My kids and I just finished Jane Eyre. Oh. My. Goodness. I just love that book. We had a really wonderful discussion today and it made my heart swell three sizes too big to hear the really wonderful analysis of these characters from my students. I had a couple students stay after class a minute just so that we could finish talking about some topics.
What hits me every single time I read this book is the beautiful message of redemption it shares. The message that no matter how sinful and horrible and unworthy we might be, we can always come back. I love that it is only when both Jane and Rochester humble themselves and ask for help that they can find their way back to one another.
I love how strong, noble, honorable, and spiritual Jane is, while still being imperfect enough for me to be able to love her and relate to her at the same time.
And, even though he's the baddest bad boy of all time, I love Mr. Rochester. Mmmmm Hmmmmm. He does some really horrible things, but because of the way he loves Jane, I just can't do anything but love him.
I love the fact that the love story between Jane and Rochester is a true love story. about two imperfect people who really know each other, soul deep, and love one another for who they really are. I want the same kind of relationship in my own life, which might be why I'm still single.
(And it doesn't hurt that my boyfriend Toby plays him in this adaptation)
6 comments:
I tried to read this book, really i did. I coule not get through more than 2 or 3 chapters. I guess I need to be forced to read it or have a "best parts" version. Sorry Maur
Oh Christy!!!!!!
This is my favorite book. i'm sorry you couldn't get past chapter 3. Maybe you should start right where she is a grown up and leave off the childhood. We tend to have different tastes in books and movies though so maybe it's a lost cause..... I'll never read a lot of Dean Koontz or Stephen King so there you have it but I did read one of Dean's in Minnesota and liked it. I can't remember the name but it was about a guy who saves a girl after accidentally finding out she has a hit placed on her, (he is mistaken for the hit man)
I liked that.
and Maury... I'm glad you teach this book. They really do have a great love story that is not traditional and it's good for high school to examine some of these concepts. Because of your post I loaned my copy of Jane Eyre (toby version) to a friend last night because Carly was looking at your blog and the subject came up....
I just got my drivers license renewed so I can check out books...did you know how it hard is to check out books now??? (patriot act?? I have no idea) Anyway, this book is on the list. I might be with Christy, though. I love British movie adaptations, but I don't always love the 1900s lit-er-a-ture. I know it's sacrilege (sp?), but I never have gotten through Pride and Prejudice. sigh, again.
Maur,
That IS a true love story.
Emily's mom always says that you should only marry if you love someone intensely-- and they love you that same way; and that you should never have to talk someone into marrying you. (Because, says she-- "after you've talked someone into marrying you, you have to live with them for the rest of your life.")
Well, I did talk Emily into marrying me. I spent two years convincing her—and I’m happy that she finally did. This leads to a story:
Yesterday we went on a rather long hike. (Soon there will be an exhaustive report of the event on The Blog.) After a long day on the trail we found ourselves alone and ahead of the rest of our group. The hike was over Emily and I were sitting in a remote canyon, lying on our backs, and talking. (Think of Jane and Rochester sitting beside the tree and then replace it with a red 1,000 ft. sandstone cliff, and that was us.)
I said, “Emily, there is no one in the world I’d rather be with right now.”
She smiled and gave me a quick kiss. A second later I noticed that she was humming something. It took me a while, but I did figure it out. “Are you humming If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”?
It was. But I’m still glad I talked her into marrying me.
I agree with you Maury, it has to be one of the best books ever! I love the characters and their flaws.
Ahhhh. Good book.
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