Charlotte Brontë Before Jane Eyre

by Glynnis Fawkes

[pamela]

It is so difficult to separate my thoughts on this graphic novel from my complete, and utter dislike of Charlotte Brontë, and my detestation of Jane Eyre, but I'm going to do my best.

From a characterisation point of view Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre perfectly captures the excessive melodrama of Charlotte Brontë. It was a melodrama that seeped into every moment of her prose and is one of the reasons I dislike her so much - but was perfectly realised in this graphic novel. While it annoyed me, it was true to character, so is not exactly something I can criticise it for. So basically, Charlotte is still the worst, which makes Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre a brilliant graphic novel. It was easy to read, full of facts about Jane's life, and managed to build a character consistent with both the historical facts, and her voice as a writer. It's definitely a good biographical introduction to Charlotte Brontë for young readers.