Rating: 
Summary: On of the all-time greatest mystery novels
Review: Like many here I too first encountered Jane Eyre as part of a secondary school English class and, was rather put off by the teacher's woefully bland paraphrase and the less than cinematic film version by Franco Zeffirelli. I was also deeply under-whelmed by the book's reputation as a story for gloomy teenage girls; something that has also been said about the other Bronte family landmark Wuthering Heights. That isn't the case though... as once we strip away the moody romance and the layers of slow-burning melodrama we find one of the darkest, most evocative mystery novels ever written. Bronte's talent is in the creation of atmosphere and the conjuring of images through her use of words. The characters drift in and out and interact with Jane in a supposedly meaningful way, though in reality they are merely ciphers for the audience that will allude to the actions of the final chapters.
Admittedly certain plot elements now seem a little trivial, whilst the first few chapters are almost Dickensian in their depiction of the school... but this is a minor quibble, and is certainly what would be expected for a book written so many years ago. It is the central mystery of the house and it's former inhabitants that really draws us in... while it is the layering of clues surrounding this mystery that eventually brings us back for more. The romance IS nice, though I find certain elements of the dénouement to be lacking sincerity, but again, this has more to do with the period of the book's creation as opposed to a negative reflection of Bronte as a writer. Yes, gloomy teenage girls will love it, but I'm sure gloomy teenage boys will too... though there really is more to the book than that.
I think the mystery and the creation of the house; the atmosphere and the central, horrific elements of the plot are fantastically rendered by the author and should result in great reading for the majority of us here. Simply approach it as a romantic melodrama and that is all you'll get back... however, if you approach this book as something more akin to Du Maurier's Rebecca... you'll find something much more substantially rewarding.
Rating:
Summary: Epitomizes its genre
Review: More than a simple love story, a gothic romance, a Victorian novel, or even a female picaresque work, Jane Eyre is, quite simply, a wonderful book. Written, as it was, in Victorian England by a female author, Jane Eyre has occasionally been pigeonholed as a garden variety gothic romance. It is much more than this, however: not only is it a genuine classic, it epitomizes its genre. There are several factors that set it above the pack. For one, it is extremely well-written: Bronte's characterization is masterful and the plot is well-developed. One comes to identify with the character of Jane, who narrates, and the other characters in the book, most of whom are well-drawn, rounded characters. The book also features other elements which are unusual for a book of its kind and which were genuinely new at the time. For starters, take its protagonist, the title character: she is not beautiful, like Edith Wharton's Lily Bart; she is not rich, like most of Jane Austen's female characters; she is not ambivalent and wish-washy like Kate Chopin's Edna Pontellier; she is not an intellectual. Jane is a well-drawn, rounded, truly believable character -- and a genuinely likable one. The reader comes to empathize and identify with her. Strong-willed, independent, and indefatigable, Jane is not a hard-to-like character like the aforementioned Edna Pontellier from The Awakening; the book could almost be called a female picaresque novel, were she not so practical and solid a character. Also setting the book above its ilk are several dark story details that set the book above the of the typical love story. Bronte also uses the book as a medium to criticize certain aspects of Victorian culture: the inhumane and non-emphatic treatment of the poor by the rich, the denial of the pursuit of happiness, the plight of orphans and other who had no well-defined place in society, the often cruel sternness of church and other authority figures, among much else. Bronte also pauses from time to time to take on spiritual and quasi-philosophical elements, which give the book an added depth and sophistication. With all of this, Bronte succeeds in bringing the book out of the sphere of mere feminist literature: its universal theme and eclectic contents set it above the works of Austen and Chopin, among others. Though many aspects of the novel show it to be a clear product of the Victorian era, the book, with its just-mentioned strengths, is a universal work that will endure for centuries yet to come. In this way, it is much more applicable to our present day than works such as, say, The House of Mirth, which deal primarily with ephemeral concerns. On top of all this, it is a wonderful and delightful read. What we have here is a true classic. This is essential reading for any fan of romances, gothic literature, or Victorian literature in general; readers looking for a truly great and easily-accessible classic need also look no farther.
