Jane Slayre [Paperback]

Charlotte Bronte (Author), Sherri Browning Erwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2010

" READER, I BURIED HIM . "
A timeless tale of love,  devotion . . . and the undead.
 Jane Slayre, our plucky demon-slaying heroine, a courageous orphan who spurns the detestable vampyre kin who raised her, sets out on the advice of her ghostly uncle to hone her skills as the fearless slayer she's meant to be. When she takes a job as a governess at a country estate, she falls head-over-heels for her new master, Mr. Rochester, only to discover he's hiding a violent werewolf in the attic--in the form of his first wife. Can a menagerie of bloodthirsty, flesh-eating, savage creatures-of-the-night keep a swashbuckling nineteenth-century lady from the gentleman she intends to marry? Vampyres, zombies, and werewolves transform Charlotte Brontë's unforgettable masterpiece into an eerie paranormal adventure that will delight and terrify.
*Featuring a Gallery Books Readers Guide

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Another entry in the growing genre of horror mashups (ranging from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter), this volume takes Brontë's classic and turns the Reed family into vampires, Jane Eyre's classmates at Lowood into zombies, and Bertha Rochester into something far more dangerous than a madwoman. While Jane herself remains much the same, the supernatural additions prove highly amusing, turning the gothic elements of the original up to eleven while preserving the story's post-Victorian coming-of-age conventions. Despite her whimsical and irreverent modifications, Erwin displays great affection for Brontë and her characters; the undeniable spark between Erwin's Jane and Rochester is made all the more delightful by Jane's plucky fearlessness in the face of evil. With the possible exception of purists, fans of Jane Eyre will find much to love, with moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity; horror fans unfamiliar with the original will also be pleased, though they'll miss out on some of the comic nuance.
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Review

Another entry in the growing genre of horror mashups... Fans of Jane Eyre will find much to love, with moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity; horror fans unfamiliar with the original will also be pleased. 

--Publisher's Weekly

Erwin raises the bar for the next generation of "monster classics." Unique and gripping revision of a well-loved classic. Enthusiastically recommended for all.    --Library Journal (starred review)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (April 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439191182
• ISBN-13: 978-1439191187
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sherri writes historical and contemporary fiction, often with a paranormal twist. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sherri lives in Connecticut with her husband, two nearly grown children, and a Pembroke Welsh corgi.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Mashup, April 15, 2010

By 

Christina Thurairatnam - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Slayre (Paperback)

I love Jane Eyre. It is one of my favorite classics so I approached this book with some reserve, especially since I did not like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and was unable to finish that particular classic mashup. There is a huge difference between Jane Slayre and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies however. It is obvious from the first page that the author has much respect for the original work. The addition of vampyres, werewolves, and zombies is cleverly and rather tastefully done. Most of the book retains the feel of Jane Eyre so I felt like I was rereading the original much of the time. Jane Eyre is a grave book and does not have much humor in it but I found the humor sprinkled throughout Jane Slayre to be refreshing in instances like Jane wondering if perhaps Blanche Ingram is a vampyre. The main characters retain their essence and much of the dialogue is the same so I was able to enjoy the interactions between Jane and Mr. Rochester. In the original, Bertha Mason is merely mad. Here she is also a werewolf, which explains further Mr. Rochester's treatment of her and her strange behavior. I loved that the Reeds were vampyres. I thought they were horrible people in the original so I thought this suited them perfectly.

There were some things that I did not enjoy-particularly the zombies at Lowood and the treatment of Helen Burns. In the original, Helen is a close friend of Jane and very important to her. In Jane Slayre, I didn't feel that Jane was as close to Helen and I didn't like Helen's fate in the novel. Most of the time however, I was able to enjoy the changes to the story but there were a few times that I did want to go pick up Jane Eyre instead. My favorite parts of the novel were at Thornfield Hall and I thought the author did a fantastic job with it, particularly Jane and Rochester's relationship.

Overall I thought this was a tastefully and respectfully written mashup with some great humorous moments mixed in with a good story. I love Jane Eyre but I enjoyed Jane Slayre as well and it made me want to reread the original Bronte novel. There have been a number of mashup novels since the publication of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but this one would be a cut above the rest. I would recommend this to fans of that new genre as well as to those who enjoy satirical writing. Be sure to check out the reader's guide in the back as well. The discussion questions will have you howling! If the idea of messing with the story of Jane Eyre sounds sacrilegious to you, you may want to skip Jane Slayre but I think it is an excellent retelling which might inspire new fans to seek out the classic.

I received my copy of Jane Slayre courtesy of Gallery Books as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done!, April 29, 2010

By 

MommaMia - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jane Slayre (Paperback)

Bravo to this author for being brave enough to face the hordes of literary snobs (such as myself) that would bristle at the thought of their beloved Jane Eyre being toyed with in any manner. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book so much...the thought of Jane stalking around the manor slaying vampires was just brilliant! What an image! I am thrilled with this and would ask all other literary snobs to give it a chance. It's a cross between Jane Eyre and Buffy the Vampire Slayer...too good to pass up.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Mash-up of Jane Eyre!, April 17, 2010

By 

M. Bauer (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Slayre (Paperback)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë has to be one of my all time favorites classic books. So, I was excited to learn that someone took that book and made a paranormal out of it. Sherri Browning Erwin has made what I believe as a successful adaptation of the Jane Eyre. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I can also see why some people may not like it. The purists who hate to have a classic "messed" with might not have the same fun that I had with this book. The main story of Jane was altered a bit and not just by the paranormal parts. Jane had a more amiable time with the humans in her life than in the original book. Her fortitude seemed to come more from the frightening circumstances in her life before she was old enough to handle such things. Even Mr. Rochester was more likable from his introduction into Jane's life. It still was not a happy childhood, and Rochester is still forever the antagonist, but the main turning points in her life still held. It is as though a fan just tweaked parts of her life we would have all liked for our heroine. That I understand completely. :)

I do recommend this book for those who want to have a bit of fun with their classic version of Jane. Finding a new way to cheer for her. For those that are purists of classic literature, I suggest you pass this one and read the original Jane Eyre. I gave this book 4 stars and had fun reading it.