Any Jane Austen/Bronte fans?

LoloDSM · 07-13-2009, 12:11 PM

I've been on a girl power kick, and have been reading Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters back to back.

I finished "Villette" by Charlote Bronte a couple weeks ago, and the ending really p*ssed me off. SPOILER ALERT: How could she ambiguously have the romantic hero get lost at sea in the last few paragraphs?

To brighten my mood, I re-read "Emma" and am now reading "Mansfield Park." I've never read "Persuasion," so that is next on my list.

BTW, I re-read "Pride and Prejudice" within the last few months, and I am also annoyed at Jane Austen for starting the fairytale myth that the handsome a-hole is actually kind, generous, and wealthy if you only get to know him.

ninja dog · 07-13-2009, 12:13 PM

Villete drove me nuts for the same reason. Heartbreaking! All that work, and then......lost at sea???

P & P seems to evoke some universal female ideal for many women. I really liked the Zombie version I read recently.

LoloDSM · 07-13-2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninja dog

Villete drove me nuts for the same reason. Heartbreaking! All that work, and then......lost at sea???

P & P seems to evoke some universal female ideal for many women. I really liked the Zombie version I read recently.

I know! I was seriously angry. It was not an easy read and poor Lucy had such a difficult time only to have things end that way.

I also never understood the allure of the romantic lead in "Jane Eyre." I really liked the story, but I couldn't see the attraction of him (his name escapes me now). And it was unclear what prompted Jane to go back to him. As far as she knew, he was still married. So what changed her mind?

*sigh* I really need to go back to school and study English lit. Somehow I graduated from high school, college, and law school without reading any of the classics, so these are all recently new to me. I only have one friend who also reads the classics, so it doesn't make for much of a book club.

wavycurly40+ · 07-13-2009, 01:54 PM

I haven't read the Brontes in years, but I love Jane Austen in a big, big way. You MUST read Persuasion. I think you'll be happier with the leading man. Persuasion and P&P are my two favorites, but I love them all.

helloitsio · 07-13-2009, 03:03 PM

I love, love Austen. I haven't picked up my copies of Emma, Persuasion, or P & P in a while though.

Have any of you ever read Rebecca btw? I love this novel more than P & P. I think it was the first book that ever made me cry.

curlygirlyme · 07-14-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavycurly40+

I haven't read the Brontes in years, but I love Jane Austen in a big, big way. You MUST read Persuasion. I think you'll be happier with the leading man. Persuasion and P&P are my two favorites, but I love them all.

I CONCUR!!!! Read it before the others. IMHO it was Austens best. It's much more "realistic" to me and a humble love story but it's just wonderful.

ninja dog · 07-14-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoloDSM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninja dog

Villete drove me nuts for the same reason. Heartbreaking! All that work, and then......lost at sea???

P & P seems to evoke some universal female ideal for many women. I really liked the Zombie version I read recently.

I know! I was seriously angry. It was not an easy read and poor Lucy had such a difficult time only to have things end that way.

I also never understood the allure of the romantic lead in "Jane Eyre." I really liked the story, but I couldn't see the attraction of him (his name escapes me now). And it was unclear what prompted Jane to go back to him. As far as she knew, he was still married. So what changed her mind?

*sigh* I really need to go back to school and study English lit. Somehow I graduated from high school, college, and law school without reading any of the classics, so these are all recently new to me. I only have one friend who also reads the classics, so it doesn't make for much of a book club.

I can't remember the lead male name in Jane Eyre either, but I liked the movie "The Wide Sargasso Sea," which was a "back story" retelling of the events that led to "Jane Eyre." I believe the book by the same name was by Jean Rhys.

Poochie · 07-15-2009, 11:45 AM

Edward Fairfax Rochester is the brooding hero in Jane Eyre. Unlike you guys, I have always loved him! He's very flawed, but the way he loves small, plain Jane is irresistable.

I believe I've read everything the Brontes and Austen wrote (excluding Bronte juvenalia, which there's a lot of) but I should start rereading all of it.

ninja dog · 07-15-2009, 11:51 AM

Thanks! I was confusing Rochester with Heathcliff, but suspected I was wrong.

Magoo · 07-15-2009, 03:22 PM

I LOVE Jane Eyre! I have "Wide Sargasso Sea" waiting on my shelf to read next. It was inspired by Jane Eyre and tells the story of Antoinette who is Mr. Rochester's wife.

curlygirlyme · 07-20-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curlypooch

Edward Fairfax Rochester is the brooding hero in Jane Eyre. Unlike you guys, I have always loved him! He's very flawed, but the way he loves small, plain Jane is irresistable.

I believe I've read everything the Brontes and Austen wrote (excluding Bronte juvenalia, which there's a lot of) but I should start rereading all of it.

+1

I love Rochester! I love how he appears brutish (is that even a word?) but he is a lot more under all that. I also love the reasons he falls for Jane.

Saria · 07-21-2009, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Edward Fairfax Rochester is the brooding hero in Jane Eyre. Unlike you guys, I have always loved him! He's very flawed, but the way he loves small, plain Jane is irresistable.

