What do you think?
Rate this book
Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting
Jane Eyre. Frankenstein. The Scarlet Letter. You’re familiar with these pillars of classic literature. You have seen plenty of Frankenstein costumes, watched the film adaptations, and may even be able to rattle off a few quotes, but do you really know how to read these books? Do you know anything about the authors who wrote them, and what the authors were trying to teach readers through their stories? Do you know how to read them as a Christian? Taking into account your old worldview, as well as that of the author? In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through Jane Eyre. She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God. This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of Jane Eyre. The full series currently Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, and Frankenstein. Make sure to keep an eye out for the next classics in the series.
753 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2021
44 people are currently reading
461 people want to read
About the author
Karen Swallow Prior
34 books756 followersKaren Swallow Prior (PhD, SUNY Buffalo) is the award-winning author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis; On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books; Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More--Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist; and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me. She is a frequent speaker, a monthly columnist at Religion News Service, and has written for Christianity Today, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Vox. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the International Alliance for Christian Education.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 25, 2024
Reader, I find myself struggling to adequately sum up such a harrowing, beautiful, dark, and hopeful story in a mere review. However, I will do my best—for it is all I can do.
What is it about this story that presses itself into my heart so tenderly? Is it the glowing prose—with all the em dashes, the lilt, and the rhythm? Is it the themes of resilience, reliance on God, integrity, and love? Is it the gothic elements: the windy English moors, the gloomy manor house, and the dark secrets? No. While all of the above elements are important to the story, they are not the fulcrum upon which the whole tale turns. And that fulcrum, reader, is Jane herself.
We are given the privilege of meeting our beloved heroine when she is a child—and a vulnerable child at that. Our Jane is scoffed at, abused, and neglected. Both Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst use Christian values to justify their mistreatment of Jane as she is actively shunned and ostracized. Mrs. Reed labels Jane a liar when she does nothing but tell the truth, and Mr. Brocklehurst clothes his students in plain, threadbare dress while his daughters are clothed in "velvet, silk, and furs." What painful ironies for a child to learn!
However, the example of Helen Burns (our Christ figure) keeps Jane from growing embittered. She tells our heroine that "if all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends." She models a Christian life well-lived as she shares with Jane that she relies "implicitly on His power and confide[s] wholly in His goodness." The examples of Helen and Miss Temple teach a young Jane the importance of grace, mercy, and (maybe most importantly) integrity.
Jane then makes her move to Thornfield Hall where she takes a position as a governess. She accepts this new position with a humble, simple, gratitude; she does not envy those in power or prestige. It is here that Bronte begins peppering the pages with hints of gothic literature: a laugh here, a suspicious fire there—creating just the right amount of unease in the reader.
Our heroine thus passes her days as Adele's governess. However, the days copped up begin to wear on Jane. She confides in the reader that she grows "weary of an existence all passive" and she asserts that it "It is thoughtless to condemn them [women], or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." Jane desires some excitement, some variance in her life!
The eventful arrival of Mr. Edward Rochester (and Pilot!) to Thornfield provides Jane with just that. And as the story goes, slowly, minute by minute, conversation by conversation, and glance by glance, she falls in love with him. She tells the reader that she "had not intended to fall in love with him." In a remark that I found hilariously relatable, she confides that she "could not keep [her] lids under control": her eyes would rise and fix on Mr. Rochester all on their own.
While a woman in love, Jane is not ignorant of class or station. She knows that she "must smother hope." Since she is a subordinate in every way to Edward there is no chance of a requited love. Despite this logic, her heart yearns for him: "while I breathe and think, I must love him."
As Jane's feelings for Mr.Rochester continue to grow inside her, she receives a summons to return to Gateshead to speak to her Aunt Reed and her cousins. However, as this is a review focusing primarily on Jane Eyre, I will not spend too much time detailing this interaction. It will suffice to say that Mrs. Reed, John, Georgiana, and Eliza all met a very bitter end; Bronte paints them as severe and sarcastic—wanting of softness and grace. However, our heroine treats them, including her Aunt, with all the warm civility that she possesses—forgiving them whole-heartedly, without hesitation, and genuinely wishing the best for them.
After about a month's absence, Jane returns to Thornfield where she learns that Mr. Rochester is about to be married. The pain she feels is unbearable, and she tells him that once he is married she will leave him. In a bold declaration, she asks Rochester "Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?—a machine without feelings?...Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!...I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even mortal flesh;—it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal,—as we are!"
"Equal—as we are." What incredible words for a twenty year-old woman to speak to a powerful man twice her age. Her faith informs her belief in equality, so she is able to assert herself with the perfect balance of grace and truth. In this heartfelt (and my favorite) scene in the whole novel, every passionate thought and secret desire is let loose from Jane's chest. She simultaneously experiences great love for Rochester and great pain at the notion of losing him. She passionately declares that she is "no bird and no net ensnares [her]...[she] is a free human being with an independent will."
Mr. Rochester then reveals that he means to marry her—moreover, that he loves her and desires her to be his "best earthly companion." Her wildest hopes have come true! She answers that she will marry him, and so the slew of wedding preparations begin. I love how Jane remains "poor, obscure, plain, and little" as the wedding festivities begin: she refuses to be adorned with elaborate dress or jewels—she remains ever true to her simple, humble self.
At last the day arrives, but marital joy quickly turns to shocking despair. Mr. Mason reveals that Mr. Rochester has a wife already living—Bertha Mason! Jane's response to this news is absolutely bone-chilling: there is no fit of passion, no great cry bemoaning a lost love. She behaves almost like an automaton—methodically taking off her wedding clothes, packing her trunk, and staying closed away in her room. We, the readers, know what a passionate, emotional creature our Jane is, so the fact that she displays nearly no emotion in this great trial reveals the depth of her hurt.
When her love, her Edward, implores her to stay, she refuses. What integrity and character! Just as she asserted her passion toward Rochester mere chapters ago, she asserts her refusal to stay with him: "I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man."
And so our Jane leaves. Our wandering Jane, turned a beggar and exposed to the unforgiving elements, nearly starves to death. It is in this desperation, however, that she feels God's presence most acutely. The kindness of St. John saves her life and opens his (and his sisters' Diana and Mary) home to her. I must pause here to say that Diana and Mary are the perfect companions for Jane—they are gentle, compassionate, and avid readers.
(If my future home looks even slightly like Diana's and Mary's with books open, candles lit, and company welcome, I will be satisfied.)
St. John, however, strikes Jane as emotionless and severe. Not only does he boast a cold character, but "Nature was not to him that treasury of delight it was to his sisters...never did he seem to roam the moors for the sake of their soothing silence—ever seek out or dwell upon the thousand peaceful delights they could yield." According to Bronte, if a man does not enjoy peaceful walks outside, that is a red flag!
