Jane Eyre, by: Charlotte Brontë - Buddy Read Review!

       Over the past two weeks, my Instagram pal @thegirlonthego_reads and I have been buddy reading Jane Eyre! Since we both run our own review blogs, we thought it would be fun to do a review on both of our pages. Mine is going to be more of a discussion type post, and hers will be in more of a traditional format, so I’ll be sure to link her information at the end of this post.

Note: this post is more of a discussion type of review between the two of us, so there are minor spoilers out there for those of you who haven’t read it. But the last two questions we talk about our experience with the buddy read, so make sure you scroll down to the bottom to check that out.

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Say (@thegirlonthego_Reads)

​"Writer, reader, bathroom singer, photographer and student. Well, I’m many things, but now I’m a blogger too! I have always been fascinated by the idea of blogging, and now it just feels like a dream come true. Although I thought I’d write my online journal here, I realized I’d end up writing crazy little things which 

you might not be able to decipher. So yeah, here I am, writing about anything and everything, from facts to poems, stories to ramblings, etc."

​What star rating are you giving Jane Eyre?

@the_bookinsider:
This book is (currently) a 3 out of 5 stars for me. I thought it was good, but I had a hard time adjusting to the writing style. My plan is to let this book simmer for a couple of months and then reread it. I just don’t feel like I got as much out of the story as I wanted, and I know it has a lot more to offer. I’ll be sure to keep you posted when I start my reread. :)

@thegirlonthego_reads:
This has definitely been a 5 stars read for me. I loved everything about Jane Eyre and can’t really point out anything that could be thumbs down about it!

What expectations did you have before reading this book, and were they met?

@the_bookinsider:
All I knew about this book beforehand was that Jane was supposed to be a very plain-looking character and romance was involved. That was it. My grandma actually recommended this book to me (hi, Mi!) because it is her all-time favorite book, and I knew it was a classic. Overall, I was diving head-first into the unknown.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
I had high expectations as I read reviews speaking highly of it. I knew what the story was about and it had really intrigued me.

What are your thoughts on the writing style of the book?

@the_bookinsider:
I thought it was way more difficult than what I am used to in current young adult literature, but I did think it was elegant. This book is written by an Englishwoman in the 1800’s, so it is a lot more formal than books today. If you plan on reading this book, be prepared to go a little slower and reread a few passages. Trust me, it’s worth it.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
I loved it, Oh my God! The literature is so beautiful that I felt like diving deeper into it, understanding what the author was actually trying to say. And the way Jane always used to address us as ‘Dear Reader’ made me feel like she was indeed talking directly with us and we all are important to her.

Who was your favorite main character?

@the_bookinsider:
My favorite is Jane, of course! She’s such a strong and independent heroine, and way ahead of the times. Even though she has been through the worst of circumstances, she still has the courage to fight for what she believes in and maintains a high sense of self all the way through the story.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
Definitely Jane. Her strong character and will had me worshiping her. She had no one, yet she grew up to be such a fine and independent lady. Her sense of feminism, equality, self respect and integrity was something truly inspiring to read. What's not to admire about her?

Who was your favorite secondary character?

@the_bookinsider:
I’m going to couple Diana and Mary together for this one. They both are so generous and loving; they’re perfect cousins for Jane. I was so excited when we found out that Jane has living relatives out in the world. They make for a great trio together.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
It’s Mr. Rochester for me. He is such an adorable person. He has shades to his character and obviously he’s not perfect. But the air of gravity he ensues about himself has really impressed me. He has a pure heart, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

What were your favorite quotes from the book?

@the_bookinsider:
“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” 
This quote really resonates with me. It shows how strong Jane is as a character, and it is what I believe for myself as well.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
So many actually! “I would rather be happy than dignified. “
“Thank you Mr. Rochester, for your great kindness. I am strangely glad to get back again to you: and wherever you are is my home – my only home. “

Was this your first classic, and what classic(s) do you want to read next?

@the_bookinsider:
This was my first classic! I plan on reading some of the Sherlock Holmes books, Alice in Wonderland, and Jane Austen books in the future.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
I have only read one classic before this one and that is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

What edition of this book did you read, and what edition is your favorite?

@the_bookinsider:
I read the Word Cloud Edition of Jane Eyre, and it was, by far, my favorite edition. (Purple is my favorite color, so this choice is a natural selection.) My plan is to buy my next classics from this collection as well so they all match!

@thegirlonthego_reads:
My edition looks classic inside out. You can check it out in the picture I have displayed in this post. There are little illustrations inside too, all in all, it’s beautiful!

What did you like about this buddy read?

@the_bookinsider:
I loved being able to see what details I missed sometimes. Every once in a while, Say would bring up a small thing that happened, and I had missed it! It was good to read this book with someone more versed in classic literature, that way I could bounce ideas and questions off of her. 

@thegirlonthego_reads:
Everything! Ashton is such a darling. Reading it along with her made me take greater interest in reading it everyday. We would vent our thoughts and emotions and discussion helped us clear  our doubts. The most interesting thing is we used to predict what was about to happen and we were correct most of the time! That really made us happy.

What advice would you give to people who would like to do a buddy read in the future?

@the_bookinsider:
(1) Be flexible. Sometimes, life can get a little crazy, and you or your buddy forget to read. That’s okay, it happens to all of us! Instead of getting frustrated with yourself or the other person, try to compromise. Maybe you just read twice as much for your next chat. The point of a buddy read is to have fun; if you aren’t being flexible and enjoying the process, you are wasting your time. (2) Find a time during your day that has some free time around it. This