I've been looking back through my blog and it seems that I haven't done a real post in quite a while- a "real" post being anything other than me talking about my day and what I like and don't like. I've done several rather boring posts in a row and mentioned my "writer's block" enough times that I think you get the picture.
So I think today I will talk about one of my favorite books, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, in honor of the new Jane Eyre movie which is coming out in the spring. I think the movie looks amazing, I think it's going to capture the spirit of the book really well. Most of the adaptions of this story play up the romance side of it and make it just another period romance in the English countryside.
The story is romantic, but it has many elements that mirror the gothic novels of the era and the focus should never be on the relationship between Jane and Rochester.
Jane Eyre is a story about one woman's life. It shows us her personality, what she dreams of, the influences on her life and how they affect her. It shows her growth from a young girl who is oppressed and doesn't know how to deal with her loneliness into a strong young woman who knows her own mind and acts on it.
I'm currently reading it again and I was struck by how the language of that era made the story so deep and powerful. You can't get away with such heavy prose in the modern world of publishing, but I love it anyway. I wish that I had the ability to use languge with such skill. Bronte's sentences are woven so intricately and her characters are rich because of it.
Ok, this post has turned into me ranting about how much I love this book. Maybe I will post more when I've finished re-reading it and have something a little more clever or at least more substantial to say.
~Jane~
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
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2 comments:
Wonderful post, dear! I just recently started following your blog, and I can't wait to see future posts. :) My sister, Mother and I watched Jane Eyre just last night! :) I didn't know that they were coming out with a new one...the version we have is with Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton. Have you seen that one? Do you know who the actor/actresses are in the new one?! I can't wait!
Many blessings!
~Miss Raquel
Great post! I love this book. I think Charlotte Bronte is the only author (that I've read) who can effectively, genuinely portray "Jane" characters, in a way that makes you understand and sympathize. A lot of people (and authors included) view plain, quiet heroines as boring and "too good"; but Bronte was able to show us that strength and goodness aren't just found in outward appearances.
Honestly, though, I don't know how she does it. When I try to write "Jane Eyre characters", I can't write them half as well as she does. :(
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