Jane Eyre

There are two reviews here, since this special version of the book has two things going on. When I was a kid I had some weird built-in prejudice against anything labeled "classic". Unknowingly I read "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" and even Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," but I thought I had "discovered" them--had anyone told me they were classics, I wouldn't have read them. Stupid, but true. When I was in my thirties I read "A Tale of Two Cities" and re-thought my whole position on the classics--maybe there was a reason they were called that. So I read a lot of them, but I never read "Jane Eyre." I saw about four different movie versions of it, though, and figured I knew the story well enough. But when Writer's Digest announced this version, I saw a chance to correct an omission AND get some good writing advice. KM Weiland's book on structure, after all, is a masterpiece. Hence, this double-edged review.1. Jane Eyre. The movie versions I've seen were, surprisingly, fairly true to the book (not often the case, as anyone who reads a book and then watches its movie knows). Shy governess, obnoxious-but-philosophical middle aged guy. Crazy wife in the attic. Missionaries. They hit all the high points. But Bronte's prose is well-done, and her characters are far more complex than the movies. She has a great way of building suspense, too. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I wanted to see it happen, so I kept reading. And I was satisfied when I closed the book: a good story, well-told.2. The notes. Weiland's notes are, at the risk of sounding sycophantic, brilliant. Remember, these notes are about the writing of the book, not about the historicity or any of the other kinds of analysis you'd usually see in annotations. (My annotated "Sense and Sensibility" practically explains each curtsy as well as why dances lasted half an hour.) There's plenty of analysis, but it's all about how Bronte tells the story. For readers of Weiland's "Structuring Your Novel," it's like a Part II, showing the First Plot Point, (p118), Midpoint (p216), Third Plot Point (p325), Resolution and Epilogue. There are even pages at the back with questions (and lines for answering them or writing other notes) about structure. But wait, there's more! There are notes on perspective, voice, POV, conflict and tension, obstacles, character development, transitions, and way more than that. (I'm laundry listing here--but trust me, the notes could practically be their own book.)I'm a writer myself, though you won't see my name in Amazon in that capacity--I ghost write. Under my own name, I'm also a freelance editor (developmental, substantive, and copy--you name it, I do it) and have been one for years. But I still read books on writing all the time. Some I love, some I tolerate, and a few I've ridiculed (after jumping up and down on their tattered remains). But this book is its own category, or perhaps it defies category. It's a writing master class, analyzing a masterpiece of English literature to make its key points. If I were a writing teacher, this would be required reading for my classroom.One thing alone keeps the book from getting the fifth star, and it's a mechanical thing, nothing against Bronte or Weiland. They did their jobs well! But the typeface for the story is a serif font, and it's ten points at most, maybe eight. I needed to buy a +2 set of "cheaters" to read the story alone--and the notes are worse. They're a pale blue sans serif (the contrasting serif/sans serif fonts are good; the size is not and the pale color is not) that was hard to read even with the +2 cheaters. The notes are in the outer margins and take up about a third (one column) of each page. I wish they'd gone for broke and instead of giving us a six-by-nine (I'm eyeballing it, so the measurements are probably not exact), gone up a couple of sizes, just for the sake of those of us who are over 40. Then maybe they could've made the print a decent size.

I enjoyed the book. I was surprised how our modern-day language has, apparently, been dumbed down over the years. I'm college-educated, but found many words she used to be ones I had never heard. That said, I still enjoyed the book. I probably should have read it years ago in some English class, but it was never required. I took my time with no looming deadlines and enjoyed it.

All of the sudden I 100% understand people's fascination with this story.Despite it being written in the mid 1800s and there being at least three words a page that I had to look up in the dictionary, I followed Jane's autobiographical story told in 1st person POV very easily (unlike when I read Pride and Prejudice, which confused the heck outta me).To say that this is the most quotable book I've ever read is an understatement! I highlighted so many things. Some of the lines about being in love are pure magic."Come to me - come to me entirely now," said he; and added, in his deepest tone, speaking in my ear as his cheek was laid on mine, "Make my happiness - I will make yours.""My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven. He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sun.""Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be loved better than I was loved; and him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped."Read this book. Now I say! Read it now!

This old classic is a classic for a reason. IF I read it in high school I don't remember it. So I enjoyed a delightful read over several days, savouring the descriptions, enjoying the character development as well as the plot. At first I thought it was a children's book, but after reading it, I think the children of today would have a hard time understanding many of the beautiful uses of the English language that Charlotte Bronte perfected.

This is not a review of the novel, but a review of the Kindle edition and its worthless formatting. 2 issues:1. It says it's illustrated. Attached is a photo example of one such picture. What in the world is that?! Sausages hanging over a campfire?! NONE of the crap, toddler-did-this-for-sure illustrations apply to the story in any way.2. Once I hit page 117, everything from then on was called page 117. Photo also attached. So fun.

I am now at an age when I must revisit classics, assigned to me in youth, which I could not then have appreciated. "Jane Eyre" is such a book. Although perfectly readable, I enjoy following its sentences—or at times laying the volume aside and hearing the story—read by a polished performer. Amanda Root is that performer in this unabridged Naxos edition, and her resonant, supple voice is perfect for creating Brontë's atmosphere, as well as the protagonist's maturation. A classically trained Shakespearean actor who has portrayed Juliet, Cressida, Rosalind, Cordelia and Lady Macbeth, Ms. Root is more than equal to the demands of this 20+ hour recital. I own this recording's boxed CD set, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find at a reasonable price—or at all, in that format. Others must speak to its quality on Audible or other streaming formats.

I love this book, as I have read it before in normal novel format. This particular style (letter-sized pages in 3 columns, text in 9 pt. type) is not cool, in my opinion. I should have read about the size. Now I supoose I give it away and order the unabridged classic in normal novel size and with 12 pt. type.