Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Orphaned Jane emerges from her cold and hostile upbringing to become a governess at Thornfield, where she meets the dark and brooding, Mr Rochester.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.”

Jane Eyre is the literary heroine I never knew I needed. It’s refreshing to come across a female protagonist in classic literature that is so feminist (even though sexism still surrounds her - looking at you, St John... and at times... Mr Rochester), as women can often be portrayed as the weaker sex, forced to adhere to the gender roles and expectations of the time. But Jane ain’t having any of that.

Perhaps there are some question marks over whether certain parts could be considered feminist, but for me, it all comes down to choice. And Jane CHOOSES her path. She is always true to herself and acts with such integrity and strength, and I could honestly write an entire review on why I love Jane so much... but I’m reviewing the BOOK, not Jane.

The gothic atmosphere had me absolutely swooning - the writing is gorgeous, the setting is just right. And it’s pretty damn creepy at times!

Another surprise for me was how absolutely hilarious some parts were. I was cackling away to myself when Jane throws water over Mr Rochester during a fire and he says “are we in a flood?” LOL and just the entire sequence with the fortune-teller was so ridiculous that it became endearingly funny.

If I had to get nit-picky, I’d say that some parts maybe dragged on a bit, and I would be feeling quite eager for the story to move along... but that was quite rare. And I LOATHED St John. Usually I keep notes in my phone as I’m reading a book and jot down little thoughts, and lets just say... there were a lot of expletives and capital letters when I was expressing my feelings on St John!!

It was a joy to become lost in this book, and the love story of Jane and Mr Rochester. I may have even shed a tear at the end. Jane Eyre has certainly became one of my favourite classics. 5 stars.

Johann

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