Synopsis
Written in 1847, this dark tale depicts an orphaned and dejected child, Jane, who must make her way in life as a governess in the strange household Thornfeild Hall. Her time there as governess to the ward of Edward Rochester, named Adele, certainly keeps her occupied enough, but it is that which distracts her that brings about the perils of this tale. Her romantic feelings for Edward Rochester keep growing, but he has secrets of his own that he has been hard pressed to tell. Full of secrets and its own haunts in its vast halls, Jane finds little comfort from that which goes bump in the night at Thornfeild Hall, and there is much more to prove that the truth is often stranger than fiction. Should she run to the safety of another home in-need of her services, or will she give in to her feelings for Mr. Rochester and risk the ghosts of his past that plague his mind and his estate?
History
First publication: Smith, Elder & Co., October 16, 1847
Review
A gothic romance of the highest order where the heroine is not a magnificent beauty or remarkable in any way, but rather is a quiet and intellegent woman who is trying to navigate her future after a haunted past. Dealing with issues of mental health, death, heartache, and a woman’s place in a world who is unkind to women in general, this book gives a very accurate depition of a victorian era orphan seeking employment. A magnificent coming of age story with lots of heart. -Emily Schmidt Ever since Emily’s review last year I’ve wanted to try it. I finally did. And I liked it. There were certain things that I had an issue with but overall it was an enjoyable book. At certain points where it seemed to get really bogged down I was joking that I wish a heat ray would just blast these people already, but those parts were minor. As seems typical for a Bronte novel, there are a lot of characters that exemplify evil. Unlike Wuthering Heights there are some characters to like and also you don’t have someone dying at every page turn. I actually kind of liked that about Wuthering Heights
