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felicityebhaslin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Confession time: I’ve never actually read Jane Eyre. I don’t even know what happens. It’s just one of those books that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to read but every time I want to pick it up, I find myself committed to another book first - that one laid on my bedside table with a bookmark half-way through, an assigned reading due this week, or I’m just in the mood for something short and snappy. So, putting my shame of being a pathetic excuse for an English Lit student aside, I’m in the position to contribute living, breathing evidence to the discourse around this book. You DON’T need to have read JE to understand, enjoy and relish this book.
Goodreads reviews for Jean Rhys’s ‘literary sensation’ seem to either be 4-5 stars or 1 star, little in-between. The 1-star-reviews say that without reading JE, they wouldn’t have understood it. Well, here I sit; looks like it’s back to the drawing board. Entitled as they may be to their opinions, their reasoning feels like a cop-out for saying they just didn’t like the book.
I acknowledge the themes of this novel can be COMPLEX. Our main character, Antoinette (later known as Bertha Mason), has a family tree so chaotic I still don’t fully understand it by the end. I wouldn’t blame anyone for struggling to get their head around some of the things in this book, and for that I have to knock off the 0.3 stars. However, everything else this book brings to the table makes up for my minutes of head-scratching.
Themes (apparently suppressed in JE) of race, isolation and hatred weave a disturbing, pitiful tale. What caused her insanity? It’s not as simple as genetics. Does anyone deserve our pity? Or should we feel sorry for them all?
Will definitely reread (hopefully having read JE this time
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Toxic relationship, Slavery, Mental illness, and Child death
minary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
jessthanthree's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Dementia, Drug use, Child death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, and Misogyny
mariebrunelm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent
bethsicle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Blood and Child death
lola_milk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest and Colonisation
aamelia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Colonisation, and Child death
malloryfitz's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Infidelity
caribbeangirlreading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide
Minor: Colonisation, Infidelity, and Sexual content
ejb44's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, and Violence