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.