Before long, Jane begins looking for employment. She is not one to sit idle, so she soon finds a job as an instructor at a cottage school. She finds great contentment there, though it is much below her station. When St. John asks her what she will do with her fine accomplishments, she admirably replies that she will "save them till they are wanted. They will keep." What a humble answer! Though her living space is sparse, she contently notes that her "cottage is clean and weather-proof; [her] furniture sufficient and commodious. All [she] see[s] has made [her] thankful, not despondent." Our Jane balances self-respect and humility in a beautiful way. I feel she lives out Philippians 4:11-13 in a lovely way.
Not only is our heroine content with what she has, but she is quick to be generous and thoughtful—not selfish. After she has been working at the cottage school for a time, she learns that her uncle has died and bequeathed her 20,000 pounds. Our Jane—an heiress! Even more exciting to her, she learns that Mary, Diana, and St. John are her cousins! Finally, she is not alone in the world, and that is a great comfort to her. While most, myself included, would take the inheritance and see the world, gather luxuries, and live for themselves, Jane's first reaction is to share her wealth with her new family ("I abandon to you, then, what is superfluous to me"). Her first instinct is to divide the 20,000 among the four of them. What admirable humility and generosity!
However, Jane's humility does not extend so far as to her abandoning her purpose ("God did not give me my life to throw away"). Therefore, when St. John asks her to come to India with him as his wife, she is unable to accept. She respects herself too much to marry someone who does not, who cannot love her. She knows that she cannot "bear the consciousness that every endearment he bestors is a sacrifice made on principle" rather than genuine love and affection. Even when St. John gaslights her and guilts her for refusing him, she relies on God's truth and in what she knows is right.
Do not think, reader, that in this new life that Jane forgets about Mr. Edward Rochester. Rather, one night, in a fabulously gothic way, she hears him calling out to her. Since all her written inquiries into Mr. Rochester's well-being have gone unanswered, she decides to find out for herself whether he lives or not. Her findings are shocking: Thornfield manor burnt down, Bertha dead, and Mr. Rochester, blind and crippled.
This state, rather than repulsing Jane, endears him to her. She tells her Edward that "to be [his] wife is, for [her], to be as happy as [she] can be on earth." They are married in a simple, plain ceremony—just as Jane wanted the first time.
I hope, reader, that you can see the common thread throughout this novel is Jane herself: her agency, her will, and even her narration—for it is through her that we hear this story in the first place. Our passionate, self-respecting heroine, our simple and plain woman, is finally rewarded with all the joy and gladness that she deserves. Combine such a character with Bronte's magnificent writing, and you're left with a story that leaves you feeling nothing but thanks to God that he allowed such a story to be penned.
What is it about this story that presses itself into my heart so tenderly? Is it the glowing prose—with all the em dashes, the lilt, and the rhythm? Is it the themes of resilience, reliance on God, integrity, and love? Is it the gothic elements: the windy English moors, the gloomy manor house, and the dark secrets? No. While all of the above elements are important to the story, they are not the fulcrum upon which the whole tale turns. And that fulcrum, reader, is Jane herself.
We are given the privilege of meeting our beloved heroine when she is a child—and a vulnerable child at that. Our Jane is scoffed at, abused, and neglected. Both Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst use Christian values to justify their mistreatment of Jane as she is actively shunned and ostracized. Mrs. Reed labels Jane a liar when she does nothing but tell the truth, and Mr. Brocklehurst clothes his students in plain, threadbare dress while his daughters are clothed in "velvet, silk, and furs." What painful ironies for a child to learn!
However, the example of Helen Burns (our Christ figure) keeps Jane from growing embittered. She tells our heroine that "if all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends." She models a Christian life well-lived as she shares with Jane that she relies "implicitly on His power and confide[s] wholly in His goodness." The examples of Helen and Miss Temple teach a young Jane the importance of grace, mercy, and (maybe most importantly) integrity.
Jane then makes her move to Thornfield Hall where she takes a position as a governess. She accepts this new position with a humble, simple, gratitude; she does not envy those in power or prestige. It is here that Bronte begins peppering the pages with hints of gothic literature: a laugh here, a suspicious fire there—creating just the right amount of unease in the reader.
Our heroine thus passes her days as Adele's governess. However, the days copped up begin to wear on Jane. She confides in the reader that she grows "weary of an existence all passive" and she asserts that it "It is thoughtless to condemn them [women], or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." Jane desires some excitement, some variance in her life!
The eventful arrival of Mr. Edward Rochester (and Pilot!) to Thornfield provides Jane with just that. And as the story goes, slowly, minute by minute, conversation by conversation, and glance by glance, she falls in love with him. She tells the reader that she "had not intended to fall in love with him." In a remark that I found hilariously relatable, she confides that she "could not keep [her] lids under control": her eyes would rise and fix on Mr. Rochester all on their own.
While a woman in love, Jane is not ignorant of class or station. She knows that she "must smother hope." Since she is a subordinate in every way to Edward there is no chance of a requited love. Despite this logic, her heart yearns for him: "while I breathe and think, I must love him."
As Jane's feelings for Mr.Rochester continue to grow inside her, she receives a summons to return to Gateshead to speak to her Aunt Reed and her cousins. However, as this is a review focusing primarily on Jane Eyre, I will not spend too much time detailing this interaction. It will suffice to say that Mrs. Reed, John, Georgiana, and Eliza all met a very bitter end; Bronte paints them as severe and sarcastic—wanting of softness and grace. However, our heroine treats them, including her Aunt, with all the warm civility that she possesses—forgiving them whole-heartedly, without hesitation, and genuinely wishing the best for them.
After about a month's absence, Jane returns to Thornfield where she learns that Mr. Rochester is about to be married. The pain she feels is unbearable, and she tells him that once he is married she will leave him. In a bold declaration, she asks Rochester "Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?—a machine without feelings?...Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!...I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even mortal flesh;—it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal,—as we are!"
"Equal—as we are." What incredible words for a twenty year-old woman to speak to a powerful man twice her age. Her faith informs her belief in equality, so she is able to assert herself with the perfect balance of grace and truth. In this heartfelt (and my favorite) scene in the whole novel, every passionate thought and secret desire is let loose from Jane's chest. She simultaneously experiences great love for Rochester and great pain at the notion of losing him. She passionately declares that she is "no bird and no net ensnares [her]...[she] is a free human being with an independent will."
Mr. Rochester then reveals that he means to marry her—moreover, that he loves her and desires her to be his "best earthly companion." Her wildest hopes have come true! She answers that she will marry him, and so the slew of wedding preparations begin. I love how Jane remains "poor, obscure, plain, and little" as the wedding festivities begin: she refuses to be adorned with elaborate dress or jewels—she remains ever true to her simple, humble self.
