Wide Sargasso Sea (Bloomsbury Classic) (Textplus) (Penguin Student Editions)

by Jean Rhys

Set against the lush backdrop of 1830s Jamaica, Jean Rhys's powerful, haunting story was inspired by the first Mrs. Rochester, in Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre". Born into an oppressive, colonialist society, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent sensuality and beauty. But soon after their marriage, rumors of madness in her family poison his mind against her. He forces Antoinette to conform to his rigid Victorian ideals, unaware that he is pushing her towards madness, and towards a terrible conclusion amongst the leaping flames at Thornfield Hall...

• ISBN10: 0140274219
• ISBN13: 9780140274219
• Publish Date: 3 September 1998 (first published October 1966)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 November 2010
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[kerrydarkeyes]

An intriguing glimpse into the mind of Jane Eyre's "Bertha" - but at points I felt lost by the narration, which was appropriate for Antoinetta's perspective, as her mind fractures further and further, but even in Rochester's POV, some of the dialogue or references made me work harder than I expected to try and understand what was being said or happening. Still, worth the read and confirms Rochester as a real piece of shit.

[brokentune]

I put off reading Wide Sargasso Sea because all the reviews I read – mostly before joining GR – only focused on this book being a prequel to Jane Eyre, and I was afraid this might be another piece of fan fiction.
Man, was I wrong!

I’m not sure if knowing the story of Jane E. actually helps reading this book. It might help with the ending - if you don't like cliffhangers, that is.

WSS does work perfectly well as a stand-alone book. I thought the connection with Jane Eyre enabled Rhys to focus on the characters and develop the atmosphere and emotional development of Antoinette and Mr. Rochester rather than having to spend much time on developing a captivating plot. And the creation of an atmosphere is what Rhys manages - in a way not dissimilar to Daphne DuMaurier - perfectly. It drew me right into the story.

There also is one observation about Wide Sargasso Sea I just can't get out of my mind: The use of alcohol - in what seems to be quite large amounts - as a sedative for the troubled minds of both Antoinette and Rochester seems to be ubiquitous, and I cannot help but wonder if this was a description of Rhys' own coping mechanisms that led to her alcoholism.