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JANE EYRE

 


“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, to 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 and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. 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.”

It took me a week to finish reading this beautiful novel after it had been laying on my shelf for more than year. Truly a classic. Broke my heart and mended it again. Passionate , raw and unpredictable.

The book starts with Jane Eyre giving an account of her childhood and her experience growing up into a woman of education . Her account of childhood circumstances although being difficult , does not invoke pity but only appreciation for little Jane .

Jane Eyre is an intelligent and strong woman. She does not just seek love but demands respect. She is fearless and proud. She values her self respect. I could relate to her a lot. She took the right decisions and bore the consequences. Also she's lovely , beautiful and confident.

Mr. Rochester is an imperfect character. He is not the usual romance hero . But he is a beautiful character in his own manner. He acknowledges his mistakes and accepts his punishment. He repents and reforms.

The relationship between Mr. Rochester and Jane is so real and intimate. They do not put each other on pedestals , there is no flattery but only simple understanding.

The scenes of the story switch between grim and sad and bright and optimistic. The story remains unpredictable and grabs the readers curiosity throughout .

Coming to the romance in the book , I hardly consider this a romance novel and do not think of Rochester as a perfect prince charming. Rochester's character is imperfect. Not only that, but if I look at the events through glasses of the 21st century , his character seems manipulative and the way he kept his ex-wife in the attic is ethically ambiguous . Also , I am not a very big fan of the age gap between the couple. I like to think of the book as a story of Jane only , her dilemmas , her decisions and her sacrifice for love .

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The book kept me very engaged and I was able to read it faster than I usually read. The writing style is beautiful and not very difficult for a classic. However there are lots of French sentences that I did not understand at all. Maybe I'll reread it someday after I learn French ! I am sure I'll enjoy it again in the same manner or better , differently.

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