At last the day arrives, but marital joy quickly turns to shocking despair. Mr. Mason reveals that Mr. Rochester has a wife already living—Bertha Mason! Jane's response to this news is absolutely bone-chilling: there is no fit of passion, no great cry bemoaning a lost love. She behaves almost like an automaton—methodically taking off her wedding clothes, packing her trunk, and staying closed away in her room. We, the readers, know what a passionate, emotional creature our Jane is, so the fact that she displays nearly no emotion in this great trial reveals the depth of her hurt.
When her love, her Edward, implores her to stay, she refuses. What integrity and character! Just as she asserted her passion toward Rochester mere chapters ago, she asserts her refusal to stay with him: "I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man."
And so our Jane leaves. Our wandering Jane, turned a beggar and exposed to the unforgiving elements, nearly starves to death. It is in this desperation, however, that she feels God's presence most acutely. The kindness of St. John saves her life and opens his (and his sisters' Diana and Mary) home to her. I must pause here to say that Diana and Mary are the perfect companions for Jane—they are gentle, compassionate, and avid readers.
(If my future home looks even slightly like Diana's and Mary's with books open, candles lit, and company welcome, I will be satisfied.)
St. John, however, strikes Jane as emotionless and severe. Not only does he boast a cold character, but "Nature was not to him that treasury of delight it was to his sisters...never did he seem to roam the moors for the sake of their soothing silence—ever seek out or dwell upon the thousand peaceful delights they could yield." According to Bronte, if a man does not enjoy peaceful walks outside, that is a red flag!
Before long, Jane begins looking for employment. She is not one to sit idle, so she soon finds a job as an instructor at a cottage school. She finds great contentment there, though it is much below her station. When St. John asks her what she will do with her fine accomplishments, she admirably replies that she will "save them till they are wanted. They will keep." What a humble answer! Though her living space is sparse, she contently notes that her "cottage is clean and weather-proof; [her] furniture sufficient and commodious. All [she] see[s] has made [her] thankful, not despondent." Our Jane balances self-respect and humility in a beautiful way. I feel she lives out Philippians 4:11-13 in a lovely way.
Not only is our heroine content with what she has, but she is quick to be generous and thoughtful—not selfish. After she has been working at the cottage school for a time, she learns that her uncle has died and bequeathed her 20,000 pounds. Our Jane—an heiress! Even more exciting to her, she learns that Mary, Diana, and St. John are her cousins! Finally, she is not alone in the world, and that is a great comfort to her. While most, myself included, would take the inheritance and see the world, gather luxuries, and live for themselves, Jane's first reaction is to share her wealth with her new family ("I abandon to you, then, what is superfluous to me"). Her first instinct is to divide the 20,000 among the four of them. What admirable humility and generosity!
However, Jane's humility does not extend so far as to her abandoning her purpose ("God did not give me my life to throw away"). Therefore, when St. John asks her to come to India with him as his wife, she is unable to accept. She respects herself too much to marry someone who does not, who cannot love her. She knows that she cannot "bear the consciousness that every endearment he bestors is a sacrifice made on principle" rather than genuine love and affection. Even when St. John gaslights her and guilts her for refusing him, she relies on God's truth and in what she knows is right.
Do not think, reader, that in this new life that Jane forgets about Mr. Edward Rochester. Rather, one night, in a fabulously gothic way, she hears him calling out to her. Since all her written inquiries into Mr. Rochester's well-being have gone unanswered, she decides to find out for herself whether he lives or not. Her findings are shocking: Thornfield manor burnt down, Bertha dead, and Mr. Rochester, blind and crippled.
This state, rather than repulsing Jane, endears him to her. She tells her Edward that "to be [his] wife is, for [her], to be as happy as [she] can be on earth." They are married in a simple, plain ceremony—just as Jane wanted the first time.
I hope, reader, that you can see the common thread throughout this novel is Jane herself: her agency, her will, and even her narration—for it is through her that we hear this story in the first place. Our passionate, self-respecting heroine, our simple and plain woman, is finally rewarded with all the joy and gladness that she deserves. Combine such a character with Bronte's magnificent writing, and you're left with a story that leaves you feeling nothing but thanks to God that he allowed such a story to be penned.
June 23, 2021
Jane eyre was the first novel I read as a married man. I grabbed it the day before my wedding and said “this will be a good book to start in the hills of California” and was I WRONG. Never read Jane Eyre when you need to pay the majority of your attention to your wife.
But Jane taught me about the prudent and virtuous parts of individuality and self-protection. She taught me what it means to look at the religion and vices of your surroundings and stand for what you believe to be authentic Gospel. There is error to individuality and looking out for number one. There is opposite error to super-dependence and absent-mindedly mirroring others.
I wish I could thank Ms. Bronte. Such a sweet book to hold to your chest after you finish.
But Jane taught me about the prudent and virtuous parts of individuality and self-protection. She taught me what it means to look at the religion and vices of your surroundings and stand for what you believe to be authentic Gospel. There is error to individuality and looking out for number one. There is opposite error to super-dependence and absent-mindedly mirroring others.
I wish I could thank Ms. Bronte. Such a sweet book to hold to your chest after you finish.
January 15, 2026
May Jane’s journey illuminate your own.
August 18, 2023
“Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting” by Karen Swallow Prior is an absolute must for every student and reader of Charlotte Brontë’s revolutionary Victorian literary fiction about an orphan girl who becomes the governess for a brooding man’s ward only to discover a haunting secret that may ruin all of their lives.
As a former undergraduate and graduate student who took loads of English literature classes, I certainly wish that Ms. Prior’s fabulously researched works were known to me back in the day because these helpful primers explain difficult concepts easily and logically.
With specific references to Charlotte Brontë’s groundbreaking novel, “Jane Eyre,” Ms. Prior notes that this book was first published under an androgynous pseudonym by Currer Brontë, and as an autobiography, since Victorian novels tended to be known as lurid fiction. Consequently, we learn that Charlotte angrily denied being the actual ‘Jane’ character from the book for the remainder of her lifetime.
Prior also notes that a major innovation of Charlotte Brontë with “Jane Eyre” is her thematic approach towards a first-person narrative and the importance of self-actualization—a very 20th C. Modern approach that was decades ahead of her time. By using the orphan motif, Brontë allowed her character development to seek a self determined life-path and discover what she wanted, desired and believed that she deserved —especially love!
