character and I also liked the portion of the book about her childhood but the two RoMaNcEs were train wrecks and if I hear anyone say they love M. Rochester I will forever judge you.

Pride and Prejudice > Jane Eyre

There I said it. ...more

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Jun 17, 2017 Jeffrey Keeten rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gothic, victorian, english-literature

“‘Jane, be still; don't struggle so like a wild, frantic bird, that is rending its own plumage in its desperation.’

‘I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.’”

I am glad that in 1847 Charlotte Bronte made the decision to publish her novel under a male pseudonym. Currer Bell had a much better chance of being published than Charlotte Bronte and, with reviewers and readers assuming that she was in fact a male writer, al ...more

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Apr 30, 2015 emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, school, classics, recommend, beautifully-written, slump-worthy, 5-stars, favorites-2016, gorgeous-covers, dark

I am a very pretentious person.

I try to seem “hip” and “cool” and “relatable” and “down with the teens” - and of course I totally am all of those things - but also I have my tendencies toward pretension. It’s who I am. Just last night I shuddered at the idea of popular music, like some kind of eight-hundred-year-old gremlin.

I am not proud of this side of me, but it’s who I am. And also it is important background information for you, dear Reader, going into this review. (That direct address to yo ...more

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May 30, 2008 Cecily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: race-people-of-colour, classics, historical-fict-pre-20th-c, sexuality-gender-lgbtq, aaabsolute-favourites, mental-health-victorian-madness

Child neglect, near death, a dash of magical realism, the power of love, the powerlessness of the poor, sexual rivalry, mystery, madness and more. It is as powerful as ever - but is it really a love story, given Rochester's Svengali-tendencies, or is it a life story? His downfall and her inheritance make them more equal, but is it really love on his part? I'm not sure, which is what makes it such a good book (just not necessarily a love story). I also like the tension between it being very Victo ...more

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Fabitha This is a great review. And also it spawned amazing discussions!

There was a book of Austen's quotes named "What would Jane do?": well, when I hear tha This is a great review. And also it spawned amazing discussions!

There was a book of Austen's quotes named "What would Jane do?": well, when I hear that I always think of Jane Eyre. She's been on my mind for quite some time now and I think I'm ready to re-read the novel, in its original language for the first time - now that I feel like I can without losing subtle meanings.

I think Jane is my favorite character of all times. Her integrity and moral compass stroke me so hard at a time when I was wavering, and I can say she (and Charlotte at that) truly helped me forging some part of my identity that were already there but I'd never given too much thought about before. I'm forever grateful I read it at the exact moment I did.

I won't lie, I've been kind of a Rochester fan to this point. Coming from a huge teen crush on Mr. Darcy, in my mid-twenties he just looked like the perfect upgrade, so to speak (and I can see the problems here, too, which is exhilarating and confusing honestly). Now I feel like I'm maybe more aware of certain topics (i.e. obviously, the mad woman in the attic, the psichological manipulation, or the age&power&status topic which is not so minor to me given the overall circumstances). I want to see if I'd still have a soft spot for him despite all of the above, and what I can make out of it about myself.

I'm very curious to see what Jane Eyre will mean to me in my thirties, since I agree this is a story that can give us so much in different moments of our lives - and that's what a classic would do.

On a side note, I never thought Jane Eyre as a romance novel, even if it's broadly marketed as one. I see it more like a coming-of-age story, or a fictional autobiography since Jane tells us her story (I don't even know if that's a proper genre, but still). Love plays a major role, yes, but as you said it's between us and Jane, and most important of all between Jane and herself.

I think her actions came not only from an inner sense of self-respect, but are also the final act of love to what she knows she can't compromise, because she loves that parts of herself . This is the greatest lesson of all to me, to learn and discern what you really love and respect about yourself and stand true to it.

About the ultimate villain, I'm not sure I would put that kind of label on anyone. Everyone played their parts, and they resulted in influencing Jane into what she is one way or another - mostly showing her what she wouldn't want to become. And this is life: sometimes we have no control on the events or the people that enter our lives, but we still have to deal with them without losing ourselves. Yes, they were awful, but Jane is aware that's their problem, she would never be judged for their actions, only for hers. This is her victory, the one that doesn't need vengeance and steams directly from her staying true to herself, over and over again, in the face of every temptation and danger. That's what makes her a heroine to me. ...more
Oct 20, 2020 06:57AM

Cecily Fabitha wrote: "This is a great review. And also it spawned amazing discussions!..."

