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Summary: Jane Eyre: Charlotte Bronte's Most Captivating Work
Review: Quite arguably one of the greatest British novels ever penned, Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" is so all-around-wonderful, it's no wonder that it's been adapted into 5+ movies.
We first meet Bronte's Jane as a child, young and abused, in the care of her aunt. We immediately take Jane under our wing, feeling more her personal protector with each turn of the page. Then, one day, Jane is a woman. Though retaining many of her childlike tendencies, Jane is determined to be independent: leaving her old boarding school victorious and free, she begins a governess position at the manor home of the elusive and mysterious Mr. Edward Rochester. It is Jane who tames Rochester's brooding and arrogant heart, reducing him to schoolboyish desperation.
So deliciously provactive is "Jane Eyre," that it is impossible not to devour it within days; my own worn-with-love copy sits next to a dog-eared "Villette."
It is sometimes speculated that Charlotte Bronte exercised her complicated mind through the written word; "Jane Eyre" is beautiful evidence of that.
As the story slows to its conclusion, you will find yourself lost: hungry for more of Jane, more of Rochester, and more of the magic that is "Eyre." Quench that thirst with more Bronte (perhaps Emily's "Wuthering Heights" or some of Anne's poetry?) or, if you're like me, a second read of the irresistible "Jane."
Rating: 
Summary: Long,Longer, & Longest
Review: This book is truly a classic. I read it for my A.P English class over the summer. It's just very long. There are too many dead points in the novel. The novel jumps back and forth between different thoughts and actually speaking often. It has a lot of good symbolism in it however. I reccomend reading wide sargasso sea afterwards for it is a novel from Bertha's point of view!
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Summary: The Bronte Masterpiece: The Best Edition
Review: Written in 1847 by the woman writer Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre remains a classic of 19th century literature. This novel was one of the finest of its time and what made it all the more incredible was that it was written by a woman. Charlotte Bronte and her sisters, the Brontes, were British women who grew up in Yorkshire, the English countryside. To kill time when they were bored in the domestic and boarding-school ambiance, they wrote great works of literature. It's a must read for young women, but also for men and young males (preferably in the high school or college level) Jane Eyre is ultimately a literary novel and only a literary-minded intellectual can truly enjoy it for the masterpiece that it is. It ranks among the greatest works of English fiction, taking its place with the other male greats- Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Curl up, warm up some tea or coffee, put on some mood music and read this incredibly engaging book. In this edition, we get commentary and preface by noted scholars.Jane Eyre has been scrutinized time and again. It is understood by many that the heroine Jane is Charlotte Bronte herself. It's partially autobiographical in some portions- Charlotte Bronte did grow up in lowly conditions and was in boarding school that was cold and freezing. Charlotte did love a married man who was older than her, though nothing came of it of course. Jane Eyre, a feisty, spirited young orphan, is taken away from her home where her wicked aunt and cousins mistreat her. She is taken to a boarding school for girls until she comes of age. She lands a job as a governess for the eccentric and mysterious Mr. Rochester, who is hardly ever at home and takes care of his daughter Adele, teaching her to read and write, etc. But the mystery surrounding Mr. Rochester's past becomes a present reality in Jane Eyre's own life. Furthermore, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre fall in love. A novel that is inspired by Gothic fiction, it is strewn with Gothic, supernatural and suspenseful atmosphere and symbolism. The tree that is struck by lightning is a warning for Jane Eyre to leave Mr. Rochester's mansion, the strange cries in the attic later turn out to be Mr. Rochester's first wife, the crazed Bertha. A fire destroys the mansion and Mr. Rochester ends up diabled and blind. Bittersweet though the ending is, Jane Eyre and the blind Mr. Rochester marry and live happily, after much water under the bridge. This novel is a long read and should take up at least a whole summer, but it's very worth reading. It's a classic. Time and again, it will appear on the list of reading material for high school and college courses. And a bit of advice- dont' just read it to pass a class, get into the story. You will score even more points.
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