Summary: Jane Eyre, a penniless orphan, is engaged as governess at Thornfield Hall by the mysterious Mr. Rochester. Her integrity and independence are tested to the limit as their love for each other grows, and the secrets of Mr. Rochester's past are revealed.
Pages: 488
Goodreads Rating: 4.09/ 5 stars
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Romance
"I thought that a fairer era of life was beginning for me, - one that was to have its flowers and pleasures, as well as its thorns and toils."
From the very beginning Jane Eyre was on a journey; a journey to find herself, her purpose, and well Mr. Rochester - her soulmate. I was first introduced to Eyre my senior year of high school in British Literature Honors, which to this day is still one my favorite classes that I have ever taken. I immediately fell hard for Charlotte Bronte's writing. Such flowery detail and prose. The depth to the characters, the dialogue, the settings, and the plot was phenomenal. And the way that Bronte had Eyre address the reader was incredibly personal and aided in allowing the reader to become fully absorbed in this Victorian drama.
"You never felt jealously, did you, Miss Eyre? Of course not: I need not ask you; because you never felt love. You have both sentiments yet to experience; your soul sleeps: the shock is yet to be given which shall waken it."
I enjoyed the entirety of this novel, but I must say that I lost interest in Eyre's stay at Lowood without Helen's presence. Helen was quite the anchor for Jane and a wonderful symbolic character for faith, virtue, and courage. She was the first individual to impart pieces of wisdom on Jane, as well as a sense of duty towards goodness, kindness, and tolerance. Goodness, kindness, and tolerance become running themes throughout the novel for Eyre, and while some may regard those elements as "meekness", they are what allowed Jane to grow into her independence and strength. There is much strength to be had in allowing yourself to be humbled by life and to remain tolerant, kind, and good throughout your voyage through life.
"I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extricate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me."
Oh the romance! Let's just say that classic literature romance is my favorite type of romance to read. It was a whirlwind affair, a turmoil of emotion, and as blissful as a beautiful summer day; it was the stuff of pure imagination, but at the same time it felt incredibly realistic. It was an attainable romance. Come age gap, differing castes, or varying degrees of life experience, Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester will forever be meant for one another.
The gothic elements and hints of mystery/horror were executed well and wrapped up quite nicely as well. I won't go into too much detail in regards to this aspect of the tale, seeing as though I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who is unfamiliar with this novel. But, I will leave it as Mr. Rochester has quite a few secrets and skeletons in his closet, that are revealed in due time.
I think that the feature of this novel that I enjoyed the most aside from the romance and our favorite Byronic hero, was the fact that Eyre and Rochester fell in love with each other's souls, minds, and personalities, which led to an enhanced appreciation for each other's physical features and a non-shallow basis for their relationship. Their love was honest and pure and passionate. It's the kind of love that we should all aspire to be able to partake in. To be loved and to love in return is all that anyone really wants, and Eyre and Rochester finally found that love in one another.
A timeless read, that I will never stop recommending. My Goodreads Rating: 5/ 5 stars.
"I have for the first time found what I can truly love - I have found you. You are my sympathy - my better self - my good angel - I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you - and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."
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