I just realised tonight that a blogger I like is hosting a Readalong of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I’ve actually read this before but the last time I checked, there is no reread limit on a classic.
Back when I thought I wanted be a Lit Major, I took a class called Caribbean Women Writers and we had to read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys which our lecturer told us was intertextually related to Jane Eyre ( I won’t say how because all spoilers are evil). So I read it, enjoyed it and promised myself I would have revisit it again.
And now here I am!
Image Credit: Goodreads
The Wandering Bookmark 
Hallo, Hallo Kwame!
I am a fellow Septemb-Eyre girl (as there isn’t a bloke amongst us yet!), who is stopping by to wave Hallo! I actually have the book your speaking about marked down to read for Books of Eyre, which is a cross-connected blogosphere event I am involved with between now + New Year’s! I am starting that event with Jane Eyre, which correlates to why I joined Septemb-Eyre! Now that was quite the tongue twister! Laughs. I am thankful to see that you have joined us, and I look forward to checking back in with you on Mondays, to read your impressions as we go along! You’ll find that we’re quite the mixed bag: re-readers, newbies (I am, yet I have prior knowledge of the story! You’ll have to click over to find out how!), and adaptation appreciators! Love the diversity!
Hey Jorie!
Well I guess I’m the first guy.
Thanks for passing by. I haven’t had a chance to check out the September-Eyre people yet, but I will probably do it sneakily in my first class this morning. I look forward to seeing your posts!
The Books of Eyre event sounds awesome, maybe I can work that in somehow.
Kwame,
You’ll have to forgive me! 😦 I felt like I had complete egg on my face when I read that your a bloke! Clearly, I am not always able to discern gender based on names I am not familiar with, so I do apologise right now for this slight grievance! You’ll find the Books of Eyre challenge threaded on my sidebar, just click the badge, and you’ll be taken to my master post and then you can hook up to the event if you prefer!? I truly am sorry I hadn’t realised you were a bloke — but I am thrilled that you are, actually, as I always wanted to know how a bloke would perceive this classic, not just on Jane, but how he would feel about Rochester overall. In this way, I am elated to find your amongst our reading fold!
I had to smile when you said you were going to read our blogs during class! Sneaky indeed! I read last night where someone else likes to blog whilst at work, so I think there are a lot of creative bloggers out here!! I look forward to dropping back to see your posts as well! Have a great day and thanks for not making me feel too embarrassed for my mistake!
lol, don’t worry about it. Enjoy the rest of your day as well!
Thank you for your understanding!
I have taken up where I left off with Pride and Prejudice as I am near-to the end now, as I want to begin Jane Eyre by nightfall! I was so wrapped up in blog hopping last night, I ferreted away the hours! Laughs.
Good Job! I think you definitely need to have your plate clear to fully appreciate Jane Eyre.
Definitely no re-read limit on the classics (or anything, as far as I can tell!). I’m intrigued by Wide Sargasso Sea… having never read Jane Eyre, I appreciate the exclusion of spoilers above, but we will have to discuss more post-Eyre-reading.
Definitely! And thanks for hosting this.
Welcome to the read-along! I’ve never read Jane Eyre, so I’m glad this read-along has come around. And you’re right, there is no limit to rereading classics! My favourite re-read is 1984.
1984 really is a great novel. I’m sure you’ll really enjoy this read.
I’m hoping to read Wide Sargasso Sea once I’m done with Jane Eyre! Glad to have you join on this one.
Me too, this should be fun!
Ooo I hope you can remember enough of Wide Sargasso Sea to comment on it when we get to that part in JE. I really should read it, but it’s pretty low on my list of books to read. HOWEVER, it would be fabulous to hear more about how the two books link up, if you find it to be a believable link, if it changes JE for you as a reader, etc. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I plan on reading the essay by Gilbert and Gubar about this same topic. Because of the spoiler potential (it’s a pretty spoiler-ific title), I won’t say the name of said essay or the book it’s in, but you could search by the authors if you’re curious. It’s in a book of essays written about different Victorian lit from a feminist perspective.
Hi Kwame, great to have a guy along for the journey. Looking forward to your perspectives 🙂
Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s thoughts.
I read Wide Sargasso Sea for a class in high school, having not read Jane Eyre. I think it was a bit too early for me, because I got very little out of the story and hated it. Is it worth revisiting, now that I’m not 17?
Fair enough, Wide Sargasso Sea isn’t one of my favorite either, but I promised myself I would give it another shot. I enjoy a lot of books now, that hated when I was younger. Basically, I think you should give it another shot.
Hai there! Fellow Septemb-Eyre participant here. Just sayin’ Hullo from my side of the world… 🙂
Glad you joined up, it’ll be interesting to get a guy’s perspective and I’m happy that you already read and enjoyed the book! I didn’t like Wide Sargasso Sea very much, I had issues with some of the author’s viewpoints, but it’s great that it led you to Jane Eyre. 🙂
Hello, I’m reading Jane Eyre as well. It will be so nice (and probably refreshing) to hear a male’s thoughts on the novel, so I’m looking forward to your future posts 🙂