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    Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)
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    Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)
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    Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)
    Ebook674 pages11 hours

    Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)

    By Charlotte Bronte

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, the Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms.

    In this revolutionary novel, Charlotte Brontë crafts a portrait of a young woman on the verge of adulthood. When she is hired as a governess at Thornfield, Jane Eyre must contend with its temperamental master, Edward Rochester. As she grows to love Mr. Rochester, secrets are revealed, morality is examined, and the very fabric of Jane's identity is called into question.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDiversion Books
    Release dateJul 21, 2015
    ISBN9781626819924
    Unavailable
    Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)
    Author

    Charlotte Bronte

    Charlotte Brontë, born in 1816, was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters, and one of the nineteenth century's greatest novelists. She is the author of Villette, The Professor, several collections of poetry, and Jane Eyre, one of English literature's most beloved classics. She died in 1855.

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    Reviews for Jane Eyre (Diversion Illustrated Classics)

    3.5/5

    53 ratings381 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I don't understand why this book is considered to be a classic-- not at all.
    • 3/5
      I'm an old guy. Not so old that I could have dated the author in high school (she was a couple years ahead of me), but still, not exactly the prime audience for this book. So, maybe I should skip a review altogether. And maybe I should add my two-cents for those other old guys out there thinking of reading the book. This is supposed to be a romantic novel, right? A listing I just saw an online poll that says this is the third most popular classic book ever. On the other hand, my ebook reader system doesn't categorize it as "Book", but under "Kids". Why? Because the lead character starts out as a child and ends up as barely an adult? Let me ignore all that and just say I don't think this is a romance. I think it's a book about "What is love?" Plus, it's also about 350 pages too long, attaching the equivalent of a ten page lyric poem to pretty much every look out the window or walk outside. It's also very hung up on "plain" appearances, though that is one aspect of how it assesses what love is. "Is it possible to truly love a plain person?" "Does a plain person deserve love?" ("Can plain people find love and happiness just like regular folks?") Coincidentally, the author makes it easier to conclude an answer to that question by manipulating the narrative to provide a person who can't actually see the plain appearance. It should be mentioned that education and having "culture" is also thrown into the mix. Thankfully, the author seems to relent and conclude that beauty and culture are not absolute requirements for bliss, but nevertheless provide a higher standard of love, so don't pass them up if you can get them. Finally, I want to make a point about the many movies and television shows that have been made about this book and how -- I think -- they have distorted our view of the actual text of the book. For instance, I watched a video summarizing which actor played the best "Rochester". The conclusion was unquestionably, the handsome former James Bond actor, Timothy Dalton. I ask, did anyone even read the book's description of Rochester? There were other videos that compared multiple film versions of one of the first "proposal" scene. While I only viewed about six of the roughly dozen filmed versions available to me, not one of them had the right setting, the means by which the characters come together for the scene, the dialogue, and/or the reactions of the characters to the proposal discussion, as it was set in the actual book. I also watched the very start to about five films. All but two left out the entire first third of the book, with only one starting with the initial scene that sets the tone. My point isn't that a movie must be faithful to a book. My point is that I strongly suspect that what some people remember so fondly in the book was never there to begin with, and that the book simply does not measure up to the films that may be in peoples' minds.
    • 5/5
      It took me a long time to read the book that I thought I had read in my youth but hadn't. I liked the strength of character of Jane Eyre, her firm and unwavering resolve but not the inflexible, inhuman resolve of of St John Rivers. Principles before emotional waywardness to the level illustrated in Jane Eyre goes beyond modern standards. Oh come on, Jane, I felt at certain times, chill out and marry Rochester after what he's been through. The ending was bleak and a bit far-fetched.I thought the book was brilliant though and am really pleased that I have now read it.
    • 4/5
      (Original Review, 1981-01-31)Ever since my first reading of Jane Eyre I've always viewed it as an account of the indelible effects of emotional abuse, and as such, a very grim book indeed. The novel opens with a recall of the emotional deprivation the 8-year-old Jane receives daily at the hands of her aunt. The story then continues with Jane's time at Lowood School, an institution devoted not so much to teaching the children of paupers, as to teaching them their place in life.By the time she reaches adulthood Jane is really quite damaged, and she regards herself as a social inferior. This self-image is never really challenged, much less altered or dispelled. The many reviews that praise Jane's undoubted courage unfortunately gloss over this or omit it completely, giving a misleading impression. It is apparent that Jane never ever overcomes the effects of her ghastly childhood. Remember, she is only able to accept Rochester after he had been brought down in the world by the loss of his home and fortune, and his disablement. And while she does, in the end, reject St John, the reader should note how close she comes to succumbing to this emotionally remote, manipulative, hypocritical bully.To my mind, the most astounding thing in Jane Eyre is Charlotte's implicit (explicit?) criticism of the saintly St. John Rivers. He's supposed to be a man of God, as beautiful as an angel, but with a will of iron and a heart of stone. The way he bullies Jane, using his power as a man and as a servant of God to try to force her to submit to him against her will, is horrific. It's as if he sees an independent woman as a threat which he has to destroy.Where did this terrifying character come from? Imagination, or did Charlotte perhaps know someone like him?I think it's Jane's raw, violent, unexamined sexuality. Having never really had much in the way of human warmth, guidance, or emotional education, Jane is quite literally wild. She seeks sensuality like a starving beast and has an almost animal understanding of what constitutes a connection between two human beings. Jane probably doesn't even know what sex is, yet she burns with desire. Rochester - depraved, debauched, debilitated by vice and excesses- sees this in her and in the purity of her passion, he is able to cleanse himself and transcend his baser instincts. I completely buy their relationship, and while it is, objectively, very iffy by today's standards (the gap in age, experience, social status! the mad wife in the attic! the illegitimate child!), it is also completely, viscerally believable. Jane Eyre still shows that lust within love should still be the (moral) goal. She actually effectively teaches Rochester this, as someone barely half his age. She teaches him some morals.For me, the novel’s strength lies in vivid writing that brings the people and the scenes to life, whether or not one likes them, or approves. The style isn’t always to my taste (I don’t care for the 19th Century habit of addressing the reader) but is compelling in a way that is the hallmark of a great writer.Maybe a modern politically-correct world that is obsessed with conformity no longer recognises this kind of gift.The inherent craft of a storyteller is to use invention to more clearly express essential truths of ideas, emotions, impressions and events. Sometimes fiction contains more truth than a fact. What else can a reader expect from a group of authors other than some uncertainty between what's real and what's not?
    • 5/5
      Very much how I remembered. A great book that can be read over and over. St. John was even worse than I remembered. He really pressured Jane.
    • 3/5
      I read this one before, but I understood and appreciated it more this time around. I decided to pick it up again after reading Jasper Ffojde's The Eyre Affair to fill in the missing pieces.
    • 4/5
      I liked Jane for 3/4 of this book and then she took a turn on me; look, I'm just as enamoured with Mr. Rochester but seriously, Mrs. Jane Rochester? What have you become Jane? After all that time? What did you learn?
    • 5/5
      Loved this classic.
    • 5/5
      Susan Ericksen was an excellent narrator. I loved listening to her read! I first read Jane Eyre three years ago and it was so good to revisit this wonderful book.
    • 3/5
      There are going to be a lot of people who will disagree or even hate me for this statement but I really didn't think much of this book. I know its a classic and I know its often considered one of the best novels of its time, if not all time and maybe these were the reasons I found it dissapointing. I felt indifferent to the characters and although the ending is supposedly sweepingly romantic, it didn't really affect me.I think perhaps its just personal taste as to why I didn't really warm to this novel like so many others have. I can't fault it for any technical reasons nor can I deny that its extremely well written and a great accomplishment. For me, it lacked a certain something. I also found it slightly tedious and tiring. Perhaps this is because I took so long to get through it that I just became bored with it. Had I read it under different circumstances such as continuously over a couple of days, maybe I would have had a different opinion of it. As it was, I had to read snatches over it - often no more than twenty minutes at a time - occasionally whenever I could find the time. I'm reluctant to say that I didn't like it but the truth is, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who asked me for a good book to read simply because often reading it felt like a chore - something I HAD to do rather than WANTED to do.
    • 4/5
      Jane Eyre is the story of an orphan girl and the difficult life choices she must face. It centers around an intriguing love affair with her master, Mr. Rochester. The pace of the book is perfect; just when you begin to settle into the story, it takes an unexpected turn. These sudden twists continue to the very end.
    • 5/5
      Jane Eyre was the first book I read on graduating to the Young Adult section of the library at the age of 13. I have re-read it every 2 or 3 years since then-and I'm 81. My favorite novel of all time. When I was young, I read it for the pathos of a young orphan but as I grew older I realized the depth of feeling and intellect which informs the book. Into the 70s when I discovered that young people saw it as a great feminist model--and so it is. Every time I read it I find something else to ponder. Ranks right up there with the best of Jane Austen. One of the highlights of my last trip to England was a visit to Haworth and the moors of Yorkshire.
    • 3/5
      I know that 2.5 stars may seem a little severe for a book that has a guaranteed place on those annual lists of Britain's top reads - however a) that coveted place is only achieved as it happens to be a set text for many GCSE pupils (Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mocking Bird end up on the list for the same reason) and b) Jane Eyre is one of the most maddeningly, annoyingly, ridiculously perfect, goody-two-shoes, downtrodden characters ever written. I couldn't stand her. Not when I was thirteen and not now. Just about everyone in the story is two-dimensional. Jane's family are fairy-tale appalling, Mr Rochester is the archetypal mysterious, brooding man who women love to fear and harbour dreams of taming and there is even a monster in the attic, so to speak. All the ingredients are there for a winning story.... if only Jane were not so Snow White, I would be able to countenance that this is indeed a novel for adults...
    • 4/5
      An orphan suffers through Gothic beatings, meets the love of her life, loses him (because she can't run away with and live with a married man), suffers some more and then finds him again. She endures. Is it any wonder this book still sells?
    • 4/5
      Now I know why this is a classic. I've never been so fascinated with the mundane life struggles a single woman could face in 19th century England. It held me enthralled throughout and I eagerly anticipated each turn of the plot.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. I've read it over and over--and enjoyed it every time. The dark atmosphere is so delightful. :^)
    • 5/5
      Awesome. Completely understand now why it is a classic, and why 27 movie versions have been made.
    • 4/5
      The story is a classic... I had read it several times. Is not the classical female heroine but is a story that shows that good persons by the end ended up having good things... Also it shows characters that are conflicted, that are not perfect and have to get through adversity. Is a pretty good book and I will recommend the book to any persons that wants to read the classics.
    • 5/5
      Oh, Jane Eyre, how do I love thee? The first time I read this book was in middle school; then I read it twice in high school and once in college. The recent movie adaptation inspired me to re-read this book after an eight-year gap since my last reading.I won’t go into the plot since it’s one of those plots that most people in the English-speaking world seem to know (even if they haven’t read the book), and one of those plots that resonates throughout English literature. Suffice it to say that Jane Eyre is one of those books that stands up to the test of time well—not just historically but personally as well. It captured my imagination as a teenager; and, as I’ve been dealing with some recent emotional disappointment, there are some quotes in Jane Eyre that really seemed to reflect my mood—especially when the house party is held at Thornfield and Jane reflects on her new-found feelings for Mr. Rochester—that she believes are unreturned:It does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her; and it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds it; and, if discovered and responded to, must lead, ignis-fatuus-like, into miry wilds whence there is no extrication (Ch. 16)Or how about:I had not intended to love him: the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germ of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me. (Ch. 17)Or one of my favorites:It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot....Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings….knitting stockings….playing on the piano….It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.- (Ch. 12)How can you not love a book that speaks to your mood, no matter what it is? I think also the appeal to this book for me lies in the fact that I identify so much with Jane herself; I see a lot of myself in her personality. She’s such an introspective person, someone who experiences emotion strongly; but it’s very quietly experienced, which is probably why that emotion is so strongly felt in the first place. There’s so little opportunity for Jane to emote that when she experiences feelings for Mr. Rochester, she doesn’t expect it. Jane's feelings of being a social outsider is very familiar, to me, too. I love a novel that, even after reading it five times, causes me to see the book anew each time I read it.
    • 5/5
      So, this isn't going to be a very impartial review. Jane Eyre has been my favorite book since I was thirteen. The only criticism would be maybe the ending? Things get pretty well tied up with a bow, but that may be just a marker of the time period/genre. I find Jane to be a very likable and sympathetic character and Charlotte to be a great story-teller. That being said if you aren't that into classics as a genre you might not be such a fan. If you do enjoy classics and especially gothic novels you can't go wrong.
    • 3/5
      This book had its moments, but was way too long! (Could've been better)
    • 4/5
      One of my favorite classics. The beginning is kind of slow, so I tend to skim the early chapters. The good parts for me start when Jane has begun working for Mr. Rochester and begins hearing strange noises from the attic. There's an element of suspense, but there's also a love story here. It's also a character study, so there's a little bit of everything for every taste. I don't really like the end, or more specifically, events leading up to the end, but there's something about it all that keeps me coming back.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book. It's pure, exquisite, elegant literature- with all its characteristic British wit, restraint and grace. Definitely a book to re-read.
    • 4/5
      I still reread Jane Eyre from time to time; it is the prototypical novel of the aspiring romantic. And who can't love Jane? It reads much differently now than when I was a young thing (and differently by far in light of books like the Wide Sargasso Sea, which look at the perspective of the mad wife in the attic). But I haven't been able to get my bright daughter to even glance at it. Sigh.
    • 2/5
      This just wasn't my thing at all. I couldn't even properly finish it, I only skimmed the last 20 or so pages. I found it boring and the entire time I was reading it I wasn't enjoying myself at all, I felt like I was trudging through mud. That being said, without this book I might never have had the epiphany of "Why am I wasting my precious minutes reading books I don't enjoy? I'm not obligated to anyone." Simple? You would think so, wouldn't you?
    • 1/5
      This book is brilliant
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite love stories. I have probably seen all the movie versions.
    • 5/5
      I bought the book when I was longing to read Jane Austen style romance novel, and I thought because they're almost contemporary and Bronte's book is also a love story they must be similar (forgive me my literary blindness. In Indonesia we are not taught at school on European literature, or only very briefly). What a nice surprise. Jane Eyre is not only a romance but a romance with attitude. The love story and the characters that Charlotte Bronte presented are rather unusual and hinted at her rebelion at what is the norm in those days. Although of course it wasn't a total questioning of the morality of her days, and not a total rebellion in the eyes of modern readers, still her book feels more progressive and feminist than Austen's book.The main character is Jane Eyre, used also as the title. The book is narrated in the first person and tells Jane Eyre's 'autobiography', from her life with the family that adopted her, to her life in the boarding school, her life as a governess, as a village teacher and finally as a wife. Jane is a poor orphan adopted by the relatives of her mother, a rich landed gentry family. Unfortunately the matriarch of the family and her children hated her and Jane's childhood was full of misery. She was then sent to a boarding school, in which the first year was also spent in misery, when she lost her close friend to a disease. After 8 years in the boarding school both as student and as teacher she moved to Thornfield Hall to work as a governess and met her love, Mr Rochester. A dark secret prevented her marriage to Mr Rochester and she ran away, living with the Rivers in the Moor House for a time, until she went back in search for her love, hiding in the desolate Ferndean. Although essentially a love story, the book is not just a romance. Bronte added elements of mistery to it. And instead of the preoccupation with 'what others think' like in Jane Austen's books, Bronte's hero and heroine are those who are very independent, almost antisocial in a way. You can't help to draw the comparison with Jane Austen's Mansfield Park where the heroine is also an orphan living as a dependent in a rich family. But whereas Fanny is a meek, passive and helpless, Jane Eyre is a passionate, strong and independent woman. They both have similar standard of morality with similar type of rivals in their love life (Mary Crawford in the case of Fanny Price and Blanche Ingram in the case of Jane Eyre), but Jane pursue her love in a strong and determined way, unlike Fanny who seems to just sit and wait for her love to realise where his true love should lay. Bronte's book feels as dark and heavy as Jane Austen's books bright and cheerful. But whereas Jane Austen's books feel like the predecessor of chicklits, Bronte's Jane Eyre feels like a grown up love story. I like Bronte's way of interwieving of love story and mistery and the gothic feeling of the atmosphere. Not that I will throw away Pride and Prejudice - it's still one of my favourite books - but I'd class Jane Eyre far above Fanny Price.
    • 5/5
      A true classic which has demanded to be read at least once a year since childhood (a good few years!). Well written and historically interesting. This from someone who can rarely stomach romantic fiction...
    • 4/5
      Wonderful as ever. What I particularly like about re-reading old favourites is the way that you find something new in them every time. This time it was the significance of the moon in the novel, especially as a forerunner of change.