Reading Rambles: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

My favorite aspect of the book by far is the witty banter (straight-up flirting, my dudes) between Jane and Edward. Literally the second they meet, those losers are already humoring the idea of falling in love with each other. I can’t believe Mrs. Fairfax even for a second was shocked they could be in love. Yeah, there’s a ridiculous age gap, but goddamn the chemistry makes up for any weirdness about that. Shoutout to Edward for treating her as his equal even though she’s only eighteen/nineteen and he’s thirty-whatever. He does somewhat manipulate her, with the crossdressing and the bride bullshit with Miss Ingram, but he’s so awkward when he has a crush, which is a relatable mood, and really he was just trying to figure out if she was as crazy about him as he is about her.

The confession scene is the most beautiful, heart-breaking, heart-filling, and dramatic thing I have ever read. Edward Rochester legitimately had Jane thinking he was in love with Blanche Ingram to see her reaction—talking about his marriage to Jane herself while not correcting her notion that it was to Miss Ingram. I could barely handle the drama. This is on par with his extra-ness of crossdressing as a fortune teller to try and get a confession out of Jane, and insinuating that she sees love in Mr. Rochester’s (his own) eyes. This is such a quick, enjoyable read for me that I can hardly believe this confession scene occurs past the halfway point. It’s a slow-burn, but in the best way possible.

I absolutely identify with Jane the most in this book. I can relate to her reality of thinking oneself plain, because I often think I’m boring and that someone wonderful could never love me. I also love when she discusses how she likes to listen to Edward instead of talking too much about herself, because that’s how I am too—with both people I have a crush on and in general. I have been falsely perceived often because of my reclusive nature, just as Jane has. I appreciated the depiction of a character who is quiet, but not shy. She speaks her mind when asked to, and is quite funny. In short, I love her, for being like me and for being unlike me.

My cat, Winnie, with my copy of Jane Eyre

The only thing I wasn’t too fond of was the sub-plot with the Riverses. It was definitely important, but did it need to go on for nearly a hundred pages? I don’t think so. Give Jane her inheritance, introduce her to her cousins, and move on! I could have done without the random proposal, too. Plus… there’s like… only two mentions of Edward. Where’s the angst?! The sorrow?! I was robbed of drama in this portion, as Edward is generally the dramatic one… Also, the fact that the book ends on a line written in a letter by St. John irks me so damn much.

Overall, though, I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who feels unseen in their life and who is in the mood for a classic, slow-burn romance!

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Rachel’s Rating: ★★★★★