Jane Eyre (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) [Paperback]

Charlotte Bronte (Author), Beth Newman (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism | Publication Date: May 1996

Two cassettes. Playing time 3 hours.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"At the end we are steeped through and through with the genius, the vehemence, the indignation of Charlotte Brontë."
--Virginia Woolf


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Cambridge Literature is a series of literary texts edited for study by students aged 14-18 in English-speaking classrooms. It will include novels, poetry, short stories, essays, travel-writing and other non-fiction. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 646 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St Martins (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312142021
• ISBN-13: 978-0312142025
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,613,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, November 17, 2011

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Louie - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jane Eyre (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) (Paperback)

Six months ago, I was not familiar with any of Charlotte Bronte's work and never heard of Jane Eyre. Thanks to my writing professor, I was introduced to one of the best literature pieces I have ever read. The main character, Jane Eyre is relatable, gripping, and bold. As the heroine of the novel, her character grows so much over the text and I couldn't be more inspired by Bronte. Jane manages to contrasts every character in the book and that definitely gives the novel a unique aspect. It is unlike any other love story because of the struggles encountered in the novel.
The language is comprehensible and the vocabulary is great. In this edition, there are some criticisms on the back of the book which are helpful in understanding the different perspectives the novel has been viewed as over the years.
I highly recommend it since it is so full of surprises along the way and honestly, it is original and authentic. It is worth adding to my library of classics because that's how much I love this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Eyre: for those who don't know her, March 29, 2011

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apthames - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Eyre (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) (Paperback)

When I was in high school, no one ever gave me the priviledge of reading this novel. I actually just read it, my senior year in college, and although the teacher was horrible, I learned and loved the book on my own. Bronte rounds all of the characters exceptionally well and leaves a lot of room for you to learn new vocabulary (but not so many words that you can't understand the story without a dictionary).

Jane Eyre is by far my favorite book now. I fell so in love I watched the movie directly after reading the book (and, to my surprise, found it to be word for word identical). I may even name my new puppy Jane. This is not a typical romance between two "star-crossed" lovers and this book is so amazing that you can read it either just for fun or, if you truly pay attention, you can find years worth of hidden meanings. This edition specifically is great if you'd like to learn more because of the abundance of essays in the back of the book. Beth Newman is a great editor and gives introductions to each essay explaining where each came from, the background on that type of criticism, etc.

So, if you're wanting to read a life-changing, heart-touching story, grab Jane Eyre immediately. If you want a novel to learn from on your own with very little effort, grab this edition and learn from the scholars at the end of the book.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Edition of Jane Eyre, March 2, 2001

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mp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Eyre (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) (Paperback)

The Bedford/St. Martin's edition of Charlotte Brontė's "Jane Eyre" is a wonderful edition for burgeoning scholars. Although the text of "Jane Eyre" itself lacks the volume of notes that the Penguin Classics edition or the Norton Critical edition has, it makes up for this minor defect in its wealth of critical contexts.

"Jane Eyre" itself is a novel dealing with Jane's life and pursuit of love and independence in early nineteenth century England. The novel begins with Jane as a young orphan girl, living with her cruel and abusive aunt Reed and cousins, John, Eliza, and Georgiana. Often treated like an outcast, Jane must come to terms throughout the novel with her own physical inferiority and figure out how to make a life for herself with the social disadvantages of low class and gender.

One theme which runs throughout the novel itself deals with Jane's relationships to strong male characters, like Reverend Brocklehurst, Mr. Rochester, and St. John Rivers. Another important motif in the novel deals with Jane's femininity - and how she positions herself as an independent woman, often in the mold of Wollstonecraftian feminism - and how she reconciles education and rationality with sentimentality and passion. Politically, anxieties and concerns with British Imperialism also manifest themselves throughout the novel. Widely read as Brontė was, the novel also positions itself in the British literary tradition, appropriating themes and practices from authors like Samuel Richardson, Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, the gothic tradition, and so on.

The Bedford/St. Martin's edition is extremely useful for students, as the second half of the book is devoted to critical methodologies, including concise essays outlining major areas of critical theory - to wit, feminism, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, cultural criticism, and marxism. These essays provide broad frameworks for critical thought, and each is followed by an exemplary critical article and a wealth of bibliography for further research. While I personally would rather use the Penguin Classics or Norton Critical edition, the Bedford/St. Martin's is a suitable edition for close reading and study.