Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I have read Jane Eyre probably more than any book aside from the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. I love it so much, I worry that I won't do it justice!  It is definitely one of my top five all-time favorites.  It has been made into I don't know how many films, and even a Broadway play with a beautiful soundtrack.

I'm sure almost everyone is familiar with the story of Jane Eyre--plain, ordinary young lady becomes a governess and falls in love with her gruff employer . . . the plot seems fairly boring, but I LOVE IT!  And I know I'm not alone.  What exactly makes it so universally appealing?  


Well, here's what I love about Jane Eyre:
1. Jane herself tells the story, and she addresses you directly as "dear reader" several times, which pulls you in and makes you sympathize with her all the more.  You feel like you're a friend she's confiding in.
2. The love story is perhaps the most beautiful ever written--especially because it's between two such unlikely characters.  Neither is very alluring, per se, but their romance manifests a "marriage of true minds," as Shakespeare would say.
3. Mr. Rochester--he is just the perfect hero!  Actually not perfect--he has his flaws, but they make him that much more likeable.
4. It is just so well-written!  The dialogue is anything but dry or forced, and the narration flows so beautifully!
5.  Each character you become closely acquainted with is deep and passionate.
6. Perhaps what I like the most is that Jane isn't perfect.  She has a bit of a temper and is also tempted--but she has a firm conviction in what she knows is right.


There is so much food for discussion!  Jane's moral courage; Mr. Rochester's desire to begin a new life, yet falling into the same old habits; Jane's ability to rise above her surroundings and make the most of things--they just don't make books this cut and dried anymore!


Jane Eyre was even worthy of mention on this last General Conference--I was thrilled to hear Sister Ann M. Dibb say the following:  


One of my favorite books is the British classic Jane Eyre, (Hooray--we can be friends!) written by Charlotte Brontë and published in 1847. The main character, Jane Eyre, is a penniless, teenage orphan who exemplifies what it means to be true. In this fictional account, a man, Mr. Rochester, loves Miss Eyre but is unable to marry her. Instead, he begs Miss Eyre to live with him without the benefit of marriage. Miss Eyre loves Mr. Rochester as well, and for a moment she is tempted, asking herself, “Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?”

Quickly Jane’s conscience answers: “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God. … Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this. … If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed. … Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.”

In a desperate moment of temptation, Jane Eyre was true to her beliefs, she trusted in the law given by God, and she planted her foot in resistance to temptation.

Being true to our beliefs—even when doing so isn’t popular, easy, or fun—keeps us safely on the path that leads to eternal life with our Heavenly Father. ... Being true also allows us to have a positive effect on the lives of others. 

And that, I think, is what I like the most about Jane Eyre--the way her righteous choices influence the lives of others.

Now, I am quite partial to the movie versions of this wonderful classic, my favorites being the one starring Timothy Dalton

and the 2006 version starring Toby Stephens & Ruth Wilson.  I never get tired of watching this one--it is so well-done!

And, if you're as big a fan as I am, you will probably be eager to see the newly released 2011 version!  It looks good--a little dark and probably condensed to fit the typical 2-hour Hollywood length, but you really can't go too far wrong with Jane Eyre, can you?  

(Also, J.E. fans will enjoy this interesting comparison between the many movie-version Mr. Rochester's.)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Jessica:  Having grown up watching Disney's cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland and now watching it with my own children, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for these stories.  I loved reading them as a pre-teen.  However, after watching the new Disney version by Tim Burton (it was very . . . interesting, to say the least), I had to re-read them to make sure they weren't more bizarre than I recalled.  They may be a bit off-the-wall, but not so outlandish as the movie would lead you to believe; in fact, both books were quite comical and had me laughing out loud.

Carroll was a master at language and logic--he actually worked as a mathematics tutor at Oxford, and you can tell that he had a brilliant mind.  He uses word play frequently in his stories, which makes them all the more amusing.  Both books are very clever and entertaining and well-deserving of the title "classics."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has the stories of the Mad Hatter & March Hare and the Queen of Hearts.  Through the Looking-Glass deals more with the chess pieces--the white and red queens--and traveling from one "square" of a giant chessboard to another. It includes the characters of Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee and the talking flowers.

Alice with Tweedle-Dum & Tweedle-Dee before their battle

Lydia:  I loved the royal subjects and how they acted. For example, how the Red Queen is running with Alice and they get absolutely nowhere. Then there is the White Queen who starts crying because she will get hurt in the future. I loved these books in every way!

Alice talking with the White Queen

(I suppose I am biased, but I love Lydia's drawing style!  I made her sketch a couple of her favorite scenes so I could show her off a bit . . . :)

Clarice Bean, the Utterly Complete Collection by Lauren Child

Lydia:  I thought this was a good book. It was about a little girl who wanted to be a mystery solver like the girl in her book--until she solves a mystery of her own. I really liked it because it was written by the same person who wrote Charlie & Lola. I also like the pictures. There are lots of them.  I love the way she describes things.

Jessica:  Lydia talked me into reading these books, and it didn't take much effort, since our entire family is in love with Lauren Child's Charlie & Lola series.  They were so entertaining!


Clarice Bean is a pre-teen girl growing up in England who deals with some very normal problems--a mean teacher, a pesky younger brother, and homework she doesn't want to do.  The whole series reminded me of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, which I loved when I was little.  These are for a slightly more mature audience than those, strictly for comprehension reasons.  Any pre-teens would really enjoy them.  They are clean, clever, and perfectly darling!  I found myself wanting to talk like Clarice, who is the author of these "diaries."  Listen to how delightful she is--for example, in describing the neighborhood organic grocery store:


It's all about selling things that haven't been sprayed with chemically things.
I am not sure what that word organic exactly stands for really.  Who does know?  They should call it "with bugs" or something so people know what they are in for.  You might find a caterpillar in your broccoli but that's the point.
Mom says, "There's nothing wrong with eating a caterpillar."
I say, "There is if you are vegetarian."


On the irritating boy who sits behind her in class:
And I can hear Robert Granger breathing.  That's what he does.  He sits behind me and breathes.  It drives me utterly crazy.
And I turn around and go, "Stop breathing, will you!"

And he says, "Clarice Bean, of course I cannot stop breathing because then I would be dead and how would you like that?"
I decide not to answer his question because Mom has taught me if you can't think of anything nice to say, then sometimes it is better to say nothing at all.  You see, I am trying really hard to keep it zipped in class.


Describing tofu:
. . . .[It] looks a bit like a very palish cheese but tastes of nothing.


The diary-like feel ("epistolary" form--am I not so smart?) keeps you reading just a bit more to see what Clarice will talk about next.  I don't know what to call it, but I love that she uses different font sizes and styles to emphasize words (reminds me of my wonderful sis-in-law, Chelsea, who does the same on her blog).  It's such a cute way of writing! 


Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is cute as can be, Clarice Bean Spells Trouble was my very favorite and had the best story line--very laughable throughout, and Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now was still great, although it dealt with more serious issues of divorce and moving, etc.  They are such quick reads--I think I read each one in a day.  I wish there were more of them!