I can still remember my first encounter with Jane Eyre. It wasn't with the book, it was with the 1983 BBC miniseries starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton. My mom got it from the library when I was probably thirteen or fourteen, and we watched it together. I fell in love. With the story, with Jane, with Rochester, the whole shebang. I didn't read the book until I was a few years older, but when I did, it quickly rose to the ranks of my favorite books. A couple of years ago, I realized that it had at last eclipsed the book that had long held the #1 spot in my affections, and become my absolute favorite book.
I've read the whole book six or seven times, but there are some chapters I've read far, far more often than that. Sometimes I dip in for a visit when I need a pick-me-up; other times, I've skimmed the beginning and much of the later part, and just relished my favorite sections.
What is it about this melodramatic, implausible, highly emotional story that draws me so fiercely? The plot -- poor girl becomes a governess, falls in love with her employer, flees from him when she learns his secret, finds new friends, returns to her one true love when he is free -- is basically a Cinderella retelling, and while I'm very drawn to Cinderella stories, there aren't any others that have earned this level of devotion from me.
When I was a teen, and into my twenties, I would have said I loved this book because I loved Mr. Rochester. And he's still a huge part of my affection for this story, no question. When it comes to movie adaptations, it's Rochester who makes or breaks them for me -- I will put up with a less-than-great Jane, but if Rochester feels off to me, I'm going to dislike the entire production. But I realized, when I reread the entire book around the age of 30, that it's Jane herself that makes me love this book.
Jane Eyre, outwardly plain and powerless, is inwardly a pillar of strength. That juxtaposition of one's outer and inner selves fascinates me, and Jane's absolute resolution fills me with awe. Leading this read-along has confirmed my admiration of her.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for discussions of Rochester's possible fathering of an illegitimate child, scary situations, and cruel treatment of a child.
I'm not going to share favorite lines here today, as I've shared them already in individual chapter posts. I just wanted to share these final thoughts on this book, especially since it is my 50th book read and reviewed for The Classics Club!!! I have finished the challenge I set for myself at the beginning of 2014 -- I wanted to read 50 classics in 5 years, and I accomplished that in slightly less than 3. More about that in another post.
This was also the 18th book I've read and reviewed for the Women's Classic Literature Event. I'm aiming for 20 by the end of the year, so here's hoping I can finish reading two more classics written by women in the next 6 weeks!
I do lists of ten favorite movies of various genres all the time over on my other blog, Hamlette's Soliloquy. But today, I'm doing one here, for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week is a movie-related freebie, so I'm doing My Top Ten Favorite Movies Based on Classic Novels. I've put them in alphabetical order because why not :-) I'm sticking with books I've read, by the way. And these are my favorite adaptations, not necessarily the best -- just the ones I personally love best, okay?
Anne of Green Gables (1985) A quirky, imaginative orphan (Megan Follows) gets accidentally adopted by a middle-aged brother and sister (Richard Farnsworth and Colleen Dewhurst) and turns their lives around. Based on the book by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Ben-Hur (1959) A wealthy Jewish man (Charlton Heston) is betrayed by his best friend (Stephen Boyd), sent to the galleys, then rises to power again, and seeks revenge on his erstwhile friend. Based on the book by Lew Wallace.
The Count of Monte Cristo (1975) Simple, honest sailor Edmund Dantes (Richard Chamberlain) is betrayed by his supposed friends and sent to prison on false charges. He escapes, gains staggering wealth, and seeks vengeance against his enemies. Based on the book by Alexandre Dumas
Emma (1996) Meddlesome young Emma (Gwenyth Paltrow) tries her best to make matches for all her friends and acquaintances, then falls in love herself. Based on the book by Jane Austen.
Jane Eyre (1983) Strong-spirited governess Jane Eyre (Zelah Clarke) falls in love with her wealthy, secretive employer (Timothy Dalton). Based on the book by Charlotte Bronte.
The Lord of the Rings (2001-03) Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) sets out to destroy the One Ring, and everyone has heaping helpings of adventures. (YES, I know this is three movies and three books, but it's all one story, so I'm counting it as one.) Based on the books by J. R. R. Tolkien.
North & South (2004) Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) moves from pastoral southern England to industrial northern England and does not fall in love with factory owner John Thornton (Richard Armitage) for a long time. Based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell.
The Outsiders (1983) Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell) and his friend Johnny (Ralph Macchio) try to run away from their problems, including a murder charge, only to find more trouble and possible redemption. Based on the book by S. E. Hinton.
Pride & Prejudice (2005) Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) can't fall in love with each other until they both come to understand themselves first. Based on the book by Jane Austen.
The Three Musketeers (1993) D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) wants to be a Musketeer, but first he has to help three other Musketeers save the king and queen. Based on the book by Alexandre Dumas.
There you have it! Do you like these? Did you post a Top Ten Tuesday list this week yourself? Please share!
Please, let's not get into a big argument over P&P05 vs. P&P95. I like the '95 version a lot too, and even own a copy.
