Rating: 
Summary: A good book
Review: I thought this was a nice book. The main character is unlike most heroines. She is plain and simple, not very elegant or beautiful. It is fun to read about two characters, Jane Eyre, with her kind and charming but simple personality and the moody and mysterious Mr. Rochester. It can be a bit long with details but this book keeps you interested. I especially liked that Charlotte Bronte told you all about each character and how they grow and change or do not change. I thought this was a great story and is worth reading if you like love stories.
Rating: 
Summary: By far the best love story ever written!
Review: I've read it 3 times and I'm sure I'll read it again. I love it! I quote from it. It's a fantastic book for anyone who believes in true love and loves to be truly swept away by a book. Prepare to be swept! It's filled with heartache, pain, disappointment, turned to love, joy and happiness. It has twists and turns and mysterious and, at some moments, sheer terror! But you'll always love the ending! If you cry at sappy love stories in the movies, then the end of this book will leave you reaching for the tissue box!
Rating:
Summary: Still suitable for the fairer sex
Review: In the 156 years since its publication, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre has been a source of controversy - first, over its suitability for and, later, its portrayal of women. When it first emerged in three volumes from the British publishing house of Smith, Elder, and Company under the nom de plume of Currer Bell, it was popular in spite of being deemed unsuitable reading for the Christian woman. Ironically, a century and a half later, it's come under feminist criticism for its allegedly archaic and weak depiction of the Victorian woman.
The story itself is familiar to many. The orphaned Jane is left in the care of her mean-spirited aunt who pampers her own selfish children. The aunt can't abide Jane's willful temperament and banishes the child to Lowood, a charity school run by the hypocritical, Bible-thumping Brocklehurst. After disease epidemics for reform, Jane becomes a teacher at Lowood and then a governess for the adopted daughter of the mysterious Mr. Rochester - a man whose many secrets threaten to destroy Jane when she falls in love with him in spite of herself.
In large part, the novel is autobiographical. Bronte herself was born in Yorkshire in 1816 and sent to live with an aunt when her mother died. She and her sisters were sent to Cowan Bridge - a strict Methodist charity school where two of Bronte's sisters died (and became the inspiration for Jane's saintly schoolmate, Helen Burns). Bronte became a teacher and then a governess herself, a position she detested.
Jane Eyre is a blend of romance, Gothic horror, and a literary form known as Bildungsroman - an internal and external first-person account of coming-of-age. This is the most basic sense in which Jane Eyre is radical - most coming-of-age stories were (and, for that matter, continue to be) told about boys. Jane Eyre's story is not only about a girl, but about a girl who rebels against social conventions on her own principles.
Ultimately, the story is about choices and extremes Jane faces and her journey to finding a middle ground that is suitable for her and doesn't compromise her personal integrity.
Spiritually, Jane is faced with Brocklehurst - the epitome of the sanctimonious Evangelical movement. She then meets Helen Burns, whose love for God is certainly sincere, but leads to passivity and self-denigration. Later, Jane finds her counsin, St. John, whose religion is neither hypocritical nor meek, but leads to ambition and self-righteousness. Jane navigates the extremes to find her own understanding of love for God, ending her tale with, "Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus".
Jane equally struggles to find her ambiguous place in the structure of Victorian class society. She comes from a monied family to whom she doesn't truly belong, giving her the social carriage and education of the aristocracy. Yet she works in the lower class jobs of teacher and governess reserved for unmarriageable women, where her intellect and her sense of self rebel, as they did for Bronte.
But Jane's deepest conflict is between her need for independence and her desire for love. Rochester offers her love at the price of dependence. St. John offers her professional fulfillment at the price of love - a conflict I found meaningful and with which I could deeply identify. The dichotomy remains 156 years later
between ambitious, independent women living lives devoid of love versus dutiful wives and mothers living lives devoid of self-awareness and intellectual satisfaction. Even if few women desire these extremes, they continue to be offered and expected and refusing them can be the same source of pain and confusion that Jane experiences.
Her love for Rochester is tempting because he can offer her two things, even as a mistress, which she has lacked her whole life - money and a sense of family. Jane realizes that the lack makes her needy and that neediness can never be the basis for an equitable relationship.
Rochester is a basically good man, though deeply flawed. He hasn't locked Bertha away which, to a Victorian reader, would have indicated his kindness given the atrocities of the Victorian asylum. He adopts Adele with little reason to believe she's his own child. But Rochester's problems are largely his own doing and Jane is clearly his intellectual and moral superior - another factor unlikely to make for the equitable relationship Jane seeks.
But he does tempt her and it's no accident that at the moment of her greatest temptation, Jane sees Bertha Mason - the symbol of Victorian wifehood - locked away to the point of bestial insanity. Is it any wonder Jane flees?
The final third of the book - the "Whitcross section" - feels forced, overlong, and dull despite its importance to the story. In it, Jane finds her family and her inheritance while Rochester gains in humility and moral strength. With these needs fulfilled, Jane and Rochester are finally able to come together as true equals.
