3. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)
Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 1/10 Stars
There are books that aid you in the process of living and books that make that process mean something. Jane Eyre is in the latter group. As Glen Holland (the fictional main character in Mr. Holland's Opus) once observed, "...you can cut the arts as much as you want... [but] sooner or later, these kids aren't gonna have anything to read or write about."
I had a hard time reading through this book. There were stretches that were quite boring to me. But the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific book. Wonderful! Marvelous! Nuanced! Moving, tearful, horrifying, suspenseful, full of mystery and intrigue! No, the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific composition. The problem lies in me. The problem lies in our society. We are a people addicted to instant gratification, brevity and excitement. We are a superficial people. We have largely lost our ability to be patient, to meditate and to consider things of depth. And Jane Eyre requires those 3 things.
The story as a whole is a look at Jane's soul which, though it has encountered very little but pain, suffering, and horror, has kept its integrity. Jane refuses time and again to compromise her virtues and convictions in order to find acceptance or love. It is this constant refusal to allow herself to be corrupted that makes the ending so wonderfully tearful when she at last is able to be joined to one who loves her. If you read this one, you may need a box of tissues. It'll make you laugh out loud (on rare occasions), think, cry, and be freaked out.
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