Thanks, and yes, the discussion has evolved nicely over the years ...more
Oct 20, 2020 10:09AM

Aug 09, 2013 Dana Ilie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-literature

For years I've been saying that Jane Eyre is my favorite novel of all time--
and that it is. The character of Jane is, to me, one of the most admirable and appealing fictional characters of all time. Poor and plain she may be, but her spirit is indomitable.

In an era when women were expected to be brainless and ornamental, Jane (through the words of Charlotte Bronte) refused to bow to those expectations

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Mar 05, 2020 Ilse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: uk, favourites, 2020

The kind of novel that makes one believe in love (again) - or at least desire to hold on to the illusion.

Likely my favourite read for 2020.

For the time being, just basking and swooning.

inebriated.

Speechless.

I know it's out of fashion
And a trifle uncool
But I can't help it
I'm a romantic fool

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Jan 08, 2013 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: required-reading-high-school, read-more-than-once, classic, 2017

I read this book back in High School. I hated it. I thought it was boring and stupid and all I wanted to do was spread the word that this book was terrible and no one should read it. I had it marked one star on Goodreads and it had a home on my least favorite shelf.

Well, I have been waiting years to find the perfect place to use this gif:

I reread in late August, early September 2017. I have to say that I should probably reread everything I read bank in High School to get a better perspective.

I ...more

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Apr 27, 2020 jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

mr. rochester walked so every other tall, dark, handsome, and broody male character could run. and thats the that on that.

i really dont have much else to add that hasnt already been said about this book, considering its been around for 150+ years. but i will admit how impressed i am with how modern this story feels. i think thats a key factor in why i enjoyed this so much - because it doesnt feel like a classic to me.

not only is the writing very accessible and incredibly easy to read, which i d ...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, i-can-tame-the-bad-boy, historical-fiction, literary-stuff, made-me-think, oldies-but-goodies

I'm bumping Jane Eyre up to the full five stars on this reread. It has its Victorian melodramatic moments (horrible aunt! and cousins! (view spoiler)), but overall I found this story of a plain, obscure girl determined to maintain her self-respect, and do what she feels is right even in the face of pressure, profoundly moving. And I'm a romantic, sorry/notsorry, so that aspect totally sucked me in too ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-reads, historical, classics, read-in-2018, romance

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

Okay, so high school Melanie did not appreciate Jane Eyre! But thankfully, many years later, and because of a few friend’s encouragement, I have seen the light and righted my wrongs, because this reread proved to me how much of a masterpiece Jane Eyre truly is.

This is a very beloved book, that stars an orphan girl name Jane that is trying to figure out the world around her. She’s searching for w ...more

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Oct 05, 2013 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, to-reread-and-annotate, classics, favourites, best-of-the-best-ever, 2018

2018 - I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Thandie Newton! It's beautiful!

2016 - I think this may be my favourite book of all time.

Video Review -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E8ys...

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 11. A book from the Rory Gilmore Challenge ...more

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Jun 08, 2008 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-book, fiction, romance, 19th-century, classics, literature

(904 From 1001) - Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre (originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë, published under the pen name "Currer Bell", on 16 October 1847, by Smith, Elder & Co. of London, England.

The novel is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the title character. The novel's setting is somewhere in the north of England, late in the reign of George III (1760–1820).