The book's epilogue, beginning, "Reader, I married him" has been the source of much debate. Many feel the entire last chapter in which, a decade later, Jane extols the blessings of married life, indicate that Jane has submitted at last to the mundane wifehood expected of her. However, even the first sentence belies this conclusion - Jane is the subject of the sentence, not the object of it. Like everything else in her story, marriage is something she does for herself, not something that simply happens to her. In it, she describes her marriage as "free as solitude", in which talking and sharing one another's thoughts are their greatest pleasures. Rather than a dismal descent into dailiness, this is Bronte's summary - that women who remain true to their own integrity and give in neither to the temptation of ambition nor that of meek dependence find what they seek - a love shared by two whole people who are able to remain fully themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Different read
Review: It was an unexpected book. Strange. I rather liked it for its love story. It is hard to describe. A good book worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: A classic for all
Review: It's true this book, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, is extremely boring for the first fifty to seventy pages, but the plot line needs that much set up because it is so difficult. Once one has made it past those pages, hold on for the ride of a lifetime because it is a complicated and complete novel. Charlotte Brontè is an extremely effective writer. Her explicit detail is apparent after the first page. She carries this aspect of writing throughout the novel in describing both her surroundings and the people she meets. Because of her writing style, one learns more about the characters in this novel than in most modern novels, this enhances the enjoyment and knowledge gained from this book. The detail used in this novel helps make it easier to relate to the main character Jane Eyre. Since this book is written in the first person, it is very important that one is able to connect with the main character who is also the narrator.
This novel's plot is so complex that one almost never wants to put it down after those first fifty pages. The setup, though boring, is completely necessary to the rest of the novel and the rest of the plot. The most important parts of the plot are often right after a slow spot in the book. I believe this is just to emphasis these points. Included in a way such as that is the portion near the beginning where Jane stands up to her aunt who she is living with. This part is the beginning of Jane's strong headed and straightforward attitude, which was very uncharacteristic of a woman at the time this novel was written.
Also, the time at Lowood Academy when Jane's friend Helen dies of consumption is one of the points in which the novel starts to slow down and an important item is introduced. Jane goes through many changes in atmosphere throughout the novel, some by choice, some not. This gives us more opportunity to relate to her because throughout our lives we all will have to deal with changes in location, surroundings, and relationships. The ways in which Jane reacts to her changes will in one way or another affect us for the rest of our lives. The plot has many different places where it is so entangled both by Jane's feelings and the actions of the other characters. This is to represent the times in our lives where things seem complicated.
It is easy to relate to the main character, Jane Eyre, which makes it a good novel to represent our life and take advice from. This is a classic because it has survived the trials and tribulations of time and is still considered an excellent book to take advice from and to learn about what has happened in the live of people of the past. Each of us can step into Jane's shoes at one point or another and see things as she sees them. It makes one feel connected to the novel and understand what is going on much better than a novel which does not have the first person interpretation and emotions in it. Because the narrator is a young girl growing up it is harder for males, such as me, to relate to portions of the novel, though it is just as easy to relate to other portions. Also, because of the difference in time periods, it is harder to relate to exact problems, though the problems can be generalized so as to be more relevant.
Overall, this novel is a great work in which many people can receive hours of enjoyment and thought. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is thought to be "mature" enough to read it with full comprehension because it is a novel that has bearing on many issues both of the mind and of the world.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: Jane Eyre is a truly excellent book. I find that I enjoy Charlotte Bronte's writing more than Jane Austen (who is very wordy and could have used a good editor). The strange circumstances surrounding Mr. Rochester and his first wife, and the romance between Jane and Rochester make this book a very enjoyable read. Highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Jane Eyre: Old, but not quite over the hill
Review: Jane Eyre may seem at first to be a boring 19th century novel, but in truth it is a fantastically rich book. There are so many great aspects in the novel. The characters are developed very well. Even though the author was limited in her knowledge because as a woman she was limited with education, each of the characters is portrayed well enough that he/she becomes real in the reader's mind. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the women characters are more developed and are more various than the men characters. The men in the book are shown to use women and they are not as diverse, but they are still interesting and realistic. Another great aspect is how well the author intertwined themes of social and financial classes, feminism, and faith and philosophy. Some of the ideas are easy to see without having to think about them, such as how money creates the biggest separation of classes. However, some of the philosophical ideas in the book are much deeper and harder to see and comprehend. The ideas are also not from our time period and are, therefore, harder for us to understand than they were for the readers of the author's time period. For example, the idea of how nature protects us and watches over us to make sure the right things happen to us at the right time is a intricate and remarkable concept.
