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djwillie's review against another edition
Beautifully written. You feel the place, the people, the nuances of relationship. Jean Rhys conveys the emotions and bias of racial and gender repression well beyond the end of slavery. The wild beauty of the Caribbean is the metaphor, full of raw, savage disarray barely hiding unbearable truths.
amiewhittemore's review against another edition
4.0
Very intriguing take on Rochester's wife from Jane Eyre, as it follows his wife's life, and him, their meeting, the circumstances of their marriage. Beautifully written, complex, compelling. Worth your time.
teagan821's review against another edition
2.0
It's decent. I'm sick of reading about characters whose lives are a total wreck and they never want to do anything to help themselves. I guess go Jean for wanting to write a prequel, but as a book standing on its own, its pretty weak.
sara0_o's review against another edition
2.25
2.2/5
what was even the point. i havent read jane eyre but im glad i havent yet bc this probably wouldve been even more disappointing.
what was even the point. i havent read jane eyre but im glad i havent yet bc this probably wouldve been even more disappointing.
saxmansnyder's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, but not earth shattering either. It was an imaginative view into the backstory of Antoinette “Bertha” from “Jane Eyre”. Parts of it seemed more plausible than others. At times, it felt rushed and aspects of her past simply inserted for effect. It paints both Antoinette and Rochester as victims in a sense which can be inferred a bit from reading “Jane Eyre” as well.
nimzieee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Low-key a bummer
lvbopeep's review against another edition
2.0
The author is technically proficient and with Jane Eyre being one of my favorite books, I thought the subject matter was interesting. But, after a short 110 pages, I'm thoroughly confused. Was Antoinetta/Bertha really crazy? Or was she hooked on drugs by Christophone? Or by Mr. Rochester? Or what? I could not figure out the family relations, whether she was mulatto, white or ?. I had the critical edition, and found the footnotes to be fun to read but also distracting. I just did not get a clear idea of what actually happened to Antoinetta/Bertha and not sure I care enough to re-read.