Review: ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë

Welcome back for another book review 🙂

I was talking to a friend about this book recently, and so I thought I’d do a quick review of ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë for those who have not read this classic tale of morals, romance and passion!

‘Jane Eyre’ synopsis

Jane Eyre, the protagonist and title character of Charlotte Brontë’s novel, starts the book as a young girl. She lives with rich relatives, and her cousin torments and bullies her constantly, making her childhood a nightmare.

And this is just the start of Jane’s unhappy life. While still young she attends a school in which an epidemic occurs, killing off a lot of the student population and giving Jane a first hand experience with death and grief from an early age.

This event, like a lot of the book, was mirrored in Charlotte Brontë’s personal life, with family bereavement from an early age.

Jane and Mr Rochester

Once a little older, Jane becomes a governess, working for the formidable Mr Rochester, for whom she develops an attachment.

The book takes various twists and turns, and follows as Jane becomes a young woman, battling against her inner demons. She tries to understand what her place is in Mr Rochester’s home, and how to deal with the mysterious Bertha.

My review of ‘Jane Eyre’

This book is well-known because it was very unusual for nineteenth century women. While contemporary readers may not have known it was written by a woman, it closely follows the thoughts and feelings of a young woman- and all three Brontë sisters were known for portraying the trials and tribulations of growing up in a male-dominated society.

‘Jane Eyre’ is an iconic read- and I love following all the twists and turns of the novel, getting a little insight into a past time.

However, I do find the central character of Jane quite preachy, perhaps because of her intense moral code. She can be a bit intense at times, and I wanted her to do something. Act on her passions, admit her feelings, or follow her heart.

Have you read ‘Jane Eyre‘ by Charlotte Brontë? Have you read any other works by the Brontë? Which ones would you like to try?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments 🙂

Happy reading x

Picture credits here