SeptembEYRE check in!

First, let me say that I am THOROUGHLY enjoying this first blog event of mine.  Not only are real people actually reading my blog, but they’re also leaving comments! Yay!  This is very exciting.  I promise, this week, I will be a better blogger and return those comments.

What’s more, having a prescribed reading pace means I have no excuse not to read.  With the cooling temperatures outside, I’ve been doing most of my reading in the comfort of a bubble bath; so let’s just say I’m thoroughly enjoying Jane Eyre!

In this second or third read-through, I’ve come to respect Jane’s resilience.  Perhaps in my “old’ age, I’m more sensitive to the cruelty of fellow humans.  Regardless, Jane’s childhood lacked the love every child desires and deserves and this fact alone saddens me.  Actually, I forgot how dark Jane Eyre is.  It’s a far cry from the love-struck Bennet girls of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  However, Jane’s hardiness allows her to endure her early childhood in both the Reed household and in the dismal boarding school.  I don’t know what is about orphan children that make them speak their minds.  When reading how Jane’s “scarcely voluntary” retort to her Aunt Reed, I was immediately reminded of Anne of Green Gables, another young orphan who believed strongly in her own opinions.  With both of these young girls, we know that whatever (and I mean, WHATEVER) will be thrown at them in the subsequent chapters will be ably dealt with by their sense of justice.

Ghosts, supernaturals, or spirituality take up a significant portion of this novel so far.  This is another reason why I might consider Jane Eyre a dark novel.  The red chamber is a scary place!  And we can only imagine that Thornhill is also haunted.  Aren’t all old houses haunted?  Hmmm, only time will tell, I guess. 

I am vaguely aware of how this story plays out, but it is interesting to pick up on new aspects as I re-read this great novel!  I can’t wait for part two!