'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte

Does anyone really need to read a review of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre? I think most of us had read this book by about the 10th grade, and we believe that we’ve benefited as much as we’re going to from the book. Fortunately, this couldn’t possibly be the case. I use the word fortunately for a couple reasons: if you haven’t read the book since high school you couldn’t possibly remember or appreciate all of the book’s intricacies; if you have read the book since high school you obviously enjoyed it enough to read it multiple times. Both situations are opportunities for enjoyment; in one instance you’ll be able to read and better understand one of literature’s greatest masterpieces, in the other you’ll revisit a book that has already proven to be a pleasure.

For those of you who don’t know, Jane Eyre is one of the greatest romance novels of all time. To this day, it remains one of the few well written romances involving unattractive, seemingly oddly matched individuals (regular people falling in love? gasp!). Lucky for us (and all of British literature), Bronte’s novel isn’t only about Jane and Mr. Rochester’s love; it is the suspenseful and interesting story of Jane Eyre’s life. Though these fictitious events were taking place nearly two hundred years ago, Jane is strong, thoughtful and intelligent in ways that modern women should appreciate. And perhaps more importantly, she respects herself in ways that many modern women should learn to emulate.