Rating:
Summary: Happily Satisfied
Review: One of the greatest novels of all time, Jane Eyre satisfies all the essentials that a great romance novel needs, plus more.This novel brings to life the ordinary day with new twists and turns around every corner.
Jane Eyre is in first-person, therefore you feel what the character feels and go through what she goes through. Deep emotions come out as a result of the life she leads and how she reacts and deals with the struggles she faces. Along with struggles and hardships Jane Eyre also experiences happy situations.
A must-read, no one should ever go through life not having read this book. No book is as beautiful or elegantly spoken than Jane Eyre.
Girls and Guys alike will enjoy it and recommend it to all of their friends once they read it. This novel is just that good!
So what are you waiting for, click on the book and order it now. I guarentee that you will not be sorry you bought it.
Rating: 
Summary: Meaningless
Review: Perhaps this book requires a re-read, but I found this novel to be full of meaningless drivel. The characters to me were uninspiring, there was not enough real heartache that you felt. The characters were simply underdeveloped. The plot with St. John seemed uterally meaningless to me.
This is one of my least favourite books-- there was no substance, no overwhelming theme. Nothing to be learned from this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Pride and Prejudice: A Classic
Review: Pride and Prejudice is a classic novel from the 19th century. It is by far one of the best books I have ever read. The conflict that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy go through is what makes this book such an exciting love story. I would say that the best chapter of this story is chapter 7 volume 1, where Jane goes to Mr. Bingley's on the horse and gets a cold. This is the part of the story were things start to change. One example of this would be the interest that Mr. Darcy starts to show for Elizabeth. This happens because Jane catches a cold on her way to the Bingley's house and Elizabeth goes to the Bingley's house to take care of her sister. As Darcy spends time with Elizabeth, he starts to show interest in Liz. Another important thing about this book is that Jane Austen uses imagery very well to make us get into the book. I must say that there were times when I was caught up in reading since everything was well described. An example of Austen using imagery is when she describes what kind of people the Bennet's mom and dad are. For example, at the beginning of the story, the writer talks about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet and how different the two people are. In chapter 1 the author describes Mrs. Bennet as a foolish person and a fussy gossiper. Mr. Bennet is quiet and kept to himself. In chapter 4 we have a very good description of personalities in two different important characters, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bingley is cheerful and sociable while Mr. Darcy is clever but less tactful, and unlike Mr. Bingley he finds the people dull; in other words, he criticizes people way too much. I would recommend this book for high school students because it opens your mind to new and real things. It teaches you, mostly girls, to value the liberties that are given to you. I say this because back then women didn't have many choices or liberties to do what they wanted. Back then women had to do what their husband wanted and now women have many liberties.
Rating:
Summary: Read it while you are young!
Review: Some say that I'm bias in this, but I have to say that I am not one to read romance novel. I'm just not. But I gave this book a shot. A basic plot summary will give you a plain, unattractive young girl living under an oppressive aunt who sends her to a strict Christian school for the orphans. After years of suffrage at the school, Jane becomes a governess for the brooding Mr. Rochester, which she soon finds she has feelings for. But what about that Grace Poole, what is she hiding in the upstairs attack?
What seems like a mystery is over run by a prevailing romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. I won't divulge anymore of the plot. But I will tell you why I initially liked it. Jane Eyre is the best example of the heroine I am most like. She is plain and simple and so am I. I connected well with the character. Quite often, I feel the heroes are too fake. At its best, this is a story about two conflicting societies, the aristocracy and the middle class. Which is done in a rather blunt and humorous way. But what I find enjoyable is the fact that if you take certain dialogs from the book completely out of context, it is quite funny. My friends and I have many a good joke because of it. What I don't like isn't much, but it is where many books fail. The ending collapses the entire book. It felt pushed and corny. I thought it was the most predictable ending.
The entire story felt a bit contrive. But not as bad as Wuthering Heights by her sister, which I didn't even finish. The book is pretty easy read. But read it while you are young like me (I'm in my mid-teens), or else, if you become an avid book reader, you will find nothing but faults.
Rating:
Summary: Nice classic
Review: Someone gave me an old copy of it, that originally sold for 32 cents. It's a good, interesting tale of romance, with all the right elements: innocent young girl, roguish older man, a little girl, villainy, scandal, and of course, the happy ending. She'd have made a popular Harlequin writer if she lived nowadays.
