Warning: In the off chance that I am not the last person on the planet earth that has not read this book, know that I am sharing fully what I have read and this post is filled with spoilers to any one who has not read Jane Eyre.
Yes Jim from the Planet Zork – this means you. Quit reading and beam up the book.
When last I left Jane Eyre it was March 9th. Yes, I have been absent from my days with Jane, and while you may think “yup, once again she has given up on the book!” you would be mistaken… instead time crunch, book commitments… I just did not get to it. 😯
Now thanks to the readathon, I have read enough to get Jane and I back on the err…. same page, and here is what I have to say about that. Shoot, why don’t we see what Jane has to say about that as well…. I’ll start… because it is my blog:
Sheila’s thoughts:
Now, in the book Jane has found out that Mrs. Reed has taken ill and she requests of Mr. Rochester to allow her leave (her words, not mine) for two weeks so she may go and see her. A back and forth bidding of sorts goes on between them, regarding her time away and the money given to Jane to go as Mr. Rochester fears that Jane will go and not return.
When Jane does go – Mrs. Reed is much the bitty she was before, even though she tries to make things sort of right between herself and Jane her loathe is too deep and she (SPOILER!) dies still feeling that Jane is this creature of awfulness.
Even though Jane had agreed to only be gone a week, a month passes before she returns to Thornfield. Now returned, she lives in fear of the time that will soon come and Rochester takes on the snooty Imgram as his wife and Jane feels at the time she will be shown the door and has no idea what will be next for her. However, Mr. Rochester seems in a joyful mood and does not mention the upcoming wedding to anyone and when questioned when this will take place he simply does not give an inkling either way.
Then, when Rochester does say he is getting married he asks Jane to spend some time with him as he admits he is fond of her and suspects as the quote says above that he will hurt upon her leave, but feels she will feel nothing… which as we all know – is not true.
And then … well, things get a bit intense between Rochester and Jane and a proposal is made where one should not have been given (my opinion) as Rochester has already played that card and has a bride waiting. And yeah, for all you romance lovers, this would probably be where you insert the “oohs and ahs” as even I have to admit liked the thought of Jane and EDWARD getting together and all things working out.
And so as I end this section of my reading with page 289, Jane has just had a series of nightmares the previous night that she shares with EDWARD (Rochester), while two are spooky and unsettling, the third is a vision of a woman who rips Jane’s wedding veil in half and in the morning, indeed the veil is torn.
Honestly… it is a little hard to stop the reading there as we are on the cusp of the wedding, and apparently there is someone against it… you may know – but remember this is my first time reading this book. My only guess in Ingram… P.O’d about Edward marrying Jane instead of her. Where Jane I feel would marry for love, Ingram I feel wants to marry well and wealthy.
Jane’s thoughts:
Whilest I do admit wholeheartedly that yay, it is thine truth that I have had my eyes on Mr. Rochester (calling him Edward still makes me blush the color the color of the blooming roses along the roadside), I must also be true in stating that his mind sometimes concerns me. At one point he calls my eyes the color of radiant hazels when it is all well-known that my eyes have always been the green of a pool filled with frogs…. and while-st my temper rises, I struggle between the respect of being his governess, and the possible brow beating he deserves once he calls me wife.
As for the vision of my night-time, I believe in my deepest core that the woman was real… not an apparition created in thy mind, nay, this was of flesh and blood… although in my honesty… the flesh was paperish and thy blood looked thin.
What shall become of me? Will my love for E-, errr… Rochester be enough for my plain heart? Will I become the ruler of all things Thornfield?
Book Journey 
Hmm, it has been a very long time since I read this book. I am feeling as though I should read it again….someday.
But first I’m going to reread Rebecca and Jamaica Inn (DuMaurier).
And maybe Gone with the Wind and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. They are all sitting politely waiting on my office coffee table.
Methinks you are enjoying this book by now, Miss Sheila….
Of the four books you have mentioned…. I have read none. 😯
I think after this one I will start another…. same process, about 70 pages a week. Want to read Rebecca together?
Oh and me thinketh you are correct…. I am in to this book.:D
I don’t think of Rochester as having a bride waiting – he never proposed to her and she started avoiding him after the “fortune teller” told her that he was not as rich as she thinks he is. I think he just said she was a waiting bride to goad Jane into revealing her feelings, because he’s not a very straight-forward kind of man. Ah Rochester – the heartache you could have spared! 😀 I love him, though, so much.
Ahhh…. I did not catch that Amanda, I didn’t recall it but the way he talked I thought he had. You crack me up Amanda! 😀
Glad to hear that you’re starting to enjoy Miss Jane’s company!
For the first time, I think I found a formula for reading books that seem tough to me…. 😀
I started Jane last year. You’re convincing me to dust it off & get back on it.
Oh good! I am thinking about doing Rebecca next! 😀
Ooh…do you not know what happens at the wedding? Oh, I am so looking forward to your next report! Keep reading, you’re right up to the most dramatic part!
I find the Rochester/Edward thing amusing. Somewhere much later (no spoilers), Jane mentions referring to him as her “dear Edward” during this part of the book, and I thought–no, you didn’t, you kept calling him Mr. Rochester! Ah, the formality of old romances…
Oh… see now I am going to pick this one up again tonight and keep reading! I was really going to finish a different book…LOL 😀
Ooooh, you are in for such a treat and I can’t wait to see your reaction to the rest of the book. It’s so fun seeing your reactions as you read it for the first time.
You are making me want to keep reading 😉
I’ve watched 3 different versions of Jane Eyre, but have yet to finish the book!! 😀
I haven’t watched the movie yet… book first 🙂
You are to the best part! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it this time. I just watched the newest version, and while I wasn’t thrilled with the way they chopped the story up, I loved the casting. Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fossbender as Rochester were just perfect.
OOH cant wait- the movie will be my reward.
Oh, it’s fun living through your experience of reading Jane Eyre for the first time with you!! Wow!!
This is the part where you eyeball how many pages are left along with all of Jane’s apprehensions and wonder if you should panic a little. Just sayin’… it’s not like your 5 pages from a happy ending wrap-up, yet!!! Naw… it’s a Bronte sister writing!! (cue eerie music!)
Just don’t go screaming around the house, OK?
I read this for the first time a few years back and just struggled with the language!! And the coincidences that dominate the last part of the book.
I have tried and tried Jenners… this is the first time it is actually clicking for me… I have no idea why 🙂
I love reliving this through you. It’s never the same after the first time.