Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

64 reviews

lunar_moths's review against another edition

Was a really good book, it was just a bit to slow paced for me particularly being a student

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Bullying

Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Classism

avsdhpn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

My exposure to classic 19th century English literature is limited, but as compared to the contemporary writing of the time (such as Austen, Dickens, or Irvine), this had much better readability. The language used is not overly full of the flourishes popular of the time, and yet still reflects upon the rhetoric unique to the 19th century. The pacing was fair and only got bogged down in the extension of a few scenes within the book. 

The characters were well written, each having their own distinct and consistent personality. It is hard to gauge the plot of a book that has been out for close to 200 years, but I recognize this as the progenitor of many popular modern tropes within literature today, so it is hard to criticize the themes based on originality, but they were implemented well enough. 

 My only criticisms are few, just that perhaps a few scenes within the book have been expanded upon as compared to others to flesh out the dynamics between characters.

I put off reading this as I figured it was above my level but I, now, encourage others to give it a go if given the chance, especially if one enjoys gothic literature full of drama, injustice, and intrigue. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

treehouselibrary's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide and Physical abuse

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Confinement, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Child death, and Death

Minor: Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, and Racial slurs

voicenextdoor's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This is a hard no from me.
I really liked Jane and the writing was fine, and anything that didn’t involved the romance was fine, but Rochester is a toxic, manipulative, gaslighting prick.

I don’t care that he sorta, kinda stops being a complete dick after he loses everything. He’s a raging jealous creep even then.

The way psychosis is described in this book is disgusting and offensive. A complete dehumanizing of the person. For instance using the following to describe someone “beastly”, “savage”, “snarling”, “standing up on their hind legs”.  WTF.

I really, really don’t get why everyone stans this book so hard. From gross classism to unbridled misogyny to straight up abuse. Yuck. No.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Child abuse

bearystarry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Despite the … views of the time, I guess, and the fact that between the entire cast of characters there were about three redeeming qualities, I enjoyed listening to this book. The first two thirds were the most interesting and the last third sort of lagged for me but in general I guess I was just interested in the way Jane told her story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Body shaming, Ableism, Classism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Abandonment, Racism, Mental illness, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Incest, and Terminal illness

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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

marilla07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization