Welcome to Litsy!

How exciting! New Bronte collections at the British Library.

https://vimeo.com/789999495

Charlotte's writing is so beautifully descriptive and engaging and her world-building so engrossing that you can picture every element of the story so vividly. Her characters come alive on the page. Rochester has his issues, of course, but is also a well written, well developed, complex character and the story itself is a good one. I would definitely recommend it for someone who wants to get lost in a good book for a while!

Jane Eyre was on my wishlist for a long time. Glad that I waited to listen to this narration. Thandiwe Newton is brilliant - bringing the characters and the slow narrative to life.

Funnily, I read Wide Sargasso Sea before I listened to Jane Eyre. But, the competing narratives really offered a very well rounded experience. Recommend.

As an Indian it felt strange and frustrating listening to them romanticise colonisation and forced conversions.

One of the favorites, such a good reread! I missed this joy of unhurried rereading, when one already knows the story so well, there is no need to devour- only to savor.

I wanted to read this for a long time. But, once again another Bronte sister book I wouldn‘t say was a great love story. Both options for Jane were horrible. One only wanted a great worker and the other was manipulative. Mr.Rochester had some good qualities like actually loving Jane. I liked Jane‘s character a lot. She was strong and held to her principles. Also, the twist of fate, fortune and family was delightful. I enjoyed the book and ending.

Snicker.

Went on Pango Books to sell them and instead bought some.🤦🏼‍♀️ I couldn't help myself though. It's so pretty 😍. #classics #janeyre #bookhaul

#Scarathlon Daily Photo Prompt Day 15 #Secret

Rochester has been keeping a pretty big secret that is inconveniently revealed on his wedding day to Jane.

#TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

#manicmonday #letterJ @CBee @The_Penniless_Author

📖 Jane Eyre
✒ Taylor Jenkins Reid
🎞 Johnny English
🎤 Jaymes Young
🎶 Just Dance (Lady Gaga)

#manicmonday @CBee

📕 Tagged
✍️ Shirley Jackson
🎥 Jumanji
🎤 Judas Priest
🎵Judy is a punk-Ramones

I enjoyed this reread with the #pemberlittens a lot. As always, the chapter-a-day pace helped me notice details I would have missed otherwise, and I loved the daily posts and memes.
The book was darker than I remembered (esp. her childhood), and like other readers, I noticed more red flags about Rochester this time around. But he got his punishment and seemed to learn from it, so I'm okay with the ending.

Perhaps the most fun thing about reading this book #chapteraday for #pemberlittens was making the memes! ??
This was my first time reading this classic and my second book by a Brontë sister (the other one was Wuthering Heights). The sisters seem to have a taste for the supernatural and sick romance. The plot was well written, despite the love interests.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 3.5/5

This was probably the fourth time I've tried to read this. I still didn't love it, but there were parts that I did love, and I'm pleased to have finished it. Doing a buddy read was super helpful and fun, even if this ultimately wasn't a favorite. #pemberlittens

Chapter 37:
Reader, we‘re almost done….and so the lovers unite!

Rochestor is half blind and lost an arm. Probably a harsh thing to say but his suffering brought out the good in him. He mentions how he searched for Jane in vain, but the best part (for me at least) was when they perceived they could hear each other miles apart.
Flawed as they are, that‘s some type of love people only dream to have Definitely a wholesome chapter🥰
#pemberlittens

**Spoiler Alert if you don‘t know the story of Jane Eyre**

-Edward Rochester. He‘s a 10 but he‘s pretty much a pompous an ass, dresses in drag & tells you he‘s marrying a b*#$h
—OK, he‘s a 4
-He‘s a 4, but he admits he lied about 💍 the b*#$h, declares his love & asks you to marry him
—He‘s an 8!
-He‘s an 8 but on your wedding day you find out he‘s already married & he keeps his murderous lunatic wife locked up in a hidden room.
—He‘s a -1000 ⬇️

I have very different impressions than those of my first read,I'm shocked that I used to love Rochester so much that I was oblivious to all those red flags, although I have to confess that in the end I find him so funny that I nearly forgave him for everything again. I loved this book the first time I read it and my deeper understanding of how dark Jane's relationships are makes me like it even more. My admiration for Jane as a character and for⬇️

Jane takes off to find Rochester after hearing his voice calling to her on the wind (peak Gothic Novel activity here). She comes across Thornfield, now a burned-out ruin of its former self, and gets the story out of an inkeeper: Mrs. Poole succumbed to the ol' gin and water one night, and Bertha stole her keys, busted out of her cell, and indulged in some arson. The fire blinded Rochester, who's now living in seclusion at Ferndean- go, Jane, go!

Chapter 38: st John leaves, and so does Jane……. #thehashtagsarespoilers #stjohnstillusesgodasaweapon #janeleavesforthornfield #blackenedruin #berthaburnsitdown #commitssuicide #rochestersaveseveryone #injuredintheprocess #janemustfindhim #pemberlittens #itskindofromantic #hesahero #stillweirdthough #mustfinishit #almostdone #toomanyhashtags

Have to share this post of Sparknotes, brilliant as always.
St John leaves,passing a creepy note underneath Jane's door on his way out *we all shudder*Jane goes to Thornfield,which is much further than I imagined,to find it burnt out.The owner of the inn explains that Bertha burnt it and died,Rochester survived "but he had better be dead", Jane fears the worst, but the owner of the inn is just dramatic, Rochester is only blind #Pemberlittens

After she rejects him, St. John gives Jane the cold shoulder for a bit, but eventually he tries again to talk at her until she reconsiders his work-based sham "marriage" plan. Our girl isn't having it, though, and even St. John's sisters are like, "yeah, no" about the whole thing. Then one night after some fiery reading from Revelations (kill me now), Jane feels her "no" become a "maybe"...but then she hears Rochester 's ghost voice from afar!

Buckle up, folks, because today St. John offers Jane quite possibly the WORST proposal in literature. Worse than Darcy's "inferiority of your connections" and worse than Rhett Butler proposing at Frank's actual funeral, this asswaffle is like, "I will never love you, and I only want you for the work you'll provide." Jane gives a rager of a comeback with "I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer: yes, and I scorn you when you offer it." ???

Chapter 35:
We‘re almost done guys!
St. John‘s angry with Jane after her refusal. He‘s still under the impression that she WILL marry him. Seriously, the dude can‘t take no for an answer. 😓
Jane admits she still has feelings for Rochestor, to which John says she‘s falling into temptation. 🙄🤣Everyone in the room knows he isn‘t a saint, yet he thinks himself one. He needs to get off his high horse asap.
#pemberlittens

St. John: Jane, will you do X?
Jane: Yes, if Y.
St. John: Y is impossible.
Jane: Then no X.
St. John: OK, I‘ll leave for 2 weeks so you can think about it.

St. John: *doesn‘t leave*
Also St. John: HOW DARE YOU NOT DO X LIKE YOU PROMISED. NOW YOU WILL GO TO HELL

#PemberLittens

John is a jerk following Jane's rejection. When Jane tries to reconciliate he replies with astonishment cause he was sure Jane was marrying him(?); Jane rejects him again and he tries to guilt her into going alone to India to die xD Afterwards,yet again,he insists in Jane taking her time to think if she wants to marry him, I guess he heard the expression "God loves a trier"?Jane almost accepts(?) but she hears Rochester calling her #Pemberlittens

Chapter 34: Jane gets the house ready for her cousins to come home for Christmas, and it ends with a proposal…. #stjohndoesntloveher #shedoesntlovestjohn #heusesgodasaweapon #justwhenyouthinkhecantgetworse #runjanerun #pemberlittens

Jane goes from one abusive relationship to an even worse one: Rochester, the aggressive emotional blackmailer, at least enjoyed a bit of confrontation and liked Jane as she was; John wants full submission and demands Jane to be miserable, subjugating and slowly asphyxiating her; using God as an excuse, putting his desires as God's desires... how she slowly stops being joyful gives me the creeps. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I do love this book. Sometimes it is for the soap opera, sometimes it is for the sass. #pemberlittens

@i.besteph @BarkingMadRun

Plot twists! Today we discover that Jane's uncle has died and left her a fortune! AND she and St. John are actually COUSINS! In spite of these events, which come straight out of the kind of novel Jane Austen warns us about in Northanger, I find this chapter really touching. Jane wants to split her cash equally with her new-found family and stay with them. This, she says, "was wealth indeed!--wealth to the heart!" Cue my cheesy weeping here.

Chapter 33:
What a plot twist….I knew that paper St. John took would lead to something. Jane‘s past has been discovered and she can‘t deny it. Turns out the Rivers are Jane‘s family on their mother‘s side! Lucky coincidence?
Jane‘s uncle dies, leaving her with 20k which she stubbornly decides to share with her newfound family. Do you think they would‘ve done they same for her? (I highly doubt that)
Still no news on Rochestor👀
#pemberlittens

So many things I love of this chapter,my two favourites:Jane thinking "I recalled his singular conduct of yesterday, and really I began to fear his wits were touch" we all wonder every time St John speaks... ? And when John says "I will be your brother -my sisters will be your sisters- without stipulating for this sacrifice of your just rights", coming from a cold unfeeling boring person really touched my heart

#Pemberlittens

Jane has semi-befriended Rosamund Oliver, the rich girl who bestows charity all over the village and also bestows heart eyes on St. John whenever she sees him. Jane can't figure out why dude won't just marry her and in trying to get to the bottom of it, we get one of my favorite wackadoo St. John moments: he tells Jane to take 15 and keep talking about Rosy's love for him, and in Charlotte's words, "he actually took out his watch" to time her. !!!

