Summary of Jane Eyre
“Jane Eyre” is a romantic Gothic novel about a young orphan who grows up in early 19th-century northern England and becomes governess to a French girl at the country estate of Thornfield Hall. Over time, Jane becomes aware of strange things happening at the estate, and when she rescues her employer, the reserved Mr. Rochester, from a fire in his bedchamber, she begins to fall in love with him. Yet Mr. Rochester seems to favour the beautiful Blanche Ingram. Could marriage to the wealthy master of Thornfield ever be a prospect for Jane – and what terrible secrets is he concealing?
Reasons to read Jane Eyre
This classic of 19th-century English literature remains popular today, partly for its mix of romance, mystery, and a strong female protagonist. It was one of the first novels told from a first-person perspective and its psychological depth was seen as groundbreaking – though at the time, many critics called it an immoral book. “Jane Eyre” was first published in October 1847 under Charlotte Brontë’s pen name ‘Currer Bell’, a few months before her sisters Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë published “Wuthering Heights” and “Agnes Grey”, respectively. The novel has been adapted for the screen many times, including the 1943 film starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles, the 1996 film adaption with Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt, and the 2011 version with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. Fans of “Jane Eyre” might also enjoy Jean Rhys’s novel “Wide Sargasso Sea”, which tells parts of the story from earlier in the characters’ lives and from a different point of view. Other notable works by Charlotte Brontë include “Villette” and “The Professor”, both influenced by her time living in Brussels.
Setting: England (UK)
“Jane Eyre” is set mainly at the fictional Thornfield Hall in the north of England, home to Mr. Rochester. The house is thought to have been inspired by North Lees Hall in Hathersage, Derbyshire, near Sheffield.
Original title: Jane Eyre
Year of publication: 1847
Nr of pages: 580
