A review by bibliophilehag
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I first read this for my undergrad and I gave it a 5 star rating then! I think reading it again now I appreciate it and understand it much more. Wide Sargasso Sea is a sad and powerful read which is reminiscent of The Yellow Wallpaper. It is a history of women’s experience which has been told time and time again and never fails to be impactful. I think this text could be read as a prequel to Jane Eyre but I’d also like to read it after I read Brontë’s work too. 

Some reviews criticise Rhys’ disjointed writing style, and in that case, they have missed the entire point of the book. The little agency Antoinette has diminishes throughout the novel as her husband (Rochester’s) voice becomes dominant. Wide Sargasso Sea gives context to the madwoman in the attic and shows us that victim blaming, and the angel/monster trope is omnipresent.
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