Jane Eyre

Okay, don't say anything, I know what you're thinking. I mean, just look at this cover. This book just naturally gives off a "Don't-read-me;-I'll-kill-everything-that-you-love-about-books-I'm-so-boring" kinda vibe. That's what my thoughts were when my babysitter gave me this book. "I heard you love to read!" she said. First she handed me Frankenstein, which I was overcome with joy to hold in my hands. Then she gave me Ender's Game which became a series I was addicted to over the course of a month. Then she handed me Jane Eyre. It was thick. It was heavy. It was dusty. It looked as if her great grandparents had it at one point. I can tell you that my mood sort of declined when I saw it. I put it off for weeks. And then finally, on a deathly boring snow day, I picked up that demon, that horrible thing that would stare into my back every day when my babysitter would ask me, "Have you read it? Have you read it?'. And I started to read. The outcome was almost immediate. My parents will tell you that somedays I would sigh in the car on the way to soccer practice and say, "I wish I was Jane" in the middle of some conversation about our summer vacation or something. I have read this book countless times. Why? Because Jane Eyre is the best person in the world. She's incredibly smart (every single thing that comes out of her mouth sounds as if it should be published and sold all over the world. I'll give you an example; it's one of my favorites: "I would rather be happy than dignified.") and not very beautiful. She's very...mousy. But it's not one of those stupid stories about men seeing through a woman's flaws and loving her despite them. (Actually, it sort of is but in a better, more clever way). It's a romance, but it's not sappy or floaty. See, what happens is she's an orphan who grows up with a cruel woman and eventually goes to  school and becomes a governess for a little French girl named Adele at Thornwood hall, owned by Mr. Rochester. Eventually, she falls in love with him. That's all I'll say about the plot. That probably didn't sound to thrilling to you. But one should not live through life without reading this book.

Ages: 14+
You'll like this if you liked: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (isn't that the coolest name ever?)
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                                                               Jane Eyre