It goes through five distinct stages: Jane's childho ...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Henry Avila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of the most beloved novels in history for many generations ; "Jane Eyre" is set in England in the 1800's . The story of a neglected girl orphan of that name who never gives up her dream of happiness, no matter how remote a possibility, this goal can ever be reached. Hated by her cruel Aunt Mrs. Sarah Reed (NOT A BLOOD RELATIVE), and cousins Eliza, jealous of her more beautiful but spiteful sister Georgiana, and abused by them both. They look down at the beggar, this little poor girl this imp One of the most beloved novels in history for many generations ; "Jane Eyre" is set in England in the 1800's . The story of a neglected girl orphan of that name who never gives up her dream of happiness, no matter how remote a possibility, this goal can ever be reached. Hated by her cruel Aunt Mrs. Sarah Reed (NOT A BLOOD RELATIVE), and cousins Eliza, jealous of her more beautiful but spiteful sister Georgiana, and abused by them both. They look down at the beggar, this little poor girl this imposition, why is she here ? They show every day their contempt, not even bothering to hide it . It would be so nice everyone thinks, if Jane wasn't there. Her miserable, tormented life seems everlasting no escape, where would she go ? And treated like a lowly servant not a loved relative, she the orphan has to keep her feelings to herself. Bessie the nurse maid, is the only person that treats Miss Eyre kindly, secretly of course. The frosty aunt very reluctantly raised Jane, until the age of ten, then gladly Mrs. Reed sends the unwanted prepubescent Jane , to a charity school Lowood's, run by a clergyman the tyrannical Mr. Brocklehurst, he forgot the teachings of Jesus . Harshly treated there too, as are the other students (Jane is hungry and cold, often), by the director Brocklehurst, a man that believes in discipline, except for his own luxury- loving family ! Jane grows up a lonely woman with few friends, only one in fact fellow student Helen, (there for a short time) she hopes there has to be something better than mere existence. Leaving the horrible school after eight long years, the last two as a teacher the teenager gets a job as a lowly and paid little, governess , in a gloomy mansion far away. Her new "master" is the rather distant and frightening Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester, a mysterious man that spends little time at home. Jane becomes attractive to the not very attractive Rochester, many questions are left unaccountably unanswered at Thornfield Hall. The little girl Adele, the governess teaches and takes care of sometimes. Along with her French nurse, Sophie, is she Rochester's child or just his ward ? Those strange horrific noises up on the third floor , dreadful, devilish and inhuman laughs in the middle of the night, what is causing them ? How did the owner of the house make all his money ? Will Rochester marry the beautiful but greedy woman Blanche Ingram, she despises Miss Eyre and make her leave Thornfield Hall. Will the plain Jane ever find a place to call her own and find love and contentment ? This classic book written by one of the brilliant but short- lived Bronte sisters Charlotte, will not disappoint readers of great literature, still worth the effort after more than a century and a half of its existence ... it will continue for who knows how long ? ...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Ellen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, favorites

[The picture disappeared which made the comments rather irrelevant.:]

description

…Oh course, Rush Limbaugh is nuts.

In December 2007, on a radio show with an audience of 14.5 million, Limbaugh asked this question about the former first lady's presidential prospects, after an incredibly unflattering picture of her had surfaced: "Will Americans want to watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis? I want you to understand that I'm talking about the evolution of American culture here, and not so much Mrs Clinton," Limbaugh told his audience. "It could be anybody, and it's really not very complicated. Americans are addicted to physical perfection, thanks to Hollywood and thanks to television” (news.com.au).

Interestingly and at the same time, we have John McCain, another presidential prospect, who was 71 years old [11 years older than Hillary Clinton:]. Somehow this is different. Society has agreed that women age, and men grow more distinguished. Ah, bullshit. McCain looked plenty old and acted like an irrational coot.

However, the more important point is how little we've changed. Women still must be beautiful. And, for the most part, beautiful women still populate contemporary fiction. Consider how brave it was, then, for Charlotte Brontë to insist on a "plain" heroine. Brontë emphasizes Eyre's plainness as if challenging the reader to reject her. The impact of presenting such a heroine may be gauged by a male critic (a 19th century Limbaugh) in the Westminister Review (1858), who writes, "Possibly none of the frauds which are now so much the topic of common remark are so irritating, as that to which the purchaser of a novel is a victim on finding he has only to peruse a narrative of the conduct and sentiments of an ugly lady" (Showalter 123).

Despite ignoring the classic paradigm of either having a beautiful heroine or a heroine--ostensibly plain--who later "blooms," Brontë makes us forget that neither Jane nor Rochester are physically attractive. From the opening scene, Jane's personality dominants the horizon. Having endured the young master's abuse for some time, Jane strikes back and, as punishment for her passion, is banished to the red room. The room is chill, garish, and where Mr. Reed died. Jane's cries to be released are ignored, and she falls into unconsciousness.

