Customer Reviews

Jane Eyre (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism)

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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.

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.

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.

The question of why anyone should read Jane Eyre is a valid one. After all, it is a Victorian novel dealing with many issues which no longer seem quite so relevant. Bronte's take on gender roles is in many ways very out of date. Jane's status as a feminist hero does not appear to all that revolutionary when taken in context of recent advances for women's rights. Moments from Jane Eyre that may have been shocking to Victorian audiences, like Rochester's detailing of his sexual history to Jane, come no where near as close to having the impact that they once did. It is also a story everyone has seen in some iteration. Even if you have not read Jane Eyre you probably know the general gist: orphan works hard, falls in love with brooding passionate man, and they both find happiness together.
However, in light of these possible drawbacks that the book might have for the modern reader I maintain that Jane Eyre is necessary reading for anyone who enjoys dense, layered novels. Although Jane Eyre's story is simple, the way that it is told is quite the contrary. The honesty with which Charlotte Bronte writes Jane's narration is brilliant no matter what century you come from. One of the great joys of reading Jane Eyre is seeing how her thinking processes change throughout the story. Jane's early understanding of the world is through books. She doesn't understand things on an emotional level, but instead an intellectual level. As life goes on she keeps this thoughtfulness writing books in her mind about the people in her life. When she meets the secretive, but alluring Rochester she keeps this thoughtfulness. It is one of things that first attracts Rochester to her in the first place. Her thoughtfulness also fuels much of the main conflict of the book. Jane's lack of emotional maturity cupeled with her tendency to over analyze everything is what causes much of her unhappiness throughout the story. The reader witnesses how she deals with balancing these two extremes. This analysis makes it seem far more complicated than it is. The great thing about Jane Eyre is that despite its narrative complexity it is also a pretty easy read. The story, as I've already mentioned, is one you've probably been exposed to in some way before but the real fun in reading Jane Eyre is discovering the depth and beauty that lie under this seemingly obvious plot. It is one of those must read classics of literature that really does deliver on its reputation.

In Charlotte Bronte's mid nineteenth century novel Jane Eyre has been on a must read list for students and scholars almost since it was published. Bronte takes the reader directly into Jane's life. As the reader journeys into Jane's life, it is almost as if they are a fly on the wall watching and sometime being the only witness to what happens to Jane. Jane goes through and amazing change in her life from when we meet her in her childhood to transforming into a brilliant young lady at the end.

Bronte has brought a novel like no other to readers everywhere, while some seem to think that her novel is far fetched from reality others believe it is a true escape into a real world scenario of what might happen to one person. Bronte has produced a novel like non before, where the narrator is not only narrating, but however they are also the main character. Through the novel Jane faces many trials of being the underdog where no one believes a single word she says all the way to her life completely switching paths. While some instantly fall in love with Jane Eyre others take time to get into the novel and it is not till after they are finished with it do they see in reflecting that the novel overall is not that bad. While it may be dull and dreary in some part others are lively and filled with character. Finally, Jane Eyre while might be a slow read for some others it is a great thought provoking piece of literature that has stood the tale of time, and will continue to do so.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is an interesting story of Jane Eyre, a girl who the reader meets as a child, and her growth into adulthood. The story vividly captures the Victorian era and beautifully portrays the characters in it. The writting is flawless and easy to understand. Each character has a deep history and are all interesting and hold their own values and views of the world around them.

I would summarize the book but I fear to spoil any surprises this creation might hold for those willing enough to read it. I highly recommend this novel and this edition inparticular due to its critisims and annotations throughout the text to provide the reader with a better understanding of the time period and how people lived during that era.

You will not be disappointed but don't take my word for it. Experience it for yourself...I challenge you.

I liked this product a lot. As far as Victorian Literature goes, it's relatively short and all the extra material that comes with it is interesting. The case studies and essays really help put things in context.

It is a true classic of British literature. Charlotte Bronte paints a great story with very interesting characters. Even though some would say that is is boring to read all that detailed descriptions, long internal monologues, and difficult to understand dialogues, I have to say that these are the best part of the book. The dialogues are sparkling with humor and wit.It is very entertaining to read.The author follows the development of the characters throughout the story and offers many pedagogical and psychological theories concerning the human nature and its evolution.
It is one of the best books I have read from this period and about this period. It beautifully describes the time the story took place. Next on my reading list are more stories by Bronte. I found one of the favorite classical authors.

This was a gift but I was very excited how fast it was delivered! Apparently it's so good that I've had to search for the next book!