I feel like sharing what my kids have been reading lately, so I'm starting this series up again :-)
Sam (9)
The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett -- He enjoyed The Dragons of Crumbling Castle so much, I got him this, and he's now read it probably six or seven times. It makes him laugh.
Physics: Why Matter Matters! by Dan Green -- We're studying basic physics in third grade science this year, and he's relaly been enjoying seeing various concepts from school pop up in this book.
Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty by Chris Colfer -- I've been wanting to try the Land of Stories series for a while now, and Sam enjoyed this spin-off book so much, I'm pretty sure we'll be getting the first book in the series soon.
Sarah (6) and Eggnog (4) (Eggnog used to call herself Tootie, but she's renamed herself Eggnog, and also says she's a middle-aged man who is uncle to her toy cat, because that's what life is like when you're four. One minute a little girl, next a cat's uncle.)
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban -- Young badger Frances likes to eat bread and jam, and not much else. So her parents let her eat all the bread and jam she wants, until she tires of it. We love the whole Frances series!
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein -- This is such a funny book. I giggle every time I read it. A daddy rooster tries to read bedtime stories to his little chicken, but the chicken keeps interrupting and messing up the stories.
The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch -- a chicken who loves to read tries to write a book herself, with eggciting results :-)
Aloud to All of Them
Knight's Castle by Edward Eager -- I read Half Magic to them earlier this year, and they adored it, so we're delving into Eager's second book now. It's so whimsical and fun -- who wouldn't want to get magically transported to the world of Ivanhoe, right? And I love all the little references to classic literature. Lines like, "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery" make me laugh and not them, just because I know it's Austen. Trust me, this is a not-to-be-missed delight.
We have finished Jane Eyre! Hurrah! The book I thought would take three months to get through took almost 6, but that is entirely my fault, as I got much busier than I had anticipated. Thank you so much for your patience! And for all the wonderful discussions we've had -- I've very much enjoyed sharing my favorite book with you. (And if you haven't quite finished it, no big deal. I'm happy to keep discussing it as long as you'd like.)
To celebrate, I'm hosting a giveaway, as is my wont at the end of read-alongs. PLEASE NOTE: This is open to everyone, world-wide! Not just participants of the read-along :-)
Here are details on the stuff I'm giving away! First, a tiny book containing a brief history of the Bronte sisters and abridged versions of all their novels. And by "tiny" I mean it is 3.25" x 2.75."
Eight beautiful bookmarks that I bought from Etsy shop Jane Eyre Collection. (I admit it: I bought all ten of their bookmarks and kept two myself! They're wonderful.) These are a great size, a little over 7" long and 2.5" wide, and they each come in a protective plastic sleeve. Each bookmark pairs a quotation from the book with detail from an illustration, and on the back it shows the full illustration and tells the artist's name and the date it was painted/drawn. If you click on the images here, you should be able to see them with enough detail to read the quotations.
And lastly, a pencil bag! This is pale blue fabric with a black zipper at the top, and measures 9.75" by 6.5".
This giveaway runs through the end of Saturday, November 19. I will draw the winners on Sunday, November 20 and post the names of the winners that day, as well a notify them by email.
PLEASE make sure your information for the giveaway widget includes your current email address so that if you win a prize, you'll get the email informing you that you won! If you don't reply to my email by Sunday, November 27, I will choose another winner and award your prize to them instead.
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Enter via this widget:
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And they all lived happily ever after :-)
Isn't it interesting that St. John Rivers gets the last word? He writes a last, dying letter to Jane, and his final words are what Jane leaves us with. I'm not sure what to make of that -- there's probably something profound in the fact that here, at the end, she and St. John are of one accord, but if there is, I'm missing it.
But anyway, we've finished the book :-) Jane and Rochester are married, happy together, happy being parents of at least one child, and there we leave them. I do find it interesting that the most famous line in this book is "Reader, I married him" (p. 520). Not "he married me" or "we married," but "I married him." The perfect phrasing for strong, independent, glorious Jane, isn't it? This was her decision, her choice, her will. She makes it clear that it was equally Rochester's, but he did not make this decision for her, he did not exercise his will over hers. Theirs is a marriage of equals, which it would not have been if they'd married when they originally intended to. Now, they can be happy, because now they are free and equal.
Thank you for reading this book with me! It's been a rather protracted read-along, but I hope you've enjoyed it even at this leisurely pace. I know I have.
Time for a giveaway! You can enter it here :-)
Favorite Lines:
I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on earth (p. 522).
I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine (p. 522).
O delicious chapter! If I could only read one chapter of Jane Eyre for the rest of my life, I would read you.
I have approximately three zillion things underlined in this chapter, with stars and hearts and smiles alllll over the place. There's no way I can share all my thoughts, but I'll do my best to hit the important ones.
I love so much that when Jane first enters the room, before Rochester knows her, she says, "Down, Pilot!" (p. 501). Because way back in chapter 12, Rochester said that exact phrase when Jane was helping him after he'd been thrown by Mesrour. Oh, that gives me goosebumps -- that she's remembering that first meeting and reminding him oh-so-subtly of it. (Yeah, I'm sure that people said, "Down, Pilot!" a lot to the dog, but those are the only two times the phrase crops up in the book, so it must be significant.)