This is the second book of critical analyses and interpretations of classical literature by Karen Swallow Prior that I’ve read. I must admit that I am astounded by the scope, logic and thoroughness of research Prior presents in each of the classical texts that she writes. (FYI: The first that I read of hers on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein. Prior makes that truly complex novel so much more accessible.) Again, it’s worth repeating, with each book that I read by Ms. Prior, the more impressed and fascinated I become.
TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Karen Swallow Prior, and Publisher B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids) B&H Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
As a former undergraduate and graduate student who took loads of English literature classes, I certainly wish that Ms. Prior’s fabulously researched works were known to me back in the day because these helpful primers explain difficult concepts easily and logically.
With specific references to Charlotte Brontë’s groundbreaking novel, “Jane Eyre,” Ms. Prior notes that this book was first published under an androgynous pseudonym by Currer Brontë, and as an autobiography, since Victorian novels tended to be known as lurid fiction. Consequently, we learn that Charlotte angrily denied being the actual ‘Jane’ character from the book for the remainder of her lifetime.
Prior also notes that a major innovation of Charlotte Brontë with “Jane Eyre” is her thematic approach towards a first-person narrative and the importance of self-actualization—a very 20th C. Modern approach that was decades ahead of her time. By using the orphan motif, Brontë allowed her character development to seek a self determined life-path and discover what she wanted, desired and believed that she deserved —especially love!
This is the second book of critical analyses and interpretations of classical literature by Karen Swallow Prior that I’ve read. I must admit that I am astounded by the scope, logic and thoroughness of research Prior presents in each of the classical texts that she writes. (FYI: The first that I read of hers on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein. Prior makes that truly complex novel so much more accessible.) Again, it’s worth repeating, with each book that I read by Ms. Prior, the more impressed and fascinated I become.
TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Karen Swallow Prior, and Publisher B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids) B&H Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
August 25, 2025
I’m in my CLASSICS ERA and this book was hard to put down. Charlotte Brontë is as brilliant as Jane Austen but gives FAR more dialogue to her lovers which was both entertaining and maddening. I’m not sure there’s another novel with characters so solidly set on doing good, come what may, and it’s inspiring and sobering. Might reread it again starting tomorrow.
ALSO KSP’s introduction and brief notes on vocabulary/context were helpful and made me feel smarter.
ALSO KSP’s introduction and brief notes on vocabulary/context were helpful and made me feel smarter.
September 11, 2022
I have always wanted to be someone who understood and appreciated classics, and I decided I must begin by actually reading them. I’m so thankful for this series Dr. Prior put together; otherwise, I might not have had the courage or confidence to crack open so great and renowned piece of literature, and one that I will hold dear to my heart until the grave, no doubt!
I am so flabbergasted at how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I read it. Charlotte Brontë is a genuine genius. I am still amazed at how beautifully she wove the themes together, and how she made me read an 800 page novel in two weeks (as I’m usually a slow reader.) She has dethroned JK Rowling in my mind as the Queen of Suspense.
Jane was fabulous. I want to be her when I grow up. I love that she isn’t aesthetic, but man—isn’t she beautiful?
St. John was too much. He needs to go read Song of Solomon. 🙄 and literally every 1000th reference to God’s affection and love for people in Scripture. Delight is a necessary part of Christianity.
Mr. Rochester is much more satisfying as a humbled man. I also appreciate that he learns the art of brevity, which he did not previously own. 😅 I also love that he wasn’t attractive. Two unattractive people create such a beautiful romantic portrait. What a brilliant and difficult masterpiece Brontë created!
That was the wildest ride, and I already want to get back on! It’s so satisfying to discover a treasure for yourself in something scholars have rebounded forever.
Now, on to Sense and Sensibility! (Though I’m not sure I’ll love Jane Austen as much, since Brontë wasn’t a fan herself…. but I must judge for myself, as Jane Eyre would do 😊.)
I am so flabbergasted at how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I read it. Charlotte Brontë is a genuine genius. I am still amazed at how beautifully she wove the themes together, and how she made me read an 800 page novel in two weeks (as I’m usually a slow reader.) She has dethroned JK Rowling in my mind as the Queen of Suspense.
Jane was fabulous. I want to be her when I grow up. I love that she isn’t aesthetic, but man—isn’t she beautiful?
St. John was too much. He needs to go read Song of Solomon. 🙄 and literally every 1000th reference to God’s affection and love for people in Scripture. Delight is a necessary part of Christianity.
Mr. Rochester is much more satisfying as a humbled man. I also appreciate that he learns the art of brevity, which he did not previously own. 😅 I also love that he wasn’t attractive. Two unattractive people create such a beautiful romantic portrait. What a brilliant and difficult masterpiece Brontë created!
That was the wildest ride, and I already want to get back on! It’s so satisfying to discover a treasure for yourself in something scholars have rebounded forever.
Now, on to Sense and Sensibility! (Though I’m not sure I’ll love Jane Austen as much, since Brontë wasn’t a fan herself…. but I must judge for myself, as Jane Eyre would do 😊.)
January 3, 2025
This is my favorite book of all time. Every time I read it I find something new about it. It remains an enduring commentary of the human struggle between duty and desire and the happiness that comes when they are balanced.
''I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will,”
“Human beings never enjoy complete happiness in this world. I’m not born for a different destiny than my species. To imagine such a lot before me is a fairytale, a daydream.”
”I will hold the principles given to me when I was sane , not mad as I am now. Calls and principles are not for times when there are no temptations. They are for such moments as this. When body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor… if for my individual convenience could break them, what would be their worth?”
“I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud-high.”
I’ve read this book so many times, and it will continue to be my favorite. The book never changes, but you do. Therefore, its words will continue to have new meanings.
I plan to read this book every year now.
''I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will,”
“Human beings never enjoy complete happiness in this world. I’m not born for a different destiny than my species. To imagine such a lot before me is a fairytale, a daydream.”
”I will hold the principles given to me when I was sane , not mad as I am now. Calls and principles are not for times when there are no temptations. They are for such moments as this. When body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor… if for my individual convenience could break them, what would be their worth?”
“I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud-high.”
I’ve read this book so many times, and it will continue to be my favorite. The book never changes, but you do. Therefore, its words will continue to have new meanings.
I plan to read this book every year now.
March 1, 2021
If you’ve ever read a classic and thought to yourself, “I wish I had read this in college and been able to discuss it with others,” or “I know this is important but I’m not sure why,” the Guide to Reading and Reflecting series from B&H Publishing and Karen Swallow Prior might be for you.
•
Each volume, which has a beautiful cloth cover, contains the full text of a classic, an introduction from Karen Swallow Prior, and questions designed for reflection and understanding major themes in the novel.
•
I first read Jane Eyre many years ago and remember it being one example of required reading that I actually enjoyed. So while I wasn’t surprised by how much I loved the story, I was impressed by how enriched this reread was because of the things Prior brings to the reader’s attention.
