J is for Jane Eyre

Over the last five years or so, I’ve fallen in love with the classics. Not all, as I am struggling with Thomas Hardy, but among my favourites are Shakespeare, Austen and recently Orczy (thank you again, Holly, for introducing me to the Baroness).

I tend to favour romances, and as a rule, only read stories with happy endings (real life is hard enough and I unapologetically prefer my entertainment to be as far from reality as possible). It is for this reason that Austen is a particular favourite of mine.

However, Austen’s heroines are too perfect. I like stories which depict women as equally strong and vulnerable, and equally virtuous and flawed, and Anne Elliot is the only Austen heroine, in my opinion, who portrays this beautifully, which is probably why Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel.

My absolute favourite classic story though, is Jane Eyre. Those who know me well might find this surprising, as the story has a very dark element, as is indicative of the Brontë sisters. I’ve read Jane Eyre quite a few times, and in addition to the story, the language always surprises me. I know language changes and evolves with time, but I wouldn’t mind at all to be wooed in the way Rochester woos Jane. Some of my favourite scenes include the part where Jane leaves to visit to her sick aunt and Rochester’s happiness at her return to Thornfield Hall.

My favourite line from the novel comes from Rochester, when he tells Jane, “I have a strange feeling with regard to you. As if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave I’m afraid that cord of communion would snap. And I have a notion that I’d take to bleeding inwardly. As for you, you would forget me.” In all of my reading, I have yet to come across a more beautiful way of saying, “I am in love with you”.

As regards the actual story, a few things come to mind, which gives me hope as regards life and romance…

The heroine is a teacher, and makes a significant difference in the life of her student; Jane does not compromise her principles or dignity for the sake of a man; Rochester falls for Jane’s mind, heart and spirit, not for her arse; Jane is tested in many ways, but never takes the easy way out; the plain Jane, not the princess, gets the guy in the end.

Of all the tales I’ve read in my life, this one will remain one of my all-time favourites, for imparting the simple wisdom that life may not be a fairy-tale, but it is quite possible to experience fairy-tale moments and fairy-tale endings.

my favourite literary couples

Reading is a favourite pastime of mine. I love movies, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve come to realise that the movies I like best are the ones that bring my favourite pieces of literature to life.

And contrary to general opinion, a good book is wayyyy better than a good movie – in my opinion, when you read a truly brilliant piece of writing, the words come alive in your imagination, as if you were watching a movie in your head.

I only discovered the joys of reading during my final year at high school – I think the reason for that is because the books that are chosen for us to study are really boring, depressing ones, generally with a concurrent theme from Grade 9 right up to Matric. It’s been 12 years hence and I am now even more in love with books than I was then.

Throughout my journey through the world of literature, I have met and fallen in love with numerous characters. The ones I love best, though, are the unusual couples found in the stories. The following (in no particular order) are my favourites...

Alexandra and Jordan Townsende – The first books I was introduced to were romance novels...this couple is from Something Wonderful, by Judith McNaught.

Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Charles Brandon – Even though they are fictitious characters, they are the affirmation that age is nothing but a number.

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy – Yes, that is Mr. Darcy’s name. The most famous couple in the English language. I love them because they started off by rubbing each other up the wrong way.

Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester – Quite possibly my favourite couple of all. Their love is based on an admiration, love and appreciation for each other’s character, rather than on a physical attraction.

Edward Cullen and Bella Swan – These two take devotion to a whole new level. But everyone is allowed an unrealistic dream, and I suppose this relationship is mine.

Jasper Hale and Alice Cullen – Initially, I watched Twilight before I even knew about the books, and I have to say, I was completely bonkers for Edward for a while. But when I read the books, in particular, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and Midnight Sun, this couple stood out for me. Their relationship is exactly what I would want from one – a guy, who is affectionate only when he is with me, who would want to kill the last person who would even think of harming me, but at the same time acknowledges that I can and will fight my own battles, a guy who lets me have my own life and is happy to pursue his own interests while I pursue mine. A guy, who loves me, even though I may be quirky as hell. Ooh, and let’s not forget, that he was an army general before he became one of the undead – and I love a man in uniform.

Esme and Carlisle Cullen – I just love them...and their story.

Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth – once again, an example of how a beautiful character has the ability to capture someone’s interest more than beautiful face.

These are my favourites. And I’m sure I will meet many more interesting couples on my literary journeys.

random thoughts

I have quite a lot on my mind today.

1.      Dreams.

Some people say that dreams are suppressed desires. Others say that dreams are warnings and reminders from God. My eldest brother (who is kind of a genius) says that we shouldn’t really dwell on the things that we dream.

In my case, I tend to agree with my brother, because if I were to dwell on the dreams that I have, it would serve no purpose other than to confirm that I need to be institutionalized.

I have had some weird dreams in my lifetime. Once, I dreamt that I was being chased by a werewolf Michael Jackson (this too after I saw the Thriller video...to this day, that song and video creeps me out).

But I have been dreaming again of my fantasy guy. Dreaming of Jackson Rathbone. And when I wake up from these dreams, I think to myself, “Is it normal for 28 year olds to be dreaming of celebrities?”

2.      Language

Two days ago I went to meet a friend at a mall. We haven’t seen each other for a while, and I really needed to get out of the house and do something fun. In all honesty, I would have been very happy to just spend the afternoon eating and talking to her. She is someone, probably these days the only one, with whom I can let my guard down completely, and just be myself, without being afraid of offending her, or censure from her. But she suggested that we go see a movie, and we ended up going to watch the latest film adaptation of Jane Eyre.

I was so happy we decided to watch that. Not only did the movie remain true to the literature, the acting was absolutely brilliant and the person portraying Mr. Rochester was just (for me at least) too divine. I’m quite in love with Michael Fassbender.

Watching it made me think of this time (about 2 years ago) where all I wanted to read were classic romance novels. I read all of Jane Austen’s novels, I read Jane Eyre (which I absolutely loved, despite the fact that it drags a bit at the beginning), I even read Wuthering Heights (which I will never read again, as long as I live – I think Emily Bronte might have had serious emotional and psychological problems, to have written such a depressing book).

Two things drew me to this genre of literature – firstly, they are romances, and I love romance novels. But more than that, it is the way people used to talk in that era. If I listen to people talk today...it actually upsets me, the way people have massacred English.

But in those novels...wow.

My current favourite quote (from Jane Eyre) is by Mr. Rochester, trying to make Jane aware of his feelings for her, in quite a clever, indirect way...

“I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you – especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I’ve a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly.”

Oh, I am quite in love with this quote and this character. And quite in love with the way people spoke during that time.