And I love how Rochester just can't believe it's really her, not for a long time. She has come back to him when, to his mind, there is absolutely no reason she ever should or would. She fled him when he was well and whole, and surely she will flee him again now that he is impaired. Most people would. But not Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is not most people. I laugh aloud when its her practical and real announcement of exactly how much money she has that makes him finally accept it is she, because it reminds me of that flirty little argument they had over him paying her wages so she could go see her aunt long ago.
And then we hit a very significant line: "I am my own mistress" (p. 503). We, the readers, know that Jane has always, always been mistress of her own self, though subservient to others outwardly. Now her outward circumstances match her inner self, and everyone can see her for the independent woman she has always been. And it's as this spiritually, physically, socially, and economically independent woman that she comes back to Mr. Rochester, choosing him fully and freely. She's not rescued by a man, she's not made whole by a man, she's not raised from obscurity by a man -- truly a modern heroine.
Okay, so now it's time to discuss Mr. Rochester. HAS he changed? He learns in this chapter that Jane loves him for who he is, not what he is, because she doesn't care that he's maimed and blinded. In fact, she says she's "in danger of loving you too well for all this, and making too much of you" (p. 505). And, eventually, he realizes that he knows Jane suits him, but he needs to know if he suits her (p. 516). Becoming self-aware, certainly! But it's not that which convinces me he's changed, grown, and become a better person. It's this passage:
"Of late, Jane -- only of late -- I began to see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom. I began to experience remorse, repentance; the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. I began sometimes to pray, very brief prayers they were, but very sincere" (p. 517).
That gets left out of the movie versions. And it's only a couple of sentences, so easy to overlook when reading the book. But that repentance, that budding faith is what makes this ending possible. Because it is after he repented and sought God and began to pray that the miracle happened. He prayed "in anguish and humility" (p. 517) that he could not bear much more of his despair, and asked God for help. And that's when he called out, "Jane! Jane! Jane!" And you'll recall that at that exact moment, Jane herself was calling out for God's to show her whether she should marry St. John or not. Neither of them were relying on themselves anymore. Both of them were helpless, calling on God for deliverance. And God answered them simultaneously by letting one hear the cries of the other.
And how does this chapter end? With Rochester saying, "I humbly entreat my Redeemer to give me strength to lead henceforth a purer life than I have done hitherto!" (p. 519). Is he repentant? Is he changed? I say absolutely.
Favorite Lines:
"What sweet madness has seized me?" (p. 502).
"...with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him... in his presence, I thoroughly lived, and he lived in mine" (p. 506).
"All my heart is yours, sir; it belongs to you; and with you it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence forever" (p. 514).
Possible Discussion Questions:
Are you convinced that Mr. Rochester's change of heart is sincere? That he is no longer the same selfish, self-serving man he was through the rest of the book?
This Weekend, We Will Finish This Read-Along and Have a Giveaway!!!!
This week's TTT topic from The Broke and the Bookish is "books I've added to my to-read list lately." Here goes!
The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz -- I think it was Dale's review at Mirror w/Clouds that made me put this on my list.
Echoes of Sherlock Holmes ed. by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger -- I've loved the two previous collections of Holmes-inspired stories edited by King and Klinger, so this is at the top of my Christmas wish list right now.
How to be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis -- No idea anymore where I heard about this, but it looks really fun!
I'd Die for You and Other Lost Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- Hanna at Book Geeks Anonymous linked to this article and I didn't even finish reading the article before adding this collection of never-published Fitzgerald stories to my list.
Looking for Anne of Green Gables by Irene Gammel -- I don't remember where I heard about this, but now that I'm almost finished with Anne book #9, I'm interested in learning more about L. M. Montgomery herself.
Montana Rides! by Evan Evans (Max Brand) -- The Alan Ladd western Branded (1950) is based on this book, and I quite love the movie, so time to try the book!
My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters by Chris Barker & Bessie Moore -- Jennifer at Holds Upon Happiness reviewed this recently, and I put it on my TBR immediately.
The Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay -- Evvvvvvvverybody is buzzing about this book right now! I've got a hold request in for it at the library, and hope to get it soon soon soon!
The Story People by Heather Kaufman -- Nobody at all has recommended this to me, but it's about a guy who runs a bookstore and a children's book author, and looks really sweet.
Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston -- Dale at Mirror w/Clouds reviewed this recently and I promptly added it to my TBR list.
That's my ten for this week, folks! Have you read any of these? Did you do a TTT list this week? Please share!
And if you live in the USA, don't forget to vote!
I can still remember my first encounter with Jane Eyre. It wasn't with the book, it was with the 1983 BBC miniseries starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton. My mom got it from the library when I was probably thirteen or fourteen, and we watched it together. I fell in love. With the story, with Jane, with Rochester, the whole shebang. I didn't read the book until I was a few years older, but when I did, it quickly rose to the ranks of my favorite books. A couple of years ago, I realized that it had at last eclipsed the book that had long held the #1 spot in my affections, and become my absolute favorite book.
