stephmcoakley's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Abandonment, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
kelisabeth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Blood, Classism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, and Sexism
mariekejee's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Over the last two weeks, I have accidentally become inundated with media concerning the autonomy of women. Sometimes, as in the case of the wonderful television series Fleishman is in Trouble, I find myself angered and moved. Other times, I just find myself angered, or worse, annoyed. Unfortunately for me, reading Jane Eyre only led to the latter.
I so badly wanted to dnf this book, but dnf'ing one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, and one with such a high rating at that, felt sacrilegious. Even after my mom had looked me in the eyes and implored me to pick a happier book, I stuck with it. Am I glad I did? Kind of. For sure, I'm glad I have a classic and feminist book like this under my belt, and I appreciate having a wider knowledge of classic literature. But that's a shallow reason for suffering through this book, for suffer I did.
I absolutely, absolutely hated reading about Jane's struggles as a kid. I hate reading about child abuse, and especially that which is so completely unfair, unreasonable and unwarranted. The first few chapters there is so little relief from it, that I could not help but feel angrier as I kept reading it. Of course Jane gets blamed for the abuse she suffers for no reason. Of course the school she gets sent to is so poorly run that the kids go hungry more often than not. Of course the teachers are strict and abusive. Of course her first friend dies within a couple of chapters of meeting them. After a couple of chapters, I almost became numb from the constant misery and injustice; I no longer had any expectations of a happy or comfortable future for Jane, or an enjoyable reading experience for me.
I don't need a happy book to be able to enjoy reading it. I read through I'm Glad my Mom Died and found it a great read, despite the majority of the book chronicling the abuse Jeanette McCurdy suffered at the hands of her mother. But therein lies the difference: I kept being angry at Charlotte Brontë for making me suffer through exhaustive descriptions of Jane being cast aside, unfairly treated, going hungry, wishing for death. She chose to write that, and while I understand why she did, I just plainly hated it. The actual, real world is highly unfair for so many people; I am not interested in fictionalised accounts of this injustice, and I'm especially uninterested in reading about the unfair treatment that women have historically suffered at the hands of men and further society.
As for the plot itself, I found no joy in reading it other than the few chapters Jane seems to settle at Thornfield, because at that point I had spent hours listening to Jane suffering through life and this is the first time she has finally found some peace for herself. There were some surprises for me in the plot, but most of them I had anticipated long before I got to read them. The surprises I did find were in the way she keeps being treated by the men in her life. There are four men of note in this story, and all of them () are abusive douchebags. Even St. John, the one man for whom I had hope, makes a 180 and spends the last pages of this book refusing to take no for an answer.
I so badly wanted to dnf this book, but dnf'ing one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, and one with such a high rating at that, felt sacrilegious. Even after my mom had looked me in the eyes and implored me to pick a happier book, I stuck with it. Am I glad I did? Kind of. For sure, I'm glad I have a classic and feminist book like this under my belt, and I appreciate having a wider knowledge of classic literature. But that's a shallow reason for suffering through this book, for suffer I did.
I absolutely, absolutely hated reading about Jane's struggles as a kid. I hate reading about child abuse, and especially that which is so completely unfair, unreasonable and unwarranted. The first few chapters there is so little relief from it, that I could not help but feel angrier as I kept reading it. Of course Jane gets blamed for the abuse she suffers for no reason. Of course the school she gets sent to is so poorly run that the kids go hungry more often than not. Of course the teachers are strict and abusive. Of course her first friend dies within a couple of chapters of meeting them. After a couple of chapters, I almost became numb from the constant misery and injustice; I no longer had any expectations of a happy or comfortable future for Jane, or an enjoyable reading experience for me.
I don't need a happy book to be able to enjoy reading it. I read through I'm Glad my Mom Died and found it a great read, despite the majority of the book chronicling the abuse Jeanette McCurdy suffered at the hands of her mother. But therein lies the difference: I kept being angry at Charlotte Brontë for making me suffer through exhaustive descriptions of Jane being cast aside, unfairly treated, going hungry, wishing for death. She chose to write that, and while I understand why she did, I just plainly hated it. The actual, real world is highly unfair for so many people; I am not interested in fictionalised accounts of this injustice, and I'm especially uninterested in reading about the unfair treatment that women have historically suffered at the hands of men and further society.
