Jane Eyre ending?

[John F]

The classics I recall reading in school (up through 12th grade, I didn't take any english classes in college):

Of Mice and Men
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
Romeo and Juliet
Moby Dick
The Scarlet Letter

These were all required reading; no choices.

[SteveEisenberg]

I recall reading it and liking it.

Not sure when I read it, but it was before 2005, when my reading log begins.

Have no recollection of how it ends.

[issybird]

I first read JE when I was ten and loved it, and read and reread it so many times that I’ve still got it damn near memorized. However, I loved Wuthering Heights even more. Both are entirely different books to me now; I no longer see Rochester and Heathcliff as romantic heroes. I was young and dumb. And my favorite novel by Charlotte is Villette.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

When I was in high school my English class was given a list of classic books to choose from so not everyone read the same books. I did read this one at some point when I was young, though I don't think I read it for school.

I'm guessing that if we all could remember a list of the books we were required to read in school, we would not find any specific book that was read by everyone.

Yes, I think you must be right; there was probably list we could pick from. “The Merchant of Venice” was mandatory, so our teacher had volunteers take turns reading it aloud in class. Fun memories.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by issybird

I first read JE when I was ten and loved it, and read and reread it so many times that I’ve still got it damn near memorized. However, I loved Wuthering Heights even more. Both are entirely different books to me now; I no longer see Rochester and Heathcliff as romantic heroes. I was young and dumb. And my favorite novel by Charlotte is Villette.

I've also read Wuthering Heights several times, but found it a bit too depressing, especially as I grew older. For that reason I always liked JE more.
And I never saw Heathcliff as any kind of a hero, even in my early teens. I never liked him. He was too cruel and mistreated animals (a cardinal sin in my books). Ugh. Yes, his love for Catherine was romantic in a way, but it was not enough to make me like him. There just was nothing to like about him. No redeeming traits.

I don't think I want to read WH again in my remaining lifetime. JE now, I might.

[4691mls]

I always preferred Austen to the Brontes. In general I prefer light entertainment.

We did read Romeo and Juliet in high school and the teacher also showed us a film of it to help make it more accessible. I hated the ending,.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

We did read Romeo and Juliet in high school and the teacher also showed us a film of it to help make it more accessible. I hated the ending,.

THIS! I don't get the fixation schools have on insisting that kids READ words that were literally meant to be HEARD. Even stuff like Lear become so much more accessible if it's seen, as was its author's intent.

EDIT: P.S. King, not Edward

[Catlady]

I was forced to read Jane Eyre in HS and hated it. My paperback copy was filled with my penciled notes that were all variations on "I hate this book."

I forced myself to reread Jane Eyre last year, as an audiobook, so no penciled notes this time. I hated it a little less.

Re Shakespearean plays: In HS my English teacher had us listen to recordings of the plays with actors like Olivier and Burton, so we did get to hear rather than get bogged down in the language.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Reader...I know the ending.

I understood that reference…
https://i.stack.imgur.com/nGMrD.gif

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by issybird

And my favorite novel by Charlotte is Villette.

Me too, and anyone else in her family.

And, after decades, that ending I remember.

[John F]

Bump. Please vote.

[BenG]

I only read Jane Eyre a few years ago after reading The Eyre Affair in which the ending of Jane Eyre is a big deal.
Time is limited in a school year so there's only so many longer works they can cover. I remember reading A Tale of Two Cities, Silas Marner, and The Scarlet Letter plus a few books from a list that we had to do a report on but didn't discuss in class. The Scarlet Letter was the only one I didn't care for.
We did a Shakespeare almost every year in high school but they aren't really that long. I've read most of his tragedies and comedies since school.

[ekbell]

When I was a kid I loved boarding school books, so when I read Jane Eyre, outside of school, as a teen what I enjoyed and remembered was her time at the horrid school and it's reformation.

[crich70]

I have read at least (most) of Jane Eyre though (for reasons I can't remember at present) I didn't manage to finish it at the time. Perhaps I mislaid the book, I can't recall. But I do know the ending from having seen it on TV and read references to it in books on writing. Incidentally one of the characters in Stephen King's book "The Stand" (the character of Nick Andros) at one point in the book is reading a book (title not given) that I'm pretty sure is "Jane Eyre." Mr. King did teach English classes before he became a successful author so he'd know the book well I'm sure.

[Number9]

Originally Posted by Victoria

Didn’t most of us have to read JE in high school? (Or just my memory letting me down again? Lol)

I think that depends on which you country you're in. Growing up in Sweden, I most certainly did not "have to read" it in school! 😉