I love Rochester. He's a bit cruel, but I do believe he's one of the most (if not the most) romantic male heroes ever. And Jane Eyre is one of top five novels ever. Yep, it's a fairytale, but it's wonderful.
As for Jane going back, it was basically about having come to terms with traditional values and morals not always being right. This is shown by her interactions with the good, well-intentioned St. John who doesn't seem to really feel in spite of his good intentions. Jane knew Edward loved her and that he had no intention to deceive her. He was just in a difficult situation and loved her too much to not be selfish and want to have her. He never saw her as the other woman and wanted her very much as his legitimate wife. When she went back, it was because she knew he needed her just as she needed him, and that sometimes propriety isn't the way to go. Very modern, if you will.

I love Villette for the masterful writing (it's Bronte's best work) and most especially for Lucy Snowe. She's not considered likable, but I have never related to any character as I do to her. I pretty much feel I'm the real-life version of Lucy Snowe, give or take a few details, so everything she felt in regards to life, love, and fate, I absolutely felt (and sadly still feel). The ending is ambiguous. We assume the worst, but there is the possibility that it might have had a happy ending. Not likely, but possible.
I don't love the story as much as Jane Eyre, but the storytelling and the main character make me love it nonetheless.

I've never really been able to get into Jane Austen. I do love the Colin Firth adaptation of Pride & Prejudice though. Heh.

LoloDSM · 07-21-2009, 07:43 PM

Thank you for the explanation on Jane Eyre, Sairis. I'll be honest. I read it pretty quickly the first time because I wanted to know what was going to happen. So, I didn't absorb many of the details as much I would have liked. I'll probably read it again soon and will keep your comments in mind.

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy = drool. I really love Pride & Prejudice. I realize that my original post sounded more like I was complaining. But wouldn't we all love the happy ending with the handsome rich dude?

And Sairis, I know you've said how you're much more of an introvert, but I hope you don't end up like Lucy. You deserve better than to be in the background. And with a frustratingly ambiguous ending.

maracasbeach · 08-06-2009, 06:10 AM

I studied the classics for English Literature including novels by the Bronte sisters. Heathcliff remains my favorite anti-hero. What a passionate cruel brute.

curlygirlyme · 08-14-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sairis

Quote:

Edward Fairfax Rochester is the brooding hero in Jane Eyre. Unlike you guys, I have always loved him! He's very flawed, but the way he loves small, plain Jane is irresistable.

I love Rochester. He's a bit cruel, but I do believe he's one of the most (if not the most) romantic male heroes ever. And Jane Eyre is one of top five novels ever. Yep, it's a fairytale, but it's wonderful.
As for Jane going back, it was basically about having come to terms with traditional values and morals not always being right. This is shown by her interactions with the good, well-intentioned St. John who doesn't seem to really feel in spite of his good intentions. Jane knew Edward loved her and that he had no intention to deceive her. He was just in a difficult situation and loved her too much to not be selfish and want to have her. He never saw her as the other woman and wanted her very much as his legitimate wife. When she went back, it was because she knew he needed her just as she needed him, and that sometimes propriety isn't the way to go. Very modern, if you will.

I love Villette for the masterful writing (it's Bronte's best work) and most especially for Lucy Snowe. She's not considered likable, but I have never related to any character as I do to her. I pretty much feel I'm the real-life version of Lucy Snowe, give or take a few details, so everything she felt in regards to life, love, and fate, I absolutely felt (and sadly still feel). The ending is ambiguous. We assume the worst, but there is the possibility that it might have had a happy ending. Not likely, but possible.
I don't love the story as much as Jane Eyre, but the storytelling and the main character make me love it nonetheless.

I've never really been able to get into Jane Austen. I do love the Colin Firth adaptation of Pride & Prejudice though. Heh.

Have you ever read Persuasion? IMO it's her best and not a really blown up fairytale (if you get my meaning) it's a lot more simple and reminds me more of Jane Eyre.

LoloDSM · 08-14-2009, 10:19 AM

I LOVED Persuasion. I was so anxious to learn about Frederick because he wasn't introduced until so late into the book. I just read Northanger Abby which was a fun read too.

nynaeve77 · 08-14-2009, 10:39 AM

See, I loved the character of Jane Eyre, but was not really rooting for her to get with Rochester. I think she could've done better...:P

My favorite Jane Austen is Sense and Sensibility, and I love it as much for the relationship between Eleanor and Marianne as the romantic aspects of it.

ewenique · 08-15-2009, 07:04 PM

Yep! Read 'em all multiple times, watched different movie versions, too. Other great authors to read along the same lines are Elizabeth Gaskill - Ruth, North & South, Thomas Hardy - Far from Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Castorbridge, and George Eliot - Silas Marner, Middlemarch.

Ryanne · 08-26-2009, 04:26 AM

I love their books. And read them and watched the movies multiple times too.

botticelli_girl922 · 08-27-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curlypooch

Edward Fairfax Rochester is the brooding hero in Jane Eyre. Unlike you guys, I have always loved him! He's very flawed, but the way he loves small, plain Jane is irresistable.

I believe I've read everything the Brontes and Austen wrote (excluding Bronte juvenalia, which there's a lot of) but I should start rereading all of it.

I'm with you! I, too, love Edward Rochester. He's so wonderful!

Jane Eyre was a really great book. I loved it!