Jane Eyre does have one major flaw, though, and that is the plot. It is an interesting plot and easy to understand, but it is too much like a fairytale. Everything works out almost too perfectly, and seems to be coincidental. The plot helps the theme of how nature makes sure things happen, but it is too planned out. One almost expects to see the all too typical line, "And they lived happily ever after" at the end of the book. This flaw with the plot would only be seen by readers of our time because we are use to reading books with multifaceted plots, whereas in the time the book was written, people were happy just to read such a developed novel. Even with this flaw, still, it is a great book. While Jane Eyre won't go on my favorites list to read again and again, it was definitely a novel worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: a great classic
Review: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, is a touching love story from the 19th century. Within the first few pages you will be swept up into a poor orphaned girl's troublesome life. Jane Eyre's sorrows, triumphs, and love are woven together in an almost magical way that keeps you reading until the end. There is mystery, suspense, and drama in this book, and also humor and happiness.
Jane is an orphan who was raised by her cruel Aunt Reed. She was sent off to a charity bording school called Lowood. There our 'poor and plain' heroine spends eight years. With sad and happy memories from Lowood, Jane departs to become a governess at Thornfield Hall. Little does she know of the mystery in the attic or the love that awaits her.
I reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a good classic. It's really a magical tale that is worth reading over and over again.The reading is moderately hard, it is probably about high school reading level. I loved it, and
understood it, even though I am in 8th grade.
I think that when I finished this book I was slightly changed from what I was when I started this book. I can really relate to Jane Eyre, and that is why I think that girls tend to like this novel more than boys. Also because it is a romance, but who knows, it really depends on what kind of person you are.
Jane Eyre is a passionate novel that sketches the way women felt in the 19th century, and what they went through. Jane Eyre's passion pours out of her so strongly, especially in this sentence:"...my soul began to expand, to exault, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into an unhoped-for-liberty"
Rating:
Summary: Jane Eyre
Review: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, is an enticing Victorian love story of a young woman as she grows and matures. The plot made me want to read so I could find out what happens. The characters have realistic feelings and thoughts, which made me sympathize and feel with them. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I often found myself re-reading a paragraph so I could fully understand what I had just read. These long paragraphs, however, did not stop me from reading forward and liking the book.
I would recommend this novel to late high school and college students. Girls who gravitate toward love stories with sweet sentiments might find the tale of Jane Eyre more enjoyable than others who are not such romantics.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Eyre: An Excellent Book
Review: Kathleen Marcotte
Miss Wilson's 8th period English class
Death, deception, love, pain and you're not even halfway through the book. The book Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte tells the story of a strong woman named Jane and her growth from a rejected orphan to a strong and independent woman. After living like a servant in her cruel aunt's home, Jane is sent off to receive an education at a poor institute for orphans. After witnessing the death of her best friend and surviving six more years there, Jane becomes a teacher and eventually a governess at the Thornfield Manor under the master, Edward Rochester.
Unlike many stories about love, in this one it is Jane's intellect and passion that is what attracts Edward Rochester. They fall deeply in love, but the discovery of Edward's insane wife causes Jane to run away. Charlotte Bronte uses her talent with words to vividly describe Jane's pain.
"Jane Eyre, who had been an ardent expectant woman---almost a bride---was a cold, solitary girl again: her life was pale; her prospects were desolate. A Christmas frost had come at midsummer; a white December storm had whirled over June; ice glazed the ripe apples, drifts crushed the blowing roses; on hayfield and cornfield lay a frozen shroud: lanes which last blushed full of flowers, to-day were pathless with untrodden snow...My hopes were all dead---struck with a subtle doom" (314).
Homeless, penniless, and near death Jane somehow finds work and a place to stay. Her path of self-discovery continues in the finding of her cousins and her inheritance of her uncle's fortune.
She finally returns to Edward to find him staying with his servants. The once wealthy businessman had become wifeless, homeless, blind, and crippled from a fire. Jane and Edward's love had not diluted in their time apart but grew stronger. The story ends happily with Jane and Edward's marriage and birth of a son.
This book is written with such detail and emotion, you instantly connect with the young woman. The depth and compassion of this book draws the reader in and teaches him/her about determination and self-worth. Her morality and strength, in a time when women were not accepted for their minds, makes Jane stand out from other heroines. When she is at the point of near death from hunger and fatigue, she will not give up.
"While the rain descends so, must I lay my head on the cold, drenched ground? I fear I cannot do other wise: for who will receive me? But it will be very dreadful, with this feeling of hunger, faintness, chill, and the sense of desolation-this total prostration of hope...And why cannot I reconcile myself to the prospect of death? Why do I struggle to retain a valueless life? Because I know, or believe, Mr. Rochester is living: and then, to die of want and cold is a fate to which nature cannot submit passively. Oh, Providence! Sustain me a little longer!" (351).
Jane Eyre is a classic book, but the text is quite long and at times can seem to trail off. There are points in the book that don't move and slow down the story. During one conversation between Jane and Edward the story feels like it's dragging on.
"'Sententious sage! So it is: but I sear by my household god not to abuse it.'
`You are human and fallible.'
`I am: so are you-what then?'
`The human and fallible should not arrogate a power with which the divine and perfect alone can be safely entrusted'" (144).
Over all, the book is excellent. It is captivating and powerful. It is a long read, but worth the time. I would recommend this book to everyone, not only women. Regardless of the gender of the hero, this book shows what one can accomplish no matter what obstacles life throws your way.
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