As for the plot itself, I found no joy in reading it other than the few chapters Jane seems to settle at Thornfield, because at that point I had spent hours listening to Jane suffering through life and this is the first time she has finally found some peace for herself. There were some surprises for me in the plot, but most of them I had anticipated long before I got to read them. The surprises I did find were in the way she keeps being treated by the men in her life. There are four men of note in this story, and all of them (
Spoiler
even the one she ends up marrying!!There are quite some things which are remnants from the time it was written, such as the classism and xenophobia, and the obsession with beauty. I can't fault the book for it, because no doubt it is just a relic of its time, but god, is there ever so much emphasis on the beauty of women as a signifier of not just their worth but their character.
Is it an important book? Most definitely. Is it well written and contains nice prose? Absolutely. Would I ever willingly expose myself to it again? Not a chance in hell. It's a good book - just definitely not for me.
(also: I love this comic of the Bronte sisters http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Confinement
musingsofazebra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Colonisation, Infidelity, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Abandonment, Classism, Death, and Suicide
theskyisthelimit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book was such an amazing read! I thoroughly enjoyed (and was deeply moved by) every second of it!
Spoiler
The ending was quite sad in a way; I had grown to like St. John, or perhaps I simply pity him, and I had hoped he would actually find love.Spoiler
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Abandonment
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a very slow paced book. The middle takes FOREVER to get through, but the beginning is strong and the end is so good! It is a darker book not a fluffy romance like Jane Austen. It is a dark romance but not the kind like nowadays where people get kidnapped and such. Overall, It was good and I get why it is a classic.
Quotes:
“Children can feel, but they cannot analyze their feelings.”
“I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste.”
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures.”
Quotes:
“Children can feel, but they cannot analyze their feelings.”
“I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste.”
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Classism and Incest
recycled_personalities's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Ok sooo it’s a wonderfully written book and the author is definitely talented. However, the story itself didn’t end up being my cup of tea. Rooting for the main character was super easy but her ending was not the one I was hoping for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Incest, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Classism, Death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness
Spoiler
Basically Jane gets in a relationship, and engaged to be wed, with a man that’s 20+ years older than her when she is 18, leaves him for like 10 months after having found out that he had another wife literally locked in his attic, and then at the end of the book she comes back to him when she’s 19. And the ending portrays it as a happily ever after. Yeah, not my vibe.lindseyhall44's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“To speak truth, I had not the least wish to go into company, for in company I was rarely noticed.“
Jane Eyre remains one of my favorite classics I have read this year, and ever. I look forward to returning to this masterpiece time and time again.
Jane Eyre follows orphan Jane as she navigates the cruel home of her aunt, desolate boarding school of Lowood, consuming gothic mansion of Thornfeild and its resident, and ultimately life in pursuit of moral/financial independence.
Jane is by far the most strong willed character I have ever encounter in literature. Her will for the good in life despite the horrors which she was subjected to growing up is truly remarkable. That being said, the journey through Jane’s adolescence through adulthood is tedious, and fans of fast paced novels might struggle with the length. However, Brontë is a master class in character development, and I love seeing the depth and complex nature of our protagonist.
For fans of beautiful writing, atmospheric setting, and an engaging plot, I would highly recommend Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre remains one of my favorite classics I have read this year, and ever. I look forward to returning to this masterpiece time and time again.
Jane Eyre follows orphan Jane as she navigates the cruel home of her aunt, desolate boarding school of Lowood, consuming gothic mansion of Thornfeild and its resident, and ultimately life in pursuit of moral/financial independence.
Jane is by far the most strong willed character I have ever encounter in literature. Her will for the good in life despite the horrors which she was subjected to growing up is truly remarkable. That being said, the journey through Jane’s adolescence through adulthood is tedious, and fans of fast paced novels might struggle with the length. However, Brontë is a master class in character development, and I love seeing the depth and complex nature of our protagonist.
For fans of beautiful writing, atmospheric setting, and an engaging plot, I would highly recommend Jane Eyre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Bullying, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Confinement, Child death, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
sienasarah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wonderfully romantic, dark, and capturing. A novel well beyond its time and one I return to time and time again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
mikarala's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Jane is still endearing despite her Victorian sense of propriety, but I don't think some elements of this novel stand the test of time. The romance didn't really work that well for me, but I really enjoyed the coming-of-age elements of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Ableism