tellytubby101 | Book Review: Jane Eyre (Reply)

Final Rating: 5 out of 10.

Quick Summary: The life of Jane Eyre; the trials she faces as she leaves childhood and troubles through adulthood. A classic tale that has lasted through the ages.

There's a good chance that if you like classical books, you've at least heard of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. It technically comprises of three volumes, but is commonly found published in the one cover.

I love the way the story is written, (absolutely adore her prose, envy it with a passion), but, I disliked the general plot--especially of volume three. Characterizations were a little flat, and the overall pace I found a little slow.

Interesting was the idea that the main protagonist and her love interest were not attractive people - repeated and emphasised constantly throughout the text. But as much as their minds and their tastes are explained time and time over, I never really felt them. Similar stories occured with the supporting cast.

The plot was dull overall, the twists and turns not quite gut-churning. *Sigh*. Still, up until the last volume, I was enthralled enough simply but her writing. I found her prose true genius alone. I would like to think that what she wrote was a semi-realistic portrayal of daily life in the past, because I could see her actions so smoothly and easily.

Perhaps I am heavily influenced by modern tastes, and perhaps my own personal bias. The book is written well, that I cannot deny. Her detailed words are particularly affective. However, the ideas are slightly outdated and the ending (volume three) fell short of what was a far more interesting build-up in the first two volumes.

This story, I will probably need to re-read to fully appreciate. A re-reading always opens eyes to details forgotten before. Perhaps that'll bump up its overall rating.

So... written better than Pride & Prejudice, but the plot and characterizations fell far, far short.