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Jul. 17th, 2009 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
verity83Book 44: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. 552pp
This is, I believe, the third time I've read this book, and the last two times were many years ago now. I enjoyed it even more this time than before, which can't be said of all books. I think part of it comes from time and experience: as with Little Women, new nuances and aspects shine forth in different lights to me at different points in my life.
I would say the biggest thing that I reacted differently to this time was Jane's handling of the situation with Rochester after finding out he was already married. I don't think I really gave it much thought before beyond admiring her strength of resolve to flee temptation and do the right thing.
Which, of course, I still greatly admire—but am now finding it difficult to believe. As I posted already in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
readersrunamok, it seems that her formative years were hardly conducive to instructing her in the ways of men and the ways women should handle them, and the idea that she would have so much presence of mind to exhibit that moral courage she displayed just seems really unrealistic to me.
If it had been me at her age (17 or 18), I may have had a head knowledge of what was right and wrong, but not understood WHY or been able to so clearheadedly handle the situation, being rather easily swept up in romantic fuzzy dreams because of my lack of wisdom.
Anyway. Still a grand story with good people in it and good morals. I enjoy that.
This is, I believe, the third time I've read this book, and the last two times were many years ago now. I enjoyed it even more this time than before, which can't be said of all books. I think part of it comes from time and experience: as with Little Women, new nuances and aspects shine forth in different lights to me at different points in my life.
I would say the biggest thing that I reacted differently to this time was Jane's handling of the situation with Rochester after finding out he was already married. I don't think I really gave it much thought before beyond admiring her strength of resolve to flee temptation and do the right thing.
Which, of course, I still greatly admire—but am now finding it difficult to believe. As I posted already in
readersrunamok, it seems that her formative years were hardly conducive to instructing her in the ways of men and the ways women should handle them, and the idea that she would have so much presence of mind to exhibit that moral courage she displayed just seems really unrealistic to me. If it had been me at her age (17 or 18), I may have had a head knowledge of what was right and wrong, but not understood WHY or been able to so clearheadedly handle the situation, being rather easily swept up in romantic fuzzy dreams because of my lack of wisdom.
Anyway. Still a grand story with good people in it and good morals. I enjoy that.