•
Other books in this series include Sense and Sensibility, Heart of Darkness, and more. Knowing these guides are available definitely makes reading the classics less intimidating.
•
My sincere thanks to @netgalley and @bhpub for the advanced review copy. Jane Eyre releases March 9!
•
Each volume, which has a beautiful cloth cover, contains the full text of a classic, an introduction from Karen Swallow Prior, and questions designed for reflection and understanding major themes in the novel.
•
I first read Jane Eyre many years ago and remember it being one example of required reading that I actually enjoyed. So while I wasn’t surprised by how much I loved the story, I was impressed by how enriched this reread was because of the things Prior brings to the reader’s attention.
•
Other books in this series include Sense and Sensibility, Heart of Darkness, and more. Knowing these guides are available definitely makes reading the classics less intimidating.
•
My sincere thanks to @netgalley and @bhpub for the advanced review copy. Jane Eyre releases March 9!
July 12, 2021
Spending the summer with Jane has been a beautifully educational and emotional season. Her emotional intelligence, choice wording, and interpersonal communications display a depth of soul and personhood in whom the reader, they who she often addresses directly, will grow deeply fond.
Karen Swallow Prior provides a concise yet profound grouping of reflection questions between each volume
to help think through the story from a Christian worldview. Likewise her introduction and historical/cultural context are of much value to the appreciation and impact of Bronte’s famous work.
Thankful for Daniel and Ronni for convincing me to spend a delightfully warm season of rest with Jane Eyre.
Karen Swallow Prior provides a concise yet profound grouping of reflection questions between each volume
to help think through the story from a Christian worldview. Likewise her introduction and historical/cultural context are of much value to the appreciation and impact of Bronte’s famous work.
Thankful for Daniel and Ronni for convincing me to spend a delightfully warm season of rest with Jane Eyre.
July 30, 2025
Exquisite.
July 3, 2022
Jane really knows how to walk right on past those red flags.
Dr. Swallow Prior's front materials and discussion questions helped me see more of the novel and would be great for a book club or class discussion! Loved this beautiful edition.
Dr. Swallow Prior's front materials and discussion questions helped me see more of the novel and would be great for a book club or class discussion! Loved this beautiful edition.
December 27, 2024
I'm not sure that I have read a better book.
March 6, 2024
I’ve read this book a few times now, but KSP’s thoughtful introduction and reflection questions were a helpful addition. This book is so rich and good, and I see something new upon every re-read.
July 1, 2021
Of course five stars for my favorite book. I really appreciated Karen Swallow Prior's introduction, discussion questions, and footnotes this time around. As with any good book, you continue to pull out connections and insights even when it's your sixth read. While this was nice to read on my own, I think these guided readings by Prior would be put to full effect when discussed with a book club or even a friend.
May 2, 2025
Although I have the Kindle Edition marked; which I did use when outside with my grandson, I primarily read this on my hardcover edition of the same.
I want to be careful with this review as this may be my favorite book of all reading history.
This is my third complete reading of Jane Eyre and I absolutely wallowed in her. I read, re-read and delighted in this particular journey more than ever before. This edition by Karen Swallow Prior enriched my reading profoundly. There were times I actually gasped out loud at her reflection questions. By the time I was in section 3 of I was learning to appreciate and discover some quiet gems on my own accord. I am enchanted by the mentions of the rookery in J.E -they enhance the gothic atmosphere. I also noticed the many variations of Eyre (air, ire, eyrie, heir) that KSP mentions in Questions for Further Reflection #7 by myself!
I really took my time on her questions. Going back and re-reading, not thinking hastily, and just appreciating the insight of a Christian college professor. KSP mentions in the intro that many people say they wish they could take her courses, and by purchasing this book, they essentially do. I found this to be the case. The only thing missing would be the class discussion.
Reading the introductory material really set me up for an informed reading experience (but she doesn't give spoilers). I had absolutely no idea this was a book influenced by Pilgrim's Progress. Once I learned that my entire reading lens broadened.
Amidst this reading I did audio, movies, much googling, and started a J.E cross-stitch (although it's an overused quote and Thornfield is not given justice in the stitch). I read endless passages to my husband. I read the last chapter then hunted him down and read it to him with tears streaming down my face.
Oh, also the French spoken by Adele has always been annoying. No worries-KSP has the translations in the footnotes!
I want to order all of the classic books she has by B&H Publishing. So far I've purchased A Scarlett Letter and Frankenstein because I've read both of them previously so I will have had a warm-up so to speak before I read them with KSP. These are beautiful, well priced, linen bound editions. Patterned after the Penguin ones that I love. OMG-it's not that hard but I was also so proud of myself when I realized why the cover on this edition is as it is! I wasn't dwelling on finding out but all of a sudden a lightbulb went off and I was like ohhhh!
Jane Eyre you are a delight to me and dear to my heart. I hold you close!
Karen Swallow Prior thank you for being a superb distance teacher!
I want to be careful with this review as this may be my favorite book of all reading history.
This is my third complete reading of Jane Eyre and I absolutely wallowed in her. I read, re-read and delighted in this particular journey more than ever before. This edition by Karen Swallow Prior enriched my reading profoundly. There were times I actually gasped out loud at her reflection questions. By the time I was in section 3 of I was learning to appreciate and discover some quiet gems on my own accord. I am enchanted by the mentions of the rookery in J.E -they enhance the gothic atmosphere. I also noticed the many variations of Eyre (air, ire, eyrie, heir) that KSP mentions in Questions for Further Reflection #7 by myself!
I really took my time on her questions. Going back and re-reading, not thinking hastily, and just appreciating the insight of a Christian college professor. KSP mentions in the intro that many people say they wish they could take her courses, and by purchasing this book, they essentially do. I found this to be the case. The only thing missing would be the class discussion.
Reading the introductory material really set me up for an informed reading experience (but she doesn't give spoilers). I had absolutely no idea this was a book influenced by Pilgrim's Progress. Once I learned that my entire reading lens broadened.
Amidst this reading I did audio, movies, much googling, and started a J.E cross-stitch (although it's an overused quote and Thornfield is not given justice in the stitch). I read endless passages to my husband. I read the last chapter then hunted him down and read it to him with tears streaming down my face.
Oh, also the French spoken by Adele has always been annoying. No worries-KSP has the translations in the footnotes!
I want to order all of the classic books she has by B&H Publishing. So far I've purchased A Scarlett Letter and Frankenstein because I've read both of them previously so I will have had a warm-up so to speak before I read them with KSP. These are beautiful, well priced, linen bound editions. Patterned after the Penguin ones that I love. OMG-it's not that hard but I was also so proud of myself when I realized why the cover on this edition is as it is! I wasn't dwelling on finding out but all of a sudden a lightbulb went off and I was like ohhhh!
