The History Book Club discussion

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Jane Eyre
HISTORICAL FICTION
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JANE EYRE - BR
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Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
(last edited May 07, 2017 09:51PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 17, 2011 05:30PM



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message 2:
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Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
(last edited Feb 17, 2011 05:37PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Here is the link to the discussion guide for those folks interested:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97...
And the guide:
http://photo.goodreads.com/misc/12966...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97...
And the guide:
http://photo.goodreads.com/misc/12966...

message 4:
by
Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
(last edited Feb 18, 2011 06:07AM)
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rated it 5 stars
No problem; it is sort of historical fiction but I am setting this up - because of the goodreads challenge.
Worth discussing even if it takes awhile. This will only be a single thread discussion so use the spoiler html.
(view spoiler)
We would use the bracket < then the word spoiler then another > in front of the spoiler itself.
At the end of the spoiler, we would use a < then a /, then the word spoiler followed by >
Worth discussing even if it takes awhile. This will only be a single thread discussion so use the spoiler html.
(view spoiler)
We would use the bracket < then the word spoiler then another > in front of the spoiler itself.
At the end of the spoiler, we would use a < then a /, then the word spoiler followed by >
message 5:
by
Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
(last edited Apr 04, 2011 09:30AM)
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rated it 5 stars
Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the goodreads spoiler function.
If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.
The rules
You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:
First rule of Buddy Read,
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.
Second rule of Buddy Read,
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.
To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps;
Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >
Step 2. write your spoiler comments in
Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.
Your spoiler should appear like this;
(view spoiler)
Chapter 1
(view spoiler)
And please mark your spoiler clearly like this;
State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154
Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.
Examples of spoiler;
Chapter 24 pg 367
(view spoiler)
If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.
The rules
You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:
First rule of Buddy Read,
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.
Second rule of Buddy Read,
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.
To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps;
Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >
Step 2. write your spoiler comments in
Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.
Your spoiler should appear like this;
(view spoiler)
Chapter 1
(view spoiler)
And please mark your spoiler clearly like this;
State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154
Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.
Examples of spoiler;
Chapter 24 pg 367
(view spoiler)
You may start anytime you would like on this today April 4th. I will put an end date of four weeks out but feel free to still post. We have to include start and end dates for our planning and scheduling purposes.
Make sure to follow posts 4 and 5 to ensure that your posts are not deleted. This is a single thread discussion so remember that folks are at varying points in the reading. Thanks and enjoy.
Make sure to follow posts 4 and 5 to ensure that your posts are not deleted. This is a single thread discussion so remember that folks are at varying points in the reading. Thanks and enjoy.

It'll be nice to discuss with Bentley and Kristi and anyone else who joins in.





I just looked up Q. D. Leavis and found her on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q._D._Le... Her full name is Queenie Dorothy Leavis. (If my name were Queenie, I'd use "Q." as well. Yeesh.) She is a literary critic. In the Jane Eyre introduction, Leavis makes some interesting comparisons between "her predecessor Jane Austen and her successor George Eliot." Leavis also mentions that Dickens was writing his novels at the same time. I hadn't ever sat down and thought through how these authors related to each other in time, and how they may have influenced each other.
Authors mentioned:
Q.D. Leavis,



I think it is the same with American writers. Look at how the Alcotts, Emersons, and Thoreaus were contemporaries and living next door to each other (Concord, Massachusetts). In fact, if you visit there today, you can visit their homes all on the same street. And even take a short detour to Walden Pond and see Thoreau's cabin where his friends just walked to see him on a frequent basis.
Louisa May Alcott
Henry David Thoreau
Ralph Waldo Emerson



You would love Concord (right next door to Lexington which is great for history too). Concord is a lovely town and there is so much history there. Re-enactments on the old North Bridge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Nort...
Even Nathaniel Hawthorne lived for a time in Concord at the Old Manse (the Emerson home).
Nathaniel Hawthorne
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Nort...
Even Nathaniel Hawthorne lived for a time in Concord at the Old Manse (the Emerson home).



