Jane Eyre - Book Review

” There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning, but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question. ” This is the opening paragraph to the fascinating novel ‘Jane Eyre’ written in 1847 by the woman writer Charlotte Bronte, and yet Jane Eyre still remains a classic of 19th century literature.

Jane Eyre is romantic without being sappy or trite. The pace is nearly perfect and kept me turning pages to find out what happened. The story avoids becoming tedious, as some English novels are which proves that it’s easy to see why the book is such a classic. The main characters are multi-dimensional and very intriguing, Jane Eyre has almost too many characters but some are memorable simply because they seem so real.

The two characters that I found most interesting and memorable were of course Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester.

This novel is one of a kind; Jane Eyre is a young orphan with harsh relatives who ship her off to a school for underprivileged children. It is not the most pleasant place imaginable. She grows up there, and then goes to work as a governess under a mysterious man, Mr. Rochester. Despite all his harsh ways, she falls in love with him. But a dark secret threatens to destroy their love.

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It’s obvious that Rochester is attracted to Jane when he meets her. Although he’s 20 years her senior, and she are merely eighteen, there’s an instant attraction on both sides.

In my opinion I think she’s worried to commit to a man, because no one, properly, apart from her Uncle has ever loved Jane. And the first person she became close to – Helen Burns, a friend she made in Lowood School – died young. I can’t help thinking that Jane is so worried about starting a relationship because of her losses in her life. Her Mother, Father, Uncle and Helen. The only people who ever loved her were taken away from her. Does she think the same will happen to Rochester?

I’ve always thought Jane wasn’t not interested, but more scared, than anything else. The novel is filled with plot twists and mystery. Who is the mysterious tenant in the attic who once nearly burned the house down? Will the beautiful, but haughty, Blanche Ingram come between Jane and Mr. Rochester? These are just a couple of the questions, which need to be answered. The suggestive use of language and the magical quality of her writing, which distinguishes Charlotte Bronte qually from her predecessor Jane Austen and her successor George Elliot, is one of the characteristic aspects of her work… Charlotte Bronte , no less than her sister Emily, was a splendidly original artist. Charlotte Bronte has made Jane a very different figure from the standard nineteenth century heroine. She is strong-willed, defiant, confident, yet humble, and in short, a woman of purpose. By creating a character like Jane, Bronte sent a resounding beacon to women from all walks of life. Her message is simple, sometimes overlooked, but always present.

I believe that message to be that women are just as capable as men, that they possess hearts and minds as well, and that a woman is capable of a great deal more than just marrying. At the conclusion of ‘Jane Eyre’ we do not feel so much that we have read a book, as that we have parted from a most singular and eloquent woman, met by chance upon a Yorkshire hill, who has gone with us for a time and told us the whole of her life history. In my opinion being a fan of the Bronte sisters I knew that I’d really enjoy Jane Eyre.

Not only are their writing techniques really similar, but also they’re producing of characters are very alike too. Although Emily is that bit darker, and more gothic, and Jane is a bit more optimistic towards life, their characters all have bad times. Emily has more than one main character throughout her book, whereas Charlotte has chose Jane to be the main character, and remain that throughout the book. Although Emily writes in first person, the story is put from a few people’s point of view, whereas Charlotte is much tidier, and sticks to Jane telling the story throughout.

I think this reflects their personalities a lot. They were extremely different – Emily not one to stick to the rules but run off to a world of her own. Whereas, Charlotte on the other hand was much more grounded and stuck to the rules. You could say the same about Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in the respect of literature. Jane Eyre incorporates all genres, from romance to suspense, mystery to drama. I laughed, cried and just about tore my hair out. It seemed all things possible had arisen to keep the lovers from being together.

Did it ever happen; was there a happy ending? I guess you’ll just have to read to find out. This book is long, and uses old-fashioned language so it is not for everyone, but those in need of a really good romance, this is THE book! Jane Eyre is a good influence to anyone who’s gone through bad times, to show that you can get through them just as easily as her. Jane Eyre is a book you can never bore of, and you really can read it several times, and enjoy, and appreciate it more and more each time.