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I just finished Jane Eyre last night. A most remarkable story. It starts out quite interesting, but slow. It becomes slowly more interesting, until, without realizing it, you are deeply entrenched in the book, and stay up much too late to finish it. It is, I think, much more successful because of the slow buildup. It allows for a greater build, and eventually a much deeper interest than the sort of book that tries to snag you immediately and hold you with that same energy level. Of course, the downside is that it starts slowly; it spends a good deal of time detailing the first years of Jane. Some modern readers may find this annoying, or not read further.
However, I have come to recognize that it is another way of writing a great book; where each chapter builds in intensity. While the first part may seem unnecessary, it performs the useful function of giving all the necessary background, and establishing Jane's character, without having to go into detail at the important bits. It is important information. It is also, I think, a nod to the reader who will continue to read the book. It is as though the author tells you to stick around, because it will be better and more exciting, and then it is.
It was quite a satisfying read.
One of my profesors once said that you are either a Jane Eyre or a Jane Austen sort of person. If so, I am most assuredly a Jane Austen sort of person. While both do me much good, I think Jane Austen much less likely of doing me harm. It is a very good thing that I did not read Jane Eyre when I was younger, for it is exactly the sort of book that I shouldn't have read, what with its gloomy and romantic setting. I would have missed the point that gloomy and romantic is all well and good, but you must still be good, honorable, and sometimes horribly practical. It would have been, I think, too subtle for me. Jane Austen, with her cheerful heroines (particularly Jane and Lizzie), and her cheerful landscape, did me much good by showing me that romance can be cheerful. Pride and Prejudice is a sunny novel, with only an occasional shower, but Jane Eyre is a novel full of thunderstorms and fog, with the sun occasionally breaking through.
There is one question, though, that I still have unanswered in Jane Eyre. ( (cut, just in case of spoilers) )
To end, I shall say that I am quite glad that I read the book, and even more glad that I bought it, so that I may read it again later.
However, I have come to recognize that it is another way of writing a great book; where each chapter builds in intensity. While the first part may seem unnecessary, it performs the useful function of giving all the necessary background, and establishing Jane's character, without having to go into detail at the important bits. It is important information. It is also, I think, a nod to the reader who will continue to read the book. It is as though the author tells you to stick around, because it will be better and more exciting, and then it is.
It was quite a satisfying read.
One of my profesors once said that you are either a Jane Eyre or a Jane Austen sort of person. If so, I am most assuredly a Jane Austen sort of person. While both do me much good, I think Jane Austen much less likely of doing me harm. It is a very good thing that I did not read Jane Eyre when I was younger, for it is exactly the sort of book that I shouldn't have read, what with its gloomy and romantic setting. I would have missed the point that gloomy and romantic is all well and good, but you must still be good, honorable, and sometimes horribly practical. It would have been, I think, too subtle for me. Jane Austen, with her cheerful heroines (particularly Jane and Lizzie), and her cheerful landscape, did me much good by showing me that romance can be cheerful. Pride and Prejudice is a sunny novel, with only an occasional shower, but Jane Eyre is a novel full of thunderstorms and fog, with the sun occasionally breaking through.
There is one question, though, that I still have unanswered in Jane Eyre. ( (cut, just in case of spoilers) )
To end, I shall say that I am quite glad that I read the book, and even more glad that I bought it, so that I may read it again later.