Jane Eyre you are a delight to me and dear to my heart. I hold you close!
Karen Swallow Prior thank you for being a superb distance teacher!
January 6, 2024
I read this in high school and didn’t like it.
Really didn’t like it.
As an adult, maybe 35 years later, I was challenged by a dear friends love of this book, and her gifting me the gorgeous Clothbound version with ‘A guide to reading and reflecting’ by Karen Swallow Prior.
Her guide was brilliant and so helpful.
I think I first read the book as a teen wanting a hero, a near-perfect Darcy type gentleman and instead found Rochester - villain, liar, philanderer, manipulator, unfaithful.
I wasn’t impressed.
Reading it this time with the guide, a middle aged woman’s perspective and a much better understanding of God, grace, the Bible and the Christian life, I have full appreciation of Bronte’s wisdom, power and wonder.
The book is not ultimately about a romance, but a heroine. A woman who is led by her faith -
“Yes; I feel now I was right when I adhered to principle and law, and scorned and crushed the insane promptings of a frenzied moment. God directed me to a correct choice: I thank His providence for the guidance!” (v3ch31p593)
And I am the better for reading it.
Really didn’t like it.
As an adult, maybe 35 years later, I was challenged by a dear friends love of this book, and her gifting me the gorgeous Clothbound version with ‘A guide to reading and reflecting’ by Karen Swallow Prior.
Her guide was brilliant and so helpful.
I think I first read the book as a teen wanting a hero, a near-perfect Darcy type gentleman and instead found Rochester - villain, liar, philanderer, manipulator, unfaithful.
I wasn’t impressed.
Reading it this time with the guide, a middle aged woman’s perspective and a much better understanding of God, grace, the Bible and the Christian life, I have full appreciation of Bronte’s wisdom, power and wonder.
The book is not ultimately about a romance, but a heroine. A woman who is led by her faith -
“Yes; I feel now I was right when I adhered to principle and law, and scorned and crushed the insane promptings of a frenzied moment. God directed me to a correct choice: I thank His providence for the guidance!” (v3ch31p593)
And I am the better for reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
This is my fifth read of Jane Eyre but my first with KSP’s reading guide and my first with a teen book club. I thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from Prior’s introduction, notes and discussion questions. What a gift!
Also I am thrilled to say that my teen book club has been amazed by Jane Eyre and has enjoyed it so much more than they expected. It is easy to assume that “old” books are boring and dry, so I love how Jane Eyre proves that wrong. The blend of gothic, romance and Bildungsroman genres is fabulous to experience.
Not only is this novel so so beautifully written, but it is truly a perfect coming of age tale for teens. So many questions are raised by this novel about what it means to grow into an adult who lives a meaningful and joyful life of faith.
Bronte’s characters are so complex. I know we will be quite short in time as we discuss Rochester and St. John and the novel’s ending in our last discussion this week. Lots of strong emotions there!
Jane Eyre will forever be one of my favorites.
Also I am thrilled to say that my teen book club has been amazed by Jane Eyre and has enjoyed it so much more than they expected. It is easy to assume that “old” books are boring and dry, so I love how Jane Eyre proves that wrong. The blend of gothic, romance and Bildungsroman genres is fabulous to experience.
Not only is this novel so so beautifully written, but it is truly a perfect coming of age tale for teens. So many questions are raised by this novel about what it means to grow into an adult who lives a meaningful and joyful life of faith.
Bronte’s characters are so complex. I know we will be quite short in time as we discuss Rochester and St. John and the novel’s ending in our last discussion this week. Lots of strong emotions there!
Jane Eyre will forever be one of my favorites.
October 18, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫✨
Firstly, I highly recommend reading this version of Jane Eyre. Karen Swallow Prior’s commentary, reading questions and notes are very helpful for understanding the depth of the story.
Onto the story itself. I did not care for Jane as a character for about the first third of the story; she almost felt robotic at points to me. But as the story progressed and her character grows, I began to like her more and more. She is faced with so many challenges, not only to her physical being, but to her principles as well. She waivers often but always steadies herself. She is overwhelmed by love, but does not forget herself entirely in it.
As to Mr. Rochester, all I will say is that I simultaneously love, hate, and pity him for most of the story. But love triumphs in the end. And his character development is even more beautiful to read than Jane’s.
It is a classic for a reason. You may wince over the age gaps a few times and you may get confused by the language, as I did, but give it a try. It is worth it.
Firstly, I highly recommend reading this version of Jane Eyre. Karen Swallow Prior’s commentary, reading questions and notes are very helpful for understanding the depth of the story.
Onto the story itself. I did not care for Jane as a character for about the first third of the story; she almost felt robotic at points to me. But as the story progressed and her character grows, I began to like her more and more. She is faced with so many challenges, not only to her physical being, but to her principles as well. She waivers often but always steadies herself. She is overwhelmed by love, but does not forget herself entirely in it.
As to Mr. Rochester, all I will say is that I simultaneously love, hate, and pity him for most of the story. But love triumphs in the end. And his character development is even more beautiful to read than Jane’s.
It is a classic for a reason. You may wince over the age gaps a few times and you may get confused by the language, as I did, but give it a try. It is worth it.
January 17, 2021
I received a free advance digital review copy from B&H Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The timing of this release was perfect for me, as I had just re-read Jane Eyre and read the modern retelling The Wife Upstairs. When I requested the review copy of Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting, I did not realize that one of the author's aims is to spur reflection on Jane Eyre through the lens of Christianity. Though I was not especially interested in that particular perspective, I did not find it to overpower the book, and I still learned a lot and found the book to be a useful guide to better understanding the various literary elements in Jane Eyre.
Karen Swallow Prior provides fascinating background information about Charlotte Bronte's life as well as Jane Eyre's development, publication, and initial reception. Prior also situates Jane Eyre in the Gothic/Romantic literary movement and explores the major themes in the book as a coming of age novel. The text of Jane Eyre itself is then divided into three sections (interestingly, how the original book was published), after each of which Prior offers questions to spur further reflection. All of these elements enhanced my reading and enjoyment of Charlotte Bronte's classic.
The timing of this release was perfect for me, as I had just re-read Jane Eyre and read the modern retelling The Wife Upstairs. When I requested the review copy of Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting, I did not realize that one of the author's aims is to spur reflection on Jane Eyre through the lens of Christianity. Though I was not especially interested in that particular perspective, I did not find it to overpower the book, and I still learned a lot and found the book to be a useful guide to better understanding the various literary elements in Jane Eyre.
