Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Am I a book nerd? Undoubtedly. So when I was looking through the vast collection of stored paperbacks in my parent's house and I came across this 1955 Cardinal Pocketbook $0.35 edition, I was a bit giddy. Granted, I have read this book a time or two, but like Austen and Shakespeare, it is one of my go to reads. Additionally, a book club I belong to picked this as the summer read- so I again dove into the world of class and restriction, of expectations and elegance, of elevated language and logical matches. It is a classic story that indeed stands the test of time thus making it a Meal for the Mind book.
For some this book is tedious and often readers give up before they get to the heart of the story. This has a lot to do with the way literature has changed and what a modern audience expects from story development. "...and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb." (pg 72) During the mid 19th century, establishing a persons past, family, connection was simply expected. It is for this reason that the first 120 pages are full of detail that seems unimportant and tedious. This is then followed by the slow and very subtle development of the relationship of Jane and those of Thornfield Hall. In fact it isn't until about page 275 that the meat of the story really starts gripping you. There are those that may then be tempted to jump the opening segment, get to the heart of the matter but in doing that you lose the connection, the feeling for Jane, the desire to root for one truly good thing to occur. This is what makes the heart of the story so gripping.
The classic novel tackles the questions of how we, as a society, define loyalty, fidelity, love, contract, responsibility, and marriage. These ideas and questions still exist; to some degree, even more so now. It is a question that both Jane and Rochester must face and consider. Would the reader themselves have the same reaction, make the same choices, be strong enough to follow through on the choices that were made. The novel exhibits a strength of character, that has in many ways, been lost in our "what I want" society. Jane endures, survives, and holds true to belief and character; even when it causes her unbelievable pain and loss.
Heartbreaking, hopeful, enduring, a classic because the questions that Jane must face endure to this day. The details shift, circumstances change, a modern twist is added, yet still..... can one explain what the heart wants and have the strength to endure walking away from it? To this day we still try to find the answers and/or explanations with such little success. The human question.... it is what binds great literature to us no matter what the future holds.
- Paperback: 517 pages
- Publisher: Pocket Books, Inc. Cardnial Edition 3rd Printing; Nov. 1953 New York
- Language: English
- Modern Editions
- ISBN-10: 160459411X
- ISBN-13: 978-1604594119
No comments:
Post a Comment