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thewillowwood's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
I loved this book. It has many flaws, to be sure, but it was one that I felt deeply connected to throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Antisemitism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
bobcat_thepagemaster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was the first time I have ever read Jane Eyre despite being an English major (how scandalous I know!!). Having read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte multiple-times and being one of my all-time favorite books, I knew I was in for a treat!
The book begins when Jane Eyre is a rambunctious young-girl. She is forced to live her aunt, Mrs. Reed, and cousins after the death of her parents. Jane is treated unfairly and punished by Mrs. Reed. Eventually, Jane is sent away to a girls school during this time she befriends a girl named Helen. The book continues to follow Jane throughout her life, she graduates from schools and teaches there for two years until she answers an advertisement for a governess. This is where we get to meet the dark, mysterious, and wealthy Mr. Rochester. We witness both Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre fall for one another knowing their love is forbidden due to the class divide and the fact that Mr. Rochester is still married to his wife, who he hides in the attic!
This book is considered a classic for good reason! It gives us modern readers a look into what life was like for young women in the 19th-century—what their limitations where when it comes to love, work, and opportunity. There’s politics, religion, love, and gothic spookiness all wrapped into one story. Charolette Bronte’s prose is unparallel! She began writing this book in 1846 yet feel very modern. It is intelligent, honest, and unforgiving. I believe everyone should read this book at some point in their life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny
madzie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
A classic for good reason. Bronte was a master of her craft. Despite being 500+ pages, every moment of this book is well-used. The plot may be slow to the modern reader, but everything pays off, and the tropes of the genre and personable characters make the reader continue reading no matter what is transpiring. Jane Eyre jumps off the page as a character well before her time but possibly even more relevant today than in Bronte’s time. Jane’s inner conflict drives the story and leads us to deeply consider our own lives and the lives of those around us in ways that very few authors have ever illustrated. Other characters support her story, and the themes astoundingly well as the reader tries to uncover their motives.
Unsurprisingly, Bronte writes beautiful, imaginative, addictive, and vivid prose that deeply touches her readers even hundreds of years later. Although outdated, Bronte’s writing still allows for such deep feelings, blunt ideas, and spine-chilling moments that modern readers will not find her as pretentious as some of her peers (or sisters). Themes create a deep consideration of our modern world and our interactions with others as well as literature in a way like no other.
This is a must-read classic that opens our eyes to women in modern society and history, as well as other topics of oppression, abuse, autonomy and individualism, and other ideas that are very pertinent to 21st-century life. If you love classics, you must pick one up. If you are interested in Jane Eyre but not classics typically, rest assured; this is an addictively good read that will keep you guessing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, and Suicide
Minor: Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
sgferguson's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
moa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
carolinecronj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I went into this without knowing anything about the plot and would recommend you to do the same if you are still unspoilered, because some of the turns of the plot really surprised me.
What I greatly enjoyed about the book is its superb writing. Charlotte Bronte's command of the English language is nothing short of astounding, and her description of the various setting and a treat to read.
However, my main problem with Jane Eyre is the romanticisation of abusive, manipulative and toxic character traits and relationships. I could not help but cringe at many of the supposedly sweet or romantic interactions throughout the book.
Furthermore, there are some deeply misogynistic archetypes, and the language throughout the book is at times ableist, racist and colonialist.
In its own time and society, Jane Eyre was in many ways a revolutionary piece of writing and I definitely recommend it to be consumed as a historic product of its time. But if you are looking for a sweet and unproblematic love story, you should be looking somewhere else.
What I greatly enjoyed about the book is its superb writing. Charlotte Bronte's command of the English language is nothing short of astounding, and her description of the various setting and a treat to read.
However, my main problem with Jane Eyre is the romanticisation of abusive, manipulative and toxic character traits and relationships. I could not help but cringe at many of the supposedly sweet or romantic interactions throughout the book.
Furthermore, there are some deeply misogynistic archetypes, and the language throughout the book is at times ableist, racist and colonialist.