In the very first chapter of Jane Eyre, we see Jane spending time with History of British Birds. The introduction says, "This book provides the child [Jane] with images of storm, shipwreck and disaster, Arctic desolation and Alpine heights, death and mysterious evil -- images which seem to express her own bewildered sense of what life is like, since they correspond with her condition in the home of the Reeds, cruelly oppressed both physically and morally and above all suffering in her isolation from a passionate sense of injustice."
It is one of those subtle things that is fun to notice. Even if you don't notice how Charlotte is using books, it still helps create the feeling and set the stage. And isn't it interesting that this was something "original."


Sisters:



Oh, definitely. It is on the list. It is just a long, long list. Sigh.

there is a Teaching Company course on Emerson which is very good and goes thru these connections.
I would reccomend it if one is inclined to such lectures - maybe available at the local library

(Don't forget the author link, Vince. I know it kinda slips by when we don't mention a specific books.)


I had not noticed before that the book was originally published as if it were an autobiography and merely edited by Currer Bell. What a weird name for Charlotte to pick. Is Currer a more common name elsewhere in the world? I've never heard of it.
In addition, I'm glad we are mostly beyond the days when women had to use male names to get their books sold. Although it does go both ways. I know at least one author who is a man using a woman's name, since the books are more written for a female audience.


Chapter 3
(view spoiler) ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

I take it you don't know any Currers either?
message 27:
by
Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
(last edited Apr 11, 2011 11:42AM)
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Nope...and glad you are off and running. Good job with your post in message 25. Folks, Elizabeth has done it perfectly and when talking about the book this is exactly what it should look like for any discussion of the book. Remember this is a one thread discussion and folks could be anywhere in the book and we do not want to spoil it for anyone. Please note above that the comment which is hidden from view in the spoiler html cannot be seen unless clicked open. Additionally, Elizabeth has indicated for everyone what chapter this comment is for. So folks reading earlier chapters would not click "view spoiler".
Good job Elizabeth.
Good job Elizabeth.

By the way, just realized I forgot to add the book cover/author links back in message #16. Going back to fix it now.
Elizabeth S wrote: "(blush)
By the way, just realized I forgot to add the book cover/author links back in message #16. Going back to fix it now."
Just when I was praising you so highly - (smile)
By the way, just realized I forgot to add the book cover/author links back in message #16. Going back to fix it now."
Just when I was praising you so highly - (smile)
I just started reading this a few days ago, so I don't know if comments are still allowed. But anyway...
Through Chapter 9:
(view spoiler)
I am enjoying the book a lot. Let me know if the time is up for posting here.
Through Chapter 9:
(view spoiler)
I am enjoying the book a lot. Let me know if the time is up for posting here.


Through Chapter 9:
[spoilers removed]
I am enjoying the book a lot. Let me know if ..."
Response to your Chapter 9 comments:
(view spoiler)
Vicki, comments are always allowed and both of you are adding them the right way so that folks can jump in any time. I am also behind.
Yes, Elizabeth, this is my first time reading the book. I keep wondering what it would be like to read it without knowing the plot. Was that your situation?
I'm now up to Chapter 22, and I'm very impressed by her characterizations, particularly Mr. Rochester, but also Aunt Bell and cousins Eliza and Georgiana. And even though I know the plot, I keep wanting to see what happens next.
I'm now up to Chapter 22, and I'm very impressed by her characterizations, particularly Mr. Rochester, but also Aunt Bell and cousins Eliza and Georgiana. And even though I know the plot, I keep wanting to see what happens next.

I do remember that I knew nothing about the plot when I first read it. I remember being surprised by (spoiler for the ending of the book following, but someone who has seen the movie will know) (view spoiler) .
Books mentioned in this topic
Gulliver's Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. (other topics)Jane Eyre (other topics)
North and South (other topics)
Jane Eyre (other topics)
A History of British Birds (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
George Eliot (other topics)Jane Austen (other topics)
Louisa May Alcott (other topics)
Jonathan Swift (other topics)
Madeleine Brent (other topics)
More...