Saturday, April 14, 2007

A Classic Love Story

#16 - Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
Finished 4/14/07
Rating: 5/5
Total Pages: 868 (.pdf file)
Reason for Reading: 18th/19th Century Novel
REVIEW: I am thoroughly delighted that I’ve finally read this book. I actually thought I had read it before as a teenager, but within a very few chapters, I realized that the story was all new to me. And what a pleasure it was….to come to such a beautifully wrought story at this stage of life. I very much identified with the character of Jane, and her search for love and happiness. The language throughout was stunning and evocative, Bronte’s choice of words magically perfect. I couldn’t help but think it would be an amazing book to read aloud with someone special. Who couldn’t be enchanted with the classic love story of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester? I dare you to read this novel and not love it!

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What a wonderfully delicious read.....It's one of those very few books that you could close at the end, then re-open immediately and start all over again at page 1. Jane's story resonated through my brain and my heart in a way that I could never have expected, and I suspect in large part it was due to Bronte's choice of Jane as the narrator and her skillful presentation of Jane's thoughts and feelings. I experienced page after page of Jane's musings, expectations of life, struggles with decision-making, and dreamy imaginings as though they were my own. I could practically copy and paste some of them into a diary and call them mine!

It's next to impossible to choose a favourite quote. Better I should just recommend you read the thing yourself, as the entire book would constitute a favourite quote for me, right from beginning to end. These lines though, simple as they are and thoroughly dated to another place and time, sent a deep current of emotion through my soul:

“Never had he called me more frequently to his presence; never been kinder to me when there – and, alas! never had I loved him so well.” [p. 470/pdf]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love it! Love it! Love it! Must be time to reread it!

CdnReader said...

Isn't it great to know that these classics really do stand the test of time? :)