Chapter 32: Rosamond ❤️St John❤️himself, I mean God #hekindoflikesher #butalsohedoesnt #healsodoesntknock #justwalkedrightin #whatwasonthatpaper #igottaknow #pemberlittens

Jane takes St. John's awful job teaching a bunch of rough moor kids and reflects on being surrounded by "ignorance, poverty, and coarseness"; but at least she's not living in unearned luxury, having traded in her good morals! This is a mindset my austere Baptist upbringing completely prepared me for so I have to say I'm Team Jane on this one. St. John swings by and talks at Jane about doing God's work and my GOD, can he just go to India already?!

Chapter 31:
Our heroine begins anew a second time. She accepts a humble job as a school teacher in the village. Her first day was quite lonely. She rethinks her choice with Rochestor.
Then St. John comes to talk. Here we‘re introduced to a new character, Rosamund Oliver. She's described to be uniquely blest with both money and natural beauty! And guess who‘s clearly got eyes for her but isn‘t showing it? 👀😍 (ahem St. John ahem)
#pemberlittens

St John going to visit Jane to "ask her" how her day went but really to tell her how it went, how she feels and then ramble forever about his life. I'm delighted that he has a crush on another woman cause Jane has the worst taste in men and she might fall for this xD Starting to think I fell in love with Rochester cause I just missed him after meeting St John. I find so difficult to read his long speeches while I roll my eyes. #Pemberlittens

Jane has been living it up with the sisters Rivers (if you count learning German and reading books as "living it up" which I ABSOLUTELY DO), but soon they're going to leave for their own governess positions and Jane realizes that she needs her own job stat. St. John swoops in- he might be a bleak, disappointing Calvinist, but he does have a job for her, even though all it promises is "poverty and obscurity." Jane being Jane says, "Sign me up!"

Chapter 30: Diana and Mary are going back to work soon, and St John has a job for Jane. But first, he must mansplain some big words 🤣🤣🤣 #shesateacher #sheknowswords #girlsarenotdumb #mansplainer #pemberlittens

Anyone else thinking of Grampa Simpson when St John answers Jane's simple question: "have you found a job for me?"

#Pemberlittens

Chapter 29:
Jane finally finds a temporary abode in the Moor House. Diana and Mary welcomes and takes care of her. St. John‘s “charitable”, albeit stern for a 28 year old. I guess being a parson requires a certain level of maturity. Jane hopes to find a job soon and be away so as to not impose herself too much on them. St. John‘s only happy to help her out (seems so) while his sisters want to dote on her like a “half frozen bird.”
#pemberlittens

Again, sorry to be late for the party, but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK! This man proposes by telling Jane that he is marrying Miss Ingram, she is fired and he is shipping her to Ireland, goodbye forever👋🏻Then when she cries heartbroken, he says it was a lie, it's Jane who he wants to marry AND that he doesn't love Miss Ingram and she doesn't love him cause HE PROPOSED TO HER after spreading rumours that he is poor and she rejected him?? #Pemberlittens

Chapter 28: Jane‘s ride drops her in the middle of nowhere and she wanders around for a couple days #shesgoingtostarve #ohyaysomeraintoo #nowheretogo #dontquitjane #gratefulforstjohn #hannahthough #pemberlittens

After the Great Wife Reveal, Rochester proposes the following: leave Bertha with Grace Poole (she'd be game for the mad cash), send Adele off to boarding school, and flee to the south of France to live in a sham marriage. Jane gets where he's coming from but is ultimately like, "No can do, bro, I've got this deeply rooted sense of morality and self respect!" Then after a night of horror dreams, she straight up runs away; probably a good move, TBH.

Chapter 27:
Jane is in quite a blunder. Rochester gives a -detailed- explanation about his past. He even asks Jane to be his mistress!
Jane declines him even though it was extremely hard. Her strong moral values wouldn‘t allow her. (I love a female protagonist who‘s sure of herself) She jumps on a passing by carriage and gets the heck outta there. Bye Felicia (in this case, Rochestor) 😂💯
#pemberlittens

I loved getting to this part of the book! This famous quote is a classic for a reason- Jane is so strong and so brave in this moment, and I will love it forever. This print lives on my wall and always makes me smile, all hail Jane, all hail Charlotte. #PemberLittens

Chapter 26: the wedding #orwasit #speaknoworforeverholdyourpeace #plottwist #wifeintheattic #masonwtf #masonknowsjanesuncle #hetellshernow #afterallthistime #somanyquestions #runjanerun #pemberlittens

I have a lot to catch up, only Ch. 15 now,so excuse my outdated post..This is a re-read,thankfully I retained my original idea of Rochester.If I pictured Rochester as Fassbender when Jane says he is not handsome I'd be: "meet me outside bitch and lets settle this ?" I find hilarious that Jane starts finding him handsome through his rudeness,to me his features start getting handsomer when she saves his life #suckerforvulnerablemen #Pemberlittens