Karen Swallow Prior provides fascinating background information about Charlotte Bronte's life as well as Jane Eyre's development, publication, and initial reception. Prior also situates Jane Eyre in the Gothic/Romantic literary movement and explores the major themes in the book as a coming of age novel. The text of Jane Eyre itself is then divided into three sections (interestingly, how the original book was published), after each of which Prior offers questions to spur further reflection. All of these elements enhanced my reading and enjoyment of Charlotte Bronte's classic.
March 25, 2023
Sigh. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read Jane Eyre (this may be my fifth time), but I’m sad to have finished it so quickly. I wanted it to last longer, but I just couldn’t stop reading it. I barely noticed how long this book was, at 746 pages, because it’s just that engrossing and that wonderful. This is a novel that gets better and richer every time I read it, and it changes me in a different way each time. This is truly a work of art that Charlotte Bronte has created. Her skill in weaving this story, the atmospheric way she writes, the Gospel themes that are everywhere and yet do not bludgeon but poignantly touch the reader…sigh. It will always be my favorite novel. I already want to read it again.
May 6, 2024
absolutely perfect
December 30, 2024
Re-read in this version with helpful analysis and commentary
July 3, 2022
Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and ReflectingKaren Swallow Prior
I have written about Jane Eyre before. (She is worth rereading.) This third read was done in community, with a friend who’d never read it. She’s a fan of Karen Swallow Prior and wanted to read Prior’s new edition of Charlotte Bronte’s classic, with notes and reflection questions. My friend and I also both listened to a nine-part Close Reads podcast with Prior and hosts discussing the book.
Before writing her own edition, Prior already owned multiple copies of Jane Eyre — each purchased at a different time and each with a different personal meaning. And even after that rigorous exercise, discussing the book on the podcast yielded fresh insights.
Prior reads Jane Eyre as “the story of a Christian seeking to be faithful within a nominally Christian society (similar to our own), which fails to affirm the basic human dignity of one who is poor and connected.” Jane is certainly not the kind of Christian any other character in the book expects her to be. She likes “Revelations, and the book of Daniel, and Genesis and Samuel, and a little bit of Exodus, and some parts of Kings and Chronicles, and Job and Jonah.” But Psalms? “Psalms are not interesting,” she says, and is condemned as wicked for saying so.
"It is the interior life of Jane, not the exterior one, which is so believable. The ‘self’ the novel portrays, far more than the events of the story, rings true. The voice of the girl who says, ‘I resisted all the way.’ The voice of the woman who demands in the face of the worst pain of her painful life, ‘Do you think I am an automaton?–a machine without feelings? … Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! –I have as much soul as you–and full as much heart!’ And the voice of the modern self who asserts, ‘I am not an angel … and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.'”
– Karen Swallow Prior
Each time I read Jane Eyre — each time with a little more attention and comprehension — I find I am reading a parallel story of becoming myself. One of my favorite things about Jane is that despite her life’s many trials, she is always, 100 percent authentically herself. I cannot always say the same for myself. I would like to be able to say that.
I'll start with saying I find nothing in the Bible more interesting than the Psalms.
I have written about Jane Eyre before. (She is worth rereading.) This third read was done in community, with a friend who’d never read it. She’s a fan of Karen Swallow Prior and wanted to read Prior’s new edition of Charlotte Bronte’s classic, with notes and reflection questions. My friend and I also both listened to a nine-part Close Reads podcast with Prior and hosts discussing the book.
Before writing her own edition, Prior already owned multiple copies of Jane Eyre — each purchased at a different time and each with a different personal meaning. And even after that rigorous exercise, discussing the book on the podcast yielded fresh insights.
Prior reads Jane Eyre as “the story of a Christian seeking to be faithful within a nominally Christian society (similar to our own), which fails to affirm the basic human dignity of one who is poor and connected.” Jane is certainly not the kind of Christian any other character in the book expects her to be. She likes “Revelations, and the book of Daniel, and Genesis and Samuel, and a little bit of Exodus, and some parts of Kings and Chronicles, and Job and Jonah.” But Psalms? “Psalms are not interesting,” she says, and is condemned as wicked for saying so.
"It is the interior life of Jane, not the exterior one, which is so believable. The ‘self’ the novel portrays, far more than the events of the story, rings true. The voice of the girl who says, ‘I resisted all the way.’ The voice of the woman who demands in the face of the worst pain of her painful life, ‘Do you think I am an automaton?–a machine without feelings? … Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! –I have as much soul as you–and full as much heart!’ And the voice of the modern self who asserts, ‘I am not an angel … and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.'”
– Karen Swallow Prior
Each time I read Jane Eyre — each time with a little more attention and comprehension — I find I am reading a parallel story of becoming myself. One of my favorite things about Jane is that despite her life’s many trials, she is always, 100 percent authentically herself. I cannot always say the same for myself. I would like to be able to say that.
I'll start with saying I find nothing in the Bible more interesting than the Psalms.
December 8, 2022
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you.”
“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you!”
How can you not love Jane Eyre with quotations like that?
Even so, while I love Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights is still my favorite. I have multiple editions of JE, but what distinguishes Karen Swallow Prior's edition of Jane Eyre is that it contains helpful footnotes and thought-provoking reflection questions. I'm eager to read all of her classic editions. Also, I highly recommend the Close Reads Podcast episodes of JE; they gave me so much insight and features lovely conversations with Karen Swallow Prior.
“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you!”
How can you not love Jane Eyre with quotations like that?
Even so, while I love Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights is still my favorite. I have multiple editions of JE, but what distinguishes Karen Swallow Prior's edition of Jane Eyre is that it contains helpful footnotes and thought-provoking reflection questions. I'm eager to read all of her classic editions. Also, I highly recommend the Close Reads Podcast episodes of JE; they gave me so much insight and features lovely conversations with Karen Swallow Prior.
January 14, 2024
Specifically Karen Swallow Prior’s edition, where she acts as your guide through the lengthy classic. Prior's introduction is extremely helpful in understanding why this book has withstood the test of time and the power of viewing it through a Christian lens. While reading anything from this time period requires a shift in reading meter and pace, Jane Eyre has a winding and interesting plot that will surprise and inspire.
May 27, 2021
A triumph of suspense and depth. Not to mention, a wonderful edition with KSP’s trademark introductions, helpful context, and fodder for further thinking. Excellent through and through!
October 1, 2025
The best of the best.
