'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë

Genre: Bildungsroman

In light of Charlotte Brontë’s 205th birthday next week, I thought it would be very fitting to make this week’s book review on her most famous novel ‘Jane Eyre’. I assume most of you have read this novel from school or at least know the basic plot. Or perhaps you have seen one of the many screen adaptations that have been produced since the novel’s release in 1847. The story of Jane Eyre has been retold and reworked countless times, and I believe this is due to how interesting the plot and characters are in the narrative.

First of all, we must mention the infamous bachelor, Mr. Rochester; anyone else always been a sucker for Byronic heroes? It’s okay, we’ve all been there at least once! Mr. Rochester and his character always stood out to me while I was reading ‘Jane Eyre’ a few years ago. He is the penultimate bad boy, who the main female character thinks she can fix. Mr. Rochester is brooding, cold, and evidently hurt inside, the formula of a Byronic hero. But in him being a broken man, he makes the development of Jane as a character all the more worthwhile and satisfying to watch, or rather, read! Through Mr. Rochester’s trials and testing, through his secrets, lies, and betrayals, Jane discovers who she is, her worth, and comes out at the other end of the novel as an empowered woman.

Now obviously, we can talk about the racism, sexism, and classism in this novel endlessly. Many elements don’t sit right with us as modern readers, such as the independence and rights of women being limited, with their prospects being a man’s wife and mother to his children, or a lowly spinster. If you like ‘Jane Eyre’ and have never read Jean Rhys’s ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ I would highly recommend the read. It follows the narrative of Mr. Rochester’s first wife Antoinette (or Bertha, as she is known in ‘Jane Eyre’), and delves deeply into the racism and sexism surrounding Creoles such as Antoinette during this contemporary period.

So, would I recommend reading ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë, yes absolutely! It is a staple read among the classic genre, and I believe this is because of how timeless the narrative is, even now.

Rating: * * * *