In its own time and society, Jane Eyre was in many ways a revolutionary piece of writing and I definitely recommend it to be consumed as a historic product of its time. But if you are looking for a sweet and unproblematic love story, you should be looking somewhere else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cait's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
town_scar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
asililydying's review against another edition
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, and Xenophobia
erica_cronje's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Immediate Initial thoughts
Oh My Word.
I am absolutely in love with this novel. It is the perfect combination of character and plot and descriptive language. I adored annotating and as such, analyzing this novel and all it's characters. Everything was absolutely amazing, it was much better that Pride and Prejudice in my opinion, the entire character development, love story and progression of the love story, i just enjoyed it much more, it felt like there was more depth with the characters even though, there is arguably less information and character growth in Jane than in Pride. In simple terms, I enjoyed Jane more in every wat possible.
I am absolutely in love with this novel. It is the perfect combination of character and plot and descriptive language. I adored annotating and as such, analyzing this novel and all it's characters. Everything was absolutely amazing, it was much better that Pride and Prejudice in my opinion, the entire character development, love story and progression of the love story, i just enjoyed it much more, it felt like there was more depth with the characters even though, there is arguably less information and character growth in Jane than in Pride. In simple terms, I enjoyed Jane more in every wat possible.
Day-after-thoughts
I adored this book, have i mentioned that by chance?
There were so many aspects of this novel that just, it was just perfect, in my opinion. The characters, the plot, everything, the progression in the characters and such.
Plot and Characters: although it is not perhaps the most essential part of the novel, there is no lack of plot. The thing that made this novel so wonderful to read , is the characters and the plot intertwines with each other. The characters thoughts and actions are integral parts of the plot. The characters and the plot is not two different things, instead they work as a team, enhancing each other even more. For example, when Jane is shoved into the Red Room, we see her lash out, people commenting on her behavior and yet the plot moves on, they keep tying her to a chair, we keep seeing Jane's thought process, it should be a very chaotic scene, yet it is perfectly balanced.
There were so many aspects of this novel that just, it was just perfect, in my opinion. The characters, the plot, everything, the progression in the characters and such.
Writing Style: I am so absolutely in love with the writing style of Charlotte Bronte. the way that 'Jane' is constantly addressing the reader personally, it makes the entire experience just even more personal and you connect easier to Jane as a character. I wrote in an annotation on page 93,
Its almost like it is a long personal letter to a friend, almost like she wrote it for you.
Then the descriptions in general were absolutely gorgeous, of both Jane's thoughts, as well as what is around her, and her actions.
Chapter 2, pg. 13, "The reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear, very painful and crushing, but only half-intelligible.
Chapter 9, pg. 75, "When mists as chill as death. . .for the forest on its banks, that showed only ranks of skeletons.
pg.76. " Disease had thus become an inhabitant of Lowood, and deaths its frequent visitor.
My favorite of all though, is the descriptions of nature and feelings in general. They are personalized and due to this personalization, it just adds something so eloquently beautiful, it just reads beautifully, as often seen in the descriptions of the moon.
pg. 116, "a blue sea absolved from taint of cloud, the moon ascending it in her solemn march, her orb seeming to look up as she left the hilltops, from which she had come. . .
pg. 158, " Memory had giving given her evidence of the hopes, whishes and sentiments I had been cherishing since last night. . . Reason having come forward and told, in her own quiet way, a plain, unravished tale, showing how I had rejected the real and rapidly devoured the ideal.
the discussion of the themes: Bronte has various commentaries on the society of the time, the way love was seen and portrayed, gender roles and how they are enforced into people since birth, women being learned and expected to repress their emotions, as seen with Jane herself. Bronte intertwines it into characters that, if one is nor looking for it, it would be unnoticeable, yet it is prevalent throughout the novel.
In conclusion, there s nothing about this book that i do not love, it is is unbelievably perfect, from the plot, to the descriptions, to the commentary on society and all the themes prevalant in general.
In conclusion, there s nothing about this book that i do not love, it is is unbelievably perfect, from the plot, to the descriptions, to the commentary on society and all the themes prevalant in general.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness and Misogyny
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Colonisation