February 25, 2023
Occasionally I will read a sentence plugging a newly released book that describes it as a “classic.” For me, a book has to not only be of high quality or a good example of a type of literature, but most importantly has to have stood the test of time to be considered a classic. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is one of these books. Karen Swallow Prior, a professor of English literature, is editing a series of classical books and has chosen Jane Eyre as one of her subjects. In her introduction, she discusses the author and provides background of the work and its publication. She also addresses the themes found in the book and how to read Jane Eyre through a current Christian perspective. Prior includes footnotes on archaic or unfamiliar terms and references to other works both secular and religious at the bottom of the pages where they occur. The novel is divided into three volumes; each is followed by insightful discussion questions. Also there are questions for reflection at the end which are appropriate for addressing overarching themes and issues.
Jane Eyre is a long and complex book; straight summarizing would not do it justice and would certainly contain spoilers. The volumes progress chronologically through Jane’s life, and she is the narrator. She includes the struggles she as endured that have formed her into an intellectual woman of strong moral character. She frequently quotes people as referring to her as “plain” in her physical attributes.
The novel includes social themes regarding the treatment of the poor and of women. Neither of these groups had great expectations of rising above their current status. At its heart, Jane Eyre is a romance, but it has aspects of mystery, adventure, and theology. Brontë’s treatment and development of the various characters are excellent, and there is liberal use of foreshadowing and symbolism. This is truly a classic that can be read for pure enjoyment or studied as a work of art.
Jane Eyre is a long and complex book; straight summarizing would not do it justice and would certainly contain spoilers. The volumes progress chronologically through Jane’s life, and she is the narrator. She includes the struggles she as endured that have formed her into an intellectual woman of strong moral character. She frequently quotes people as referring to her as “plain” in her physical attributes.
The novel includes social themes regarding the treatment of the poor and of women. Neither of these groups had great expectations of rising above their current status. At its heart, Jane Eyre is a romance, but it has aspects of mystery, adventure, and theology. Brontë’s treatment and development of the various characters are excellent, and there is liberal use of foreshadowing and symbolism. This is truly a classic that can be read for pure enjoyment or studied as a work of art.
February 8, 2022
The first time I read Jane Eyre was to satisfy my curiosity. What about the book made it so popular?
This time, with the help of B&H Publishing's new edition, I reexamined the work through a Christian lens. I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of its major themes and a greater appreciation for what Bronte accomplished in writing it. Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Charlotte Bronte and Karen Swallow Prior met and exceeded all expectations.
In this brief review, I will limit my remarks to Prior's contributions. I wish to address anyone who, like myself, already owns a copy of Jane Eyre and wants to know if they should purchase another copy. In short- yes, and here's why:
I gleaned much from Prior's introduction to Bronte, the time in which she lived and wrote, how the novel was received then and now, and its benefit to Christian readers today. Throughout, footnotes explain archaic words, alert the reader to biblical allusions, and denote literary references made within the novel. The reflection questions at the end of each section (especially the third) were treasure troves of information. In them, Prior points out different literary devices, themes, and the use of allegory, all while encouraging the reader to reexamine the text.
This handsome cloth over board edition comes complete with a ribbon bookmark. Perfect for when you need a refill or run out of snacks. The warm, cream colored paper is thick and the font is easy on the eyes. Yet by far it's the copious footnotes and pages of reflection questions which make it a good edition for students, thoughtful readers, and book clubs.
Contents -
NOTE TO THE READER
INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Author (pp. 3-10)
Background of the Work (pp. 10-18)
Themes of the Work (pp. 19-22)
Reading Jane Eyre as a Christian Today (pp. 23-26)
VOLUME 1 (pp. 27-262)
23 Reflection Questions
VOLUME 2 (pp. 267-528)
34 Reflection Questions
VOLUME 3 (pp. 535-736)
24 Reflection Questions
23 Questions for Further Reflection
I also recommend Prior's book On Reading Well (Brazos Press, 2018). It is what inspired me to revisit the classics.
This time, with the help of B&H Publishing's new edition, I reexamined the work through a Christian lens. I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of its major themes and a greater appreciation for what Bronte accomplished in writing it. Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Charlotte Bronte and Karen Swallow Prior met and exceeded all expectations.
In this brief review, I will limit my remarks to Prior's contributions. I wish to address anyone who, like myself, already owns a copy of Jane Eyre and wants to know if they should purchase another copy. In short- yes, and here's why:
I gleaned much from Prior's introduction to Bronte, the time in which she lived and wrote, how the novel was received then and now, and its benefit to Christian readers today. Throughout, footnotes explain archaic words, alert the reader to biblical allusions, and denote literary references made within the novel. The reflection questions at the end of each section (especially the third) were treasure troves of information. In them, Prior points out different literary devices, themes, and the use of allegory, all while encouraging the reader to reexamine the text.
This handsome cloth over board edition comes complete with a ribbon bookmark. Perfect for when you need a refill or run out of snacks. The warm, cream colored paper is thick and the font is easy on the eyes. Yet by far it's the copious footnotes and pages of reflection questions which make it a good edition for students, thoughtful readers, and book clubs.
Contents -
NOTE TO THE READER
INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Author (pp. 3-10)
Background of the Work (pp. 10-18)
Themes of the Work (pp. 19-22)
Reading Jane Eyre as a Christian Today (pp. 23-26)
VOLUME 1 (pp. 27-262)
23 Reflection Questions
VOLUME 2 (pp. 267-528)
34 Reflection Questions
VOLUME 3 (pp. 535-736)
24 Reflection Questions
23 Questions for Further Reflection
I also recommend Prior's book On Reading Well (Brazos Press, 2018). It is what inspired me to revisit the classics.
January 12, 2026
As I began reading Jane Eyre, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about the story — which is surprising considering it’s such a well-known classic. This meant I had the fun experience of reading this 169-year-old novel totally spoiler-free. This edition includes an introduction and occasional reflection questions from Karen Swallow Prior, which helped frame the themes, context, and historical significance of Charlotte Brontë’s novel. I learned it was fairly revolutionary (and somewhat controversial) for its time. First, the heroine’s first-person thoughts and feelings are quite unrestrained, particularly in comparison to Brontë’s contemporaries; in this manner, she helped pave the way for the modern novel. Second, a major theme is Jane’s sense of self, which she fights to discover and then hold fast to, even when pressured to relent to the desires of others for her; in the 1800s, this expression of a woman’s independent intellect and personality was still not widely embraced or understood. There was a lot to love about this: Jane’s resilience, her exercise of her Christian faith, her honest wrestling with temptation, and her yearning for belonging. Brontë utilized literary elements brilliantly, and some of the foils and parallels were especially clever. The plot twists felt natural, not forced. I struggled with one character in particular, but as Karen Swallow Prior points out, we have to watch out for our tendency to project modern sensibilities onto the works of previous generations — plus, this character had a satisfying redemptive arc. Ultimately, I found this story to be rich, philosophical, and thought-provoking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews