Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

Stevie Davies (Editor)

'The masterwork of a great genius' William Makepeace Thackeray

A novel of intense emotional power, heightened atmosphere and fierce intelligence, Jane Eyre dazzled and shocked readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom on her own terms. Its heroine Jane endures loneliness and cruelty in the home of her heartless aunt and the cold charity of Lowood School. Her natural independence and spirit prove necessary when she takes a position as governess at Thornfield Hall. But when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of a shameful secret forces her to make a terrible choice.

Edited with an Introduction and notes by STEVIE DAVIES

• ISBN10: 0141441143
• ISBN13: 9780141441146
• Publish Date: 29 June 2006 (first published 16 October 1847)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 9 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Penguin Classics
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 624
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780141441146

Reviews

[pamela]

Rochester abuses mentally ill wife. Jane complains a lot.

[wyvernfriend]

This was an interesting read. As a teenager I read this several times but what I didn't know at the time, I was reading a condensed version of the story. I also had some trepidation about re-reading the story as I have re-read some other teenage favourites and wondered why I liked them in the first place.

But this was interesting, the love story of a young governess is well known, the problems she has in finding love are involved an interesting. I really did enjoy the insight it gave me into the life of the period and the role of a governess of the time. Of course it's helped by the fact that I read a few books about the background in the last few years.

Jane does grow through the story, and develops as an interesting character through her trials and tribulations. As do several of the other characters in the story.

I enjoyed the experience of re-visiting my teenage years but with the longer and more involved story, I enjoyed reading some of the undercurrents that were excised in the earlier edition that I possibly wouldn't have really "got".