Jane Rochester:A Novel Inspired by Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre [Paperback]

Kimberly A. Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2000

A sequel to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
Dear Reader,
Do you remember me? I am now Jane Rochester these past 15 years. You may have known me as the obstinate though obscure English governess, Jane Eyre. I peer back through the linear scope of time and am compelled to record fully the first years of my marriage to Edward Fairfax Rochester. There was a short time when my fate and fitness for the role of friend, nurse and wife was suspect.--Jane Rochester

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Romantic Times Magazine Review:

Inspired by Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Kimberly Bennett has written a tribute to Brontë, based on the book's epilogue, taking readers through the first year of Jane's marriage to Mr. Rochester.

Ms. Bennett expands the 100-year-old book by elaborating upon the characters and events that readers already know. Fans will find Brontë's Jane Eyre intact and unchanged. Her new story begins the year after the fire.

We see how trauma and Edward's loss of sight affects each of them in different ways, and how they psychologically deal with both being a newly married couple and his handicap. Jane wonders how to deal with his brooding nature and Edward ponders if his beloved can love a man with so many problems.

This is also the story of how to rebuild a world after it has been destroyed. Ms. Bennett explores the many ways Jane and Mr. Rochester try to bury the past and create a new life, untainted by history. In the process they reclaim a daughter's love and help Jane's cousins find their own
romances, as they learn to live with one another, blending their unique characters into a new, stronger coupled personality.

Purists will applaud the gentle manner in which Ms. Bennett captures the essence of the original novel and yet adds her own distinctive voice and thoughts to the new beginning made by Jane and Edward. She maintains just the right tenor in her lush prose and never destroys Ms. Brontë's vision.
Reviewed By: Kathe Robin

About the Author

Kimberly A. Bennett was educated at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. She now makes her home in Tigard, Oregon where she lives with her husband and two children. Besides working on her next novel she is a consulting editor and artist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Showcase Press (April 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595091849
• ISBN-13: 978-0595091843
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,572,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the author of Jane Rochester. A Kindle edition of Jane Rochester is available worldwide. Look for it in the e-book section of amazon.com. It is a third edition, and revision addressed proofreading errors, and content. The story remains in place. I hope enjoy reading about the first years of marriage for a beloved literary heroine. Thanks for taking a look at a sample chapter, and thanks to the readers who I've heard from over the years. You can contact me at [e-mail].

My most recent publication is also available as a Kindle ebook:
SOILED DOVES is a series of historical poems set in a Seattle working-class brothel, 1910. The poems center on a turn-of-the century Western community: prostitutes, politicians, reformers, and reprobates who tell their side of the story in dramatic monologues. The collaged conversations, in free verse, are joined by poems based on historical documents, as well as poems from the poet's 21st century vantage. Central to the collection are poems of the women who worked in the legalized brothel and negotiated wholesale sexuality. The poems give the women a chance to tell who they are, where they came from, and what they experience in a life that is delegated to jokes, whispers, or silence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Did it REALLY happen that way? I have my doubts., December 6, 2000

By 

B. S. Andrews "barbiesa" (Toledo, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jane Rochester:A Novel Inspired by Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre (Paperback)

Kimberly Bennett begins her "sequel" at the point where "Jane Eyre" leaves off, with a description of Jane and Edward's wedding day and early married life, as they adjust to each other sexually and otherwise. As if to mimic the original, the sequel also includes a crazy lady with murderous intent, although this one is not locked up and is a bit more of a threat to Edward since he is blind. It also expands upon the Rochesters' relationship to her newfound cousins, the Rivers', as Diana and Mary become brides, and St. John prepares for the mission field in India. The little orphan Adele makes a cameo appearance every so often, as she is mostly at school.

Although I enjoyed the "sequel" for the most part, it really didn't convince me that "that's the way it happened." 1. Being a self-proclaimed "passionate" woman, I don't believe that Jane would have the problems adjusting to a sexual relationship that is described in this book. Nor do I believe that Edward would let it go on for so long! (2) I have some real problems with St. John Rivers' passion for Jane, and her own inner glee when he offers to drop all his missionary plans and run off with her to America. That he might feel such passion doesn't surprise me, but that he would act on it just doesn't seem in character. And that Jane would take pleasure in the suffering of another...well, if she did, she'd never write about it. (3) And that leads to my third point: Jane would never write in such detail about her sexual relationship. THAT is quite definitely a characteristic of TODAY'S romance novels. Perhaps it was necessary to capture the attention of today's readers. But I just don't believe that Charlotte Bronte would have done it that way.

In spite of the above, I would have given this book a four-star rating if it weren't for all the annoying typos and grammar errors in it--more than I've seen in ANY book! Doesn't the editor know the difference between "its" and "it's" or "there" and "their" or the error in saying "Edward and I" when it should be "Edward and me". Believe me, the sheer NUMBER of errors is staggering and makes one suspect that this publishing company is less than professional. Also, books this size are difficult to hold with one hand and require that one be sitting up to read it. PLEASE!

If you're a dyed-in-the-wool Jane Eyre fan, you shouldn't miss this one, but I wouldn't call it a romance exactly since it covers mostly what happens AFTER the "happy ever after" ending of the original novel. So if you're looking for romance, read (or reread) the original!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept; unbelievable plot and bad editing, May 16, 2001

By 

Emme Wellington - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Rochester:A Novel Inspired by Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre (Paperback)

I was excited about this book; 'Jane Eyre' is one of my favorite novels and I was eager to read about Jane and Edward's marriage. Although I was interested enough in it to read it to the end, I do have complaints.

First off, the other reviewers were right in that Jane's voice isn't authentic; she wouldn't be so graphic in her descriptions of the sex scenes. And what's up with Edward? I really don't think he would have returned to being so sullen as he was in Bronte's book. At times he's on fire for Jane (as he should be!) and in other instances he ignores her and acts almost bratty. This certainly isn't the dashing Edward Rochester we all know and love.

If you choose to read this book you'll notice on nearly every page incorrect grammar and misplaced punctuation. The publisher is one I've never heard of, yet *someone* could have taken better care in editing.

All in all, a fair read if you're a true Jane buff (as I am), but don't have high expectations. It's better to buy a used copy or borrow one if possible; at this price you won't get your money's worth. Ms. Bennett *is* a good writer and I believe is capable of a great work, but I think sometimes it's best to leave well alone. Don't mess with a classic!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't even bother with this book, December 6, 2001

By 

Melissa L. Grunow (Mount Pleasant, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Rochester:A Novel Inspired by Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre (Paperback)

"Jane Rochester" is a sad excuse for a novel and should have never even been published. Not only is the plot unimaginitive and unworthy of being considered a sequel to a classic like "Jane Eyre," it is the most poorly edited book I've ever read. There's on average one grammar or spelling mistake on every other page. What a disappointment to readers and lovers of "Jane Eyre" everywhere.