Jane Eyre

The book that ‘emancipated’ the woman from the XIX century.

Name: Jane Eyre

Writer: Charlotte Brontë

Country: United Kingdom

Year: 1847

Genre: Romance

Synopses:

Jane Eyre is the fictional autobiography of a young woman that, after a childhood and teenage years deprived of affection, becomes the governess of Thornfield Hall and falls in love with its owner, Mr. Rochester. However, something unexpected might come and haunt her happiness.

Review

Jane Eyre is a dramatic but delicious romance, a book that surprised me and that I truly enjoyed reading.

The story is about a young woman in love with a hardened spirit, that, throughout the plot, is torn between what is right for others and what is right for herself. Narrated in first person, we get to know Jane Eyre’s childhood, teenage years and adult life.

Charlotte Brontë’s characters are very complex and interesting. I really liked all of them, especially Helen Burns, Miss Temple and Mr. Rochester. All of the characters that appear in Jane’s path, teach her something, but in my humble opinion, the two most important ones are Helen Burns and Miss Temple. They help ‘build’ the Jane that goes to live in Thornfield Hall, the Jane that learns to be more kind to herself when faced with others’ mistakes and flaws, to be more merciful and less bitter towards those who hurt her. I also loved the relationship between Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre, their conversations by the fireplace. However, what really charmed me was the fact that Charlotte Brontë created flawed characters and made it clear throughout the book. All characters have their own flaws and virtues. Mr. Rochester, for example, is not a romantic hero. He is a total mess! The author stripped him off beauty and, instead, gave him an unstable and eccentric personality, turning him into a lost soul. Yet, he still manages to be a delightful character, a man worthy of being loved by Jane and the reader.

As for Jane, I was admired and, sometimes, confused by her personality. Jane Eyre is a strong, just, tender and loving woman but is not given to sentimentality. Throughout the romance, I noticed that, unlike other books of the same genre, the protagonist doesn't whine or suddenly make romantic gestures, even though she is the narrator of the story. She is a character in love, but rational and practical, that knows her worth and considers it to be more important to have a clear conscience and remain true to herself, even if that means hurting or losing someone she loves.

I really enjoyed Charlotte Brontë’s writing style for the fact that it is fluid and full of poetic and biblical references, that are inserted in the story in a very intelligent manner. Even though there were moments in which I got bored with all the details, I found her writing to be rich and warm.

The narrative ends with a description of what happens to each character that appeared in Jane’s life. That was a detail that I truly enjoyed. And the entire atmosphere full of suspense and mystery that surrounded Thornfield Hall is absolutely fantastic! It not only makes us think but it also pushes us to continue reading.

Whisper of the Heart

Charlotte Brontë wrote many romances, but Jane Eyre is the most famous. Although today it is considered to be a masterpiece of british literature, in 1847, date of its first publication, it was seen as a threat to christian values, encouraging insubordination. I believe it was due to the several social critiques made by the author regarding women’s role in the Victorian era. Through Jane Eyre, Charlotte managed to demonstrate that women were capable of working and having a life of their own, regardless of being married or not.

However, I must confess that what stuck to my memory when I reached the end of the book was the importance of staying truthful to ourselves and the way people that pass by our lives shape us, even without us realising it. We have that example with Helen Burns and Miss Temple’s role in Jane’s life. Through those characters, one of the points ‘discussed’ in the first part of the book is that we shouldn’t let anger consume us and that we should forgive those who have harmed us, so that we don’t allow that rage to take deep roots in our hearts.

I also loved the gothic environment inserted in the narrative through the mystery that involves Thornfield Hall and the tragic events that take place throughout the story.

To sum it up, Jane Eyre is a wonderful classic that has a bit of everything: drama, romance, suspense, and that reminds us that truly loving someone is not only to love their virtues, but mainly their flaws.

I chose it for the topic “Romance Book” for the Ecletic Heart 30 Post Challenge.

Rating - 🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉 (9)