Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Title: Jane Eyre

Author: Charlotte Bronte

First Published: 1847

No. of Pages: 466

Synopsis (from B&N): "Immediately recognized as a masterpiece when it was first published in 1847, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is an extraordinary coming-of-age story featuring one of the most independent and strong-willed female protagonists in all of literature. Poor and plain, Jane Eyre begins life as a lonely orphan in the household of her hateful aunt. Despite the oppression she endures at home, and the later torture of boarding school, Jane manages to emerge with her spirit and integrity unbroken. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she finds herself falling in love with her employer—the dark, impassioned Mr. Rochester. But an explosive secret tears apart their relationship, forcing Jane to face poverty and isolation once again.

One of the world’s most beloved novels, Jane Eyre is a startlingly modern blend of passion, romance, mystery, and suspense."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Confession -- I'm a sucker for a romance, provided it takes place in the late 18th-early 19th century. It took me a bit to get into this one (I didn't care for the chapters on Jane's childhood), but once she reached adulthood, I was hooked. The writing style may seem somewhat awkward for readers not used to books from this period, particularly in the dialogue, but I find it beautiful, almost regal sometimes. The plot holds your interest throughout (although I wish I hadn't already known Mr. Rochester's secret; it made for quite an anticlimax), in part because you can't help falling in love with the characters and hoping for a happy ending. I can't say that I love this book the way I do Jane Austen's novels, but it's definitely going on my reread shelf.

Challenges: 18th and 19th Century Women Writers; 999 ("Decades"); (Another) 1% Well-Read Challenge; A to Z (author "B"); Classics Challenge; Decades '09; TBR Lite