Goodreads Ireland discussion

This is the discussion thread for our unofficial group read, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

I hope you all enjoy discussing this book.

Good reading,

Declan. :)

This is one of my favorites! I'm looking forward to discussing it. :)

It's one of my favourites too. I have reread it a few times and love the BBC adaptation with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens. It's such a great story and so progressive in ways. Rochester is so well written he is the best of what Emily Bronte was trying to achieve with Heathcliff, without the cruel streak.

Hi ! Thanks Declan fot the thread !
So, I ended this book yesterday, and I think, it was my favourite book. I am happy to discuss on it with you.
Do you see the adaptation with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender ? It is a nice adaptation too and M. Fassbender is one of my favourite actor.

No I haven't Pauline. I watched the Timothy Dalton version years ago and it was good. Then I watched the BBC version which was brilliantly done and I don't think I'll ever watch another version. Toby Stephens has ruined me for any other Rochester :-)

Did they have film back then

Not sure i've ever watched an adaption

I think I have mine and Paul's saturday night viewing sorted :-)

Damn.

love this book, so many ways of reading it! great to see a classic here. we'll have to have a go at wide sargasso sea next.

@ Jennifer that could be interesting. It would give Bertha more of a voice perhaps. @ Emma I also love the conversations between Jane and Rochester. Despite differences in wealth, station etc sh

*she really is his equal when it comes to wit and intelligence and she has a thing or two to teach him about compassion.

Emma wrote: "The one with Michael Fassbender is good Pauline but the BBC version is much better because it's a tv series so doesn't have to cut as much of the story. You should be able to find it online. When i..."

Emma, I will have to see if I can find that version, it sounds very good.

St John is such a strange character, he thinks the way to help others is through self denial. I have no problem with him wanting to be a missionary but he seems to be doing it for the wrong reasons.

Very true but i wasn't even thinking of Jane. I can't remember the name of the woman who likes St John and he is so indifferent he is actually cruel and the really crazy thing is he likes her too but thinks her too frivolous. it's like he thinks being happy will make him less good. He doesn't realise it's possible for him to be happily married, stay in England AND do good at the same time. He equates being good with self denial and misery.

@ Trelawn I think he was in love with the other girl but as you said I agree that he thought she wouldn't make him a suitable wife. I don't think he love Jane at all but saw her as a person who would make him a good companion for what he wanted to do. He says she isn't pretty but is built for work. St John was very opinionated and probably typical of how most missionary's saw their job of spreading the word of the Lord. He's not a very nice man. I don't believe that all missionary's were like that though .. or at least I hope not anyway.

I'm glad as well that Jane went back and found Rochester.

I loved the Timothy Dalton version of Jane Eyre and also the Black and white version with Elizabeth Taylor in it as well. My daughter and love watching Jane Eyre. I saw the most recent movie version of Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender) and didn't like it much at all. It missed out so much out I thought. I much prefer series of long books as they are better able to include more that is in the book.

I wouldn't call Rochester a Byronic character either Jamie Lynn. He is somewhat tempetuous and yes he can be depressive but much of that stems, as you say, from the Bertha situation. He felt trapped and lashed out. But I think he is fundamentally a good person. His servants think well of him, he provides a home and an education for Adele although it takes Jane to show her real affection and he genuinely loves Jane.

I agree, I always thought Byron was a bit of a twat to be honest.I never liked the moody types really, I make exceptions for Rochester and Darcy :-)

That's very true, both Rochester and Darcy can ve normal functioning adults when the occasion calls for it :-)

Her name was Grace Poole. I think the party was kind of reckless but at the same time it must be so boring in that house all the time. I guess the party was a calculated risk. Rochester seems like the type who likes to live on the edge a little. He was probably aware that it wasn't the smartest idea but nobody could have anticipated that Richard Mason would turn up.

I finally gotten round to The Secret Life of Books episode on Jane Eyre. The presenter first read the book as a teen and upon rereading it as an adult she begins to question whether Jane is a heroine. She sees her relationship with Rochester as abusive. She highlights his referring to Jane as "little" and his unromantic proposal, not to mention the small matter of Bertha. I found myself disagreeing with her on most points. But one of the great things about the episode was it showed the manuscript that would have been sent to the publisher. It was so neat and precise. It also delved into Charlotte's doomed love for her linguistic professor and how that influenced her portrayal of Rochester (I imagine it also influenced Villette). The crazy thing is from first picking up a pen until the manuscript was submitted to the publisher was only 12 months. She wrote the Thornfield section in 3 weeks!

That's interesting Trelawn. I agree with you on the abuse point. I think that is just the way he sees her. A term of endearment. Women in those days were like that I think.