Jane Eyre in ♥ Nothing Better Than Reading!! ♥

Mar 09, 2017 Crissi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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I found this story to be brave and the theme completely relevant to now, even though it was written in the 1800s. It was written at a time when women had little to no rights, and yet, much of the story is Jane making a way for herself. We get to experience the transformation of her journey - from that of a dependent girl to an independent woman. She starts out going down the path provided for her by others, living the dreams of others and losing her voice in the meantime. But when faced with sev I found this story to be brave and the theme completely relevant to now, even though it was written in the 1800s. It was written at a time when women had little to no rights, and yet, much of the story is Jane making a way for herself. We get to experience the transformation of her journey - from that of a dependent girl to an independent woman. She starts out going down the path provided for her by others, living the dreams of others and losing her voice in the meantime. But when faced with several decisions that would completely erase her (though, offer her security), she takes the harder road and frees herself from a life of invisible servitude.

I found so much inspiration through her story. Jane Eyre was incredibly courageous in the choices she made, especially since she made them in a time when women really couldn't survive without a man to provide for them. Here in 2017, women have many more rights than they did in the 1800s. However, there are still lingering inequalities, as evidenced by how women are portrayed through advertisements and pop cultures, in the way our female politicians have been silenced, in how our reproductive rights are still being decided by men, in how domestic violence affects 1 in 3 women, how 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted...and more. The story of Jane Eyre is a reminder that women have a voice, and we should never back down or give up, even if it forces us through discomfort and struggle. If we give up our beliefs or dreams in favor of the easy road, we're liable to miss out on the life we're supposed to lead.

P.S. I combined reading and listening to the audio version of this book, allowing me to get through such a long novel in a relatively short period of time. I would listen to it on my commutes to and from work, and read it in my downtime. I highly recommend the audio version for those who have a hard time sitting with a novel of this length. For me, it forced me to slow down (I'm a fast reader) and absorb the story. Plus, the version I heard was read by Thandie Newton, and she was brilliant in her reading. She took on the persona of each character, giving them different voices and accents. I was never left wondering who was speaking, and the story became three dimensional. ...more

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