Fate...Pondering the Idea of It

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I am slowly trying to read the classics. As a lover of literature, it is usually assumed that I have read many classics and have a library of first editions behind a thick panel of glass on a beautiful antique bookshelf. Well your assumption is wrong, and it would probably surprise you that I have never read any of the classics, until after college. So, it’s a new challenge that I have given myself to read as many classics as I can. We’ll just say it’s a bucket list item (the only one on the list thus far, I plan on living a real long time). Of course close to the top of the list was Jane Eyre. Ever since I read Wuthering Heights, I knew that I wanted to read Jane Eyre too. With Wuthering Heights being one of my all time favorites, I knew that her sister’s book wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Now I wish the Bronte sisters would have written more. Even though their genres and writing styles are very different, they both were excellent authors and I loved both of their books.

With most classics, it’s hard not to know some things that are going to happen. From time to time you hear about classics because people assume that a person that loves to read as much as I do, has read them, therefore, I’ve heard things about Jane Eyre. Dramatic turns in the story, people being left at the alter, and other rumors have been said or I’ve read about them in other books. Luckily things were very different than what I assumed, from these whispers. I kept being caught by surprise because I didn’t know that the changes in the story were going to happen. Without getting into details that would ruin the surprises for you, know that I often didn’t realize that how the story was going to change until it did. And therefore, I loved it!

I loved Jane’s character, she was multidimensional and everyone that met her loved her. What is funny about that, is that the book revolves around people that don’t love her because of who she was born from instead of getting to know her and who she was growing up to be. One surprise was that the book watches Jane Eyre grow up, and this was a great way to capture her personality and character. When she was spending her first winter at school, I couldn’t help but feel absolutely horrible for her. She was miserable, and Bronte helped the audience feel her pain along with her. And of course the story of love that transcends and overcomes all obstacles. Even though the audience doesn’t know where the story will end, the idea of love is interwoven throughout the entire story. It makes you ponder fate in a whole new way.

All of that to say, if you are looking to grow yourself and read a classic, I think Jane Eyre is a great place to start (or continue). The book was a fast read and it was easy to understand, with the occasional word to look up, since it was written in the 1800’s. I suggest it for readers of all ages.

Let me know what you think, leave a comment!