Rating:
Summary: Just Okay
Review: The book Jane Eyre was only okay. In the beginning it was very hard to get in to. Nothing interesting really happened until later on in the book. It was also really boring in parts when she described things like the weather. She would go in to so much detail and drag it on forever. There would be pages of her describing one thing. In a way it can be good because you can really make a good picture in your head, but it can get really annoying and boring fast. As the book went on it did seem to pick up a little bit. There were very interesting things actually happening in the book. There were times where I did not want to set down the book. For instance, I liked how the main character, Jane, wasn't the rich, beautiful, popular girl. She was plain and simple. I liked this because it is different from most other books. It shows a life about a girl who, like most of us, does not get everything she wants. I really enjoyed that part of the story. I also enjoyed the part when she inherited a lot of money from her uncle. At the same time she learned about three new cousins of hers. Not even knowing them, she split her money. It showed how much she cared about family more than money. That was a good lesson in the book. In another part of the book there is something that goes along with that and that is when Mr. Rochester tells Jane about Adele and her mother. He took care of Adele even though he did not believe that she was even his. That showed some responsibility in Mr. Rochester. However there were a lot of things that happened in the book that I did not like. I did not like Mr. Rochester. He was a selfish liar. It seemed like he was always keeping a different secret and lying about it. He lied to Jane many times but yet they still get married. I thought that was ridiculous. At first I thought Jane was stronger than that, but this really showed how weak she was. She went back to him although he kept lying to her. I mean he had a wife who needed help locked up on the third floor. That seemed a little too crazy to fall in love with a guy who does that. I felt like she got married because she did not want to be so lonely and she did not really care what kind of person it was she did marry. Although, she did know that she did not want to marry Mr. St. John which was a good thing because I do not think that he wanted to marry her for the right reasons. After Jane told him that she did not want to marry him, he went right back to his religion and it did not really bother him. Overall, the book was not the best or anything. It had a couple parts I enjoyed. On the other hand, there were many parts that either bored me or annoyed me.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The epic story of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte's 'poor and plain' 19th century heroine, is a rare and wonderful combination of intelligent prose and keen emotion. It's a sweeping masterpiece of a love story, and a book which, even now, remains as accessible and valid as it did upon its first release. Jane, the heroine, is an orphan, being raised by her cruel Aunt Reed. Tired of her troublesome charge, Mrs. Reed sends Jane to board at Lowood Charity School, where she discovers a new way of life, sometimes as cruel as her time at Gateshead, sometimes full of friendship and laughter. Presently, she accepts the job of Governess to the precocious daughter of Mr. Rochester in Thornfield Hall, and falls in love. She discovers inner strength and self-worth through the redemptive power of that love. Unlike the novels of Jane Austen, Bronte's heroine is from an underprivileged class, and the mood of this story is generally sombre. However, compared to 'Shirley', or Emily Bronte's masterpiece 'Wuthering Heights', 'Jane Eyre' takes what is essentially a sorrowful tale and imbues it with vivid, if brief, descriptions of happiness and love. A sense of belonging pervades the latter half of the story, thrown into high relief by several traumatic events, and culminating in Jane achieving her heart's true desire - a family of her own. It's a more straightforward and rewarding book than most 19th century epics, and for that, it's a better way of introducing oneself to 19th century literature. Bronte's acute awareness of the complexities of human emotion is palpable, and her heroine Jane displays a sense of isolation and self-reliance not found in many other novels, contemporary or otherwise. This is the hook, this is what draws the reader to the character of Jane, she is hard and self-sufficient, without resorting to bitterness or introversion. This subtle contrast forces us to empathise with Jane's plight, and we are all the more satisfied by the story's end. Basically a love story played out against the backdrop of harsh, austere 19th century rural England, 'Jane Eyre' is a book you will return to, again and again. It's romantic, gothic, sparse and, conversely, lush, and truly deserving of its status as Classic. Buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: What a piece of crap
Review: The only thing less exciting than this book would be watching paint dry. Stuffy english characters abound in this failed attempt to be Dickens-esque.
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