Although Jane suffers no lasting harm, her thoughts before she is thrust into the room isolate well why her path will be harder than fate had dictated already:

I know that had I been a sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping child—though equally dependent and friendless—Mrs. Reed would have endured my presence more complacently; her children would have entertained for me more of the cordiality of fellow-feeling; the servants would have been less prone to make me the scapegoat of the nursery.

While beauty and its attendant charms would have made Jane’s life easier, it would have lessened her complexity as a character. Again and again, Jane cannot sit back and depend on the free pass beauty often accords, but must choose to give up or to fight her way through. Jane chooses to fight, and it is her passion, wit, and intelligence that make her an unforgettable heroine.
...more

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Aug 27, 2007 Gabriella Risatti rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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

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Jun 25, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

"I love reading", says a 15-year-old girl in class today.

This is so unusual that I smile like a maniac.

"Really? I am so glad to hear that. What are you reading at the moment?"

"Jane Eyre, and it is very hard to understand, but I am 100 pages into it now, and I think it is great!"

"Jane Eyre? Jane Eyre?"

I feel like a young woman who thought she was dedicated to an old, grumpy, blind man and realises there is a vital, young Mr Rochester waiting to be adored again and again underneath the surface.

Ca ...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, adult, all-time-favorites, audio-books, historical-romance, oh-yeah-baby, historical-fiction, i-loved-it, romance, 2015-reads

I often think of classics as "required reading," usually accompanied by a barely suppressed groan. Because, surely, they can't actually be any good. I'm not sure why I've always associated well-known and well-loved classics as such, but I suppose it must be the expectation to love it just as much as the world. It's silly, I know. A person can't be expected to love all books, classic status or not, but still, I wondered if I would enjoy it.

Jane Eyre is one of those novels that proves me completel I often think of classics as "required reading," usually accompanied by a barely suppressed groan. Because, surely, they can't actually be any good. I'm not sure why I've always associated well-known and well-loved classics as such, but I suppose it must be the expectation to love it just as much as the world. It's silly, I know. A person can't be expected to love all books, classic status or not, but still, I wondered if I would enjoy it.

Jane Eyre is one of those novels that proves me completely wrong and I'm glad of it. It is not beloved simply due to its age or progressiveness or pretentious nature, but because at its heart it's a damn good book. Lyrical, emotional, and captivating, Brontë makes you beg and plead sweet, emotional reprieve. You hunger for it, but she holds on to it ever so slightly -- not to the point of frustration, but instead leaves a trail of bread crumbs to keep you from starving. And the best part is that you delight in every moment. Brontë made my emotions work for that happily ever after with the irresistible OTP: Jane and Mr. Rochester.

At the same time, while I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic aspect, I was also equally intrigued with Jane Eyre's life in general. While at times she lived under horrible circumstances, her resilience was nothing short of admirable. She never let her hardships define her as a person or let it compromise her morals even when she was at her lowest. In the end, her luck does turn around and she finds happiness, which at times I felt was way overdue.

Thandie Newton's narration was even better than I expected. Her voice brought the novel to life and at times, I could have sworn several different people narrated instead of just her. It was very apparent that she had a healthy amount of respect for the novel, and her reading, imparted the same into me. It felt like her voice said, "These words are amazing, this prose is magic, this story enchanting. I'm thrilled to be reading them to you. Let's bask in in Brontë's brilliance together." Who could say no to that? I was very impressed and believe listening to this version was the best decision for me. I never was once bored because Newton demanded all my attention.

This is the first time that I've read Jane Eyre and I'm glad I did at this point in my life where I'm fully able to appreciate the various themes conveyed. That's not to say I wouldn't have understood certain things, but I'm sure there are lots of books where we come away thinking, "Wow, this was exactly what I needed right now." It's even more surprising and intriguing that it's a novel written over 100 years ago that appeals to me even now. Ah, the joys and magic of literature!

All the things that I love in a good book was here and more: masterful character development, interesting plot, and OMG, the witty dialogue. I could have read an entire book composed of Jane and Mr. Rochester's banter alone!

