September 2017 Discussion: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (spoilers)
 

You've found the place to discuss the fascinating September 2017 MobileRead Book Club selection, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. What did you think? Discuss whenever you’re ready.

Good lord, Rochester is long winded. Jane tells us that it was his nature to be communicative. Reader, that's an understatement. Jane barely gets a word in edgewise. He tells her, "I will spare you the trouble of much talking: I will answer for you...":D

Jane doesn't help. When he says, "Can you listen to me?", she replies, "Yes, sir; for hours if you will." No, Jane! Think of your reader!

Hours later, he says, "But before I go on, tell me what you mean by your 'Well, sir?' It is a small phrase very frequent with you; and which many a time has drawn me on and on through interminable talk." No kidding.

I had never read Jane Eyre. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns which called for the suspension of disbelief. It was fun, and I'm happy to have finally read it.

Thanks, that cleared things.

I remember how, as an adolescent, I bought into the notion of the gothic hero as romantic figure. Now, I can't imagine what I was thinking about Rochester and his ilk; they're cold, condescending, controlling and cruel. Run, Jane!

This is one of my favourites. I read it a long time ago and though I don't remember everything (though I did watch the newer film of it with Michael Fassbender a few years ago which refreshed my memory) I still remember how much I enjoyed it. I'm not set to read it again anytime soon (nothing against it; I just haven't come to the point of wanting to do re-reads of favourites yet) but when ever I do it will be interesting to see how the adult me views it compared to the teen me, especially as I did think it very gothically romantic and beautifully melancholic then.

Well, I confess, the first 10 chapters of Jane Eyre left me with a profound feeling of 'meh'. Just really slow. But now things are starting to pick up, and the sound of Nadia May is bringing the whole thing to life. I rather think I'm going to enjoy this before I'm done. But still early days, so more later.

(ETA: FWIW, I did try the Thandie Newton narration for several chapters, and it's OK, but it just isn't as compelling as Nadia/Donada/Wanda. But, in counterbalance to that, some portion may be that I've read and loved so many books that she's narrated that I'm automatically predisposed to like any book she's reading.)

Just some notes rather than any coherent thoughts.

I liked Jane Eyre. I didn't really identify with her but at the beginning I rooted for her the way you root for all abused children.

The romance didn't do much for me but I wanted her to be happy and you had the mystery of the strange third floor at Thornfield Hall to keep up interest.

And finally I read on to see how it would all resolve with Jane finding Happiness At Last, because I did want her to be happy and St. John (pronounced Sinjin?) was totally unsuitable.

I found it interesting Bronte used the last words of the New Testament as the last words of the novel.

Was going along well, enjoying Jane Eyre a lot, but now I've bogged down again. I either need a really long drive, or I'll have to try switching to eBook format. I really was hoping to read this by our 'traditional' start date.

I had a stall with Jane Eyre, also - at the point where Mr. Brocklehurst visits the school. I had to divert to reading The Return for a while until I could get back to Jane Eyre.

Just starting to get acquainted with Rochester, as he gets acquainted with Jane in a fireside chat. My first thought was that he must have been the model for the male role in the old school Mills & Boon/Harlequin titles.

This is good to know. I'm middling in chapter 3. I can see why there was some opposition to this one being the pick. I do have access to one of the audiobook versions. Maybe that would be better.

I liked the realism of the characters. These were all flawed human beings for whom I couldn't help but feel empathy even when the roles they were assigned were far from heroic.

It was interesting to me that some of the characters were direct opposites; we've got Jane's two cousins, St. John Rivers and John Reed, where even the names themselves indicate they're poles apart. But some of the characters were variations on a similar theme and one thing I found detestable about Rochester was his condemnation of Blanche Ingram for seeking to marry for money and lust, which is exactly what he did! He's comfortable blaming his father and brother for his marriage, when in fact he had options. It must have been during the Napoleonic Wars and I can't imagine that his father would have been unwilling to purchase a commission for him, a traditional route to a career for a younger son. There was an irony in the end, where Rochester's disabilities were those that might have been acquired during that war; in fact, they're pretty similar to those Nelson suffered.

And what exactly were Blanche's options? No money of her own, continuing to live on her brother's sufferance? Sense and Sensibility is a story of how badly that strategy might go. Why shouldn't she have rejected Rochester if she thought he had no money? Jane's fetching up on her cousins' doorstep might have saved her from starvation and death; the text itself showed how quickly fortunes might reverse.

I also have to spare a thought for the miserable existences of Mrs. Poole and Bertha. Mrs. Poole was well compensated and it was worth it to her, but Bertha wasn't responsible for her madness. And when you think that she had weeks at a time of mental clarity! Maybe her attempts on Rochester's life didn't come from her madness, but from her sanity.