This book brought me many happy sighs and I'm thrilled to have found a new all-time favorite in a classic tale. Definitely an oldie, but goodie for sure.

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May 20, 2017 İntellecta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte is composed of many wonderful dialogues. The author likes it very much because it is wonderful, alive and intense in my mind. This book is highly recommended for all readers who love to read love stories and have a fascination with historical styles.

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Jun 22, 2020 Greta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 19-century, best-reviews, british-literature

The maddest Victorian love story ever written

I recently discovered that Charlotte Brontë was a masterful writer. In 1847 she crafted the story of the quite rebellious and strong-willed Jane Eyre, an orphan that sees a lot of death early in life and grows up in an abusive environment. As she gets older and starts to work as a governess the plot emerges into a love story, that is disrupted by terror, violence and horror, caused by the mentally disordered and secretly hidden woman Bertha Mason, w ...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Grace Tjan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, victorian-lit, 5-star-reads, british-literature, the-bronte-parsonage, bbc-big-reads, 2009

Now I know why Charlotte Bronte said this of Jane Austen: "The passions are perfectly unknown to her: she rejects even a speaking acquaintance with that stormy sisterhood". I love Jane, but Charlotte REALLY knows how to write about passion, romantic or otherwise. If Jane’s books are stately minuets in which the smallest gesture has its meaning, Charlotte’s is a spirited, sweeping tango of duty and desire. A perfect blend of passionate romance, gothic mystery, romantic description of nature, soci ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Maureen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a reread for me and I’d forgotten just how much I loved it!

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Jan 26, 2009 Diane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-charm, movie-adaptation, classics, favorites, gothic

Jane Eyre makes me want to be a better person. Her goodness, her humility, her frankness, her passion, her fierce will and her moral compass are all inspiring.

And yet, I also love her faults. Jane has a temper, she gets jealous, she fights back, and at times she is too obedient, especially when given orders by overbearing men.

What is it about this gothic novel that still makes it a compelling read more than 160 years after it was published? I first came to this story, as I suspect many have, thr ...more

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Aug 12, 2020 Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This started out strong, enthralling me and wrapping me up in the Gothic world, but it did drag a bit in the middle. The ending was satisfying, and I truly loved all of the characters.

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Dec 20, 2008 Manny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: older-men-younger-women

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

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Dec 23, 2008 Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: To romantics of all kinds

Shelves: abused, angsty-read, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue, the-brontes, redemption, aar-top-100-romance, beauty-is-in-the-eye, tortured-hero, classic, flawed-hero

It seems silly to say that a book can affect you on a profound level. well I definitely believe in this power that a good book has. Jane Eyre is one of them. I cannot say that this was an easy book to read. But it was a book that I was very enriched by reading. Romance is a genre that is looked down on by many "sophisticated readers." Perhaps they would look down on Jane Eyre, but would probably get some eyebrows raised at them. Well Jane Eyre is the archetype for the romance novel. After having It seems silly to say that a book can affect you on a profound level. well I definitely believe in this power that a good book has. Jane Eyre is one of them. I cannot say that this was an easy book to read. But it was a book that I was very enriched by reading. Romance is a genre that is looked down on by many "sophisticated readers." Perhaps they would look down on Jane Eyre, but would probably get some eyebrows raised at them. Well Jane Eyre is the archetype for the romance novel. After having read thousands of them, I know a romance novel when I see it, and Jane Eyre does qualify. But it is much more than this. It's a story for the person who wonders why they keep trying to do the right thing, and persevering in life, instead of just taking what they want when they want it. If Jane Eyre had been that sort of person, she would not have gotten her happy ending. Instead, Jane walked away from the thing she wanted most in the world. She almost died doing what she felt in her heart was right. Had the story ended there, I probably would have detested this book. But it doesn't. We see Jane continue to grow and act as the phenomenal person that she was. Although often downtrodden, she is no meek mouse. She has a fighting spirit that keeps her going when others would have laid down and died. But despite being a fighter, she is not a user and abuser. It's hard at times for the difference to be clearly delineated. Well there is no question about Jane's level of strength and intregrity. Although it is made clear several times in this novel, that Jane is no beauty, her soul makes her a beautiful character. Beautiful in a more profound way.

There are moments when you feel, how can one person suffer so? But taking the journey, you realize that all Jane's suffering had a purpose. It refined her into a woman who could look beneath and love what others could never love or understand. It made her the woman who could love and heal Rochester.

At the same time, Rochester was made for Jane Eyre. He had searched his life for a woman like her, and made quite a few mistakes along the way. And out of love, he was able to let her go when he wanted to keep her. But she came back to him, when he needed her most.

Rochester is the hero that formed the archetype for many of my favorites: tortured, scarred, dark, enigmatic, all of those things. Best of all, loving little, plain, ordinary Jane with a fundamental intensity that pours out of the pages of this book into my heart as a reader. Despite his lack of perfection, I could not love him more.

Ah, how maudlin I sound. I can't help it. This book moved me to tears. Yet I smiled at the same time. I enjoyed the conversations between Rochester and Jane. There was a heat there, a passion. Yet this book is clean enough to read in Sunday school. That is grand romance. The journey so well expressed, that no sex scenes are needed. It's all there.

This novel is also inspirational. Not preachy, in my opinion, but for a believer, one can definitely find spiritual messages in this book. About perseverance, about not wearying about doing good. About the profoundness of God's love. It's all there, but in a narrative that expertly showcases it, not preaching it.

I feel I am failing to write the review I want to write for this book. The words do fail me. All I can say is that this book will always be a favorite of mine because of the way it touched my heart and challenged me.

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About Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë

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Charlotte Brontë was a British novelist, the eldest out of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. See also Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë.

Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the fam Charlotte Brontë was a British novelist, the eldest out of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. See also Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë.

Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, a remote town on the Yorkshire moors, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. This is where the Brontë children would spend most of their lives. Maria Branwell Brontë died from what was thought to be cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her spinster sister Elizabeth Branwell, who moved to Yorkshire to help the family.

In August 1824 Charlotte, along with her sisters Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, was sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, a new school for the daughters of poor clergyman (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre). The school was a horrific experience for the girls and conditions were appalling. They were regularly deprived of food, beaten by teachers and humiliated for the slightest error. The school was unheated and the pupils slept two to a bed for warmth. Seven pupils died in a typhus epidemic that swept the school and all four of the Brontë girls became very ill - Maria and Elizabeth dying of tuberculosis in 1825. Her experiences at the school deeply affected Brontë - her health never recovered and she immortalised the cruel and brutal treatment in her novel, Jane Eyre. Following the tragedy, their father withdrew his daughters from the school.

At home in Haworth Parsonage, Charlotte and the other surviving children — Branwell, Emily, and Anne — continued their ad-hoc education. In 1826 her father returned home with a box of toy soldiers for Branwell. They would prove the catalyst for the sisters' extraordinary creative development as they immediately set to creating lives and characters for the soldiers, inventing a world for them which the siblings called 'Angria'. The siblings became addicted to writing, creating stories, poetry and plays. Brontë later said that the reason for this burst of creativity was that:

'We were wholly dependent on ourselves and each other, on books and study, for the enjoyments and occupations of life. The highest stimulus, as well as the liveliest pleasure we had known from childhood upwards, lay in attempts at literary composition.'

After her father began to suffer from a lung disorder, Charlotte was again sent to school to complete her education at Roe Head school in Mirfield from 1831 to 1832, where she met her lifelong friends and correspondents, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. During this period (1833), she wrote her novella The Green Dwarf under the name of Wellesley. The school was extremely small with only ten pupils meaning the top floor was completely unused and believed to be supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young lady dressed in silk. This story fascinated Brontë and inspired the figure of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre.

Brontë left the school after a few years, however she swiftly returned in 1835 to take up a position as a teacher, and used her wages to pay for Emily and Anne to be taught at the school. Teaching did not appeal to Brontë and in 1838 she left Roe Head to become a governess to the Sidgewick family -- partly from a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world, and partly from financial necessity.

Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding, but her health declined rapidly and, according to biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, she was attacked by "sensations of perpetual nausea and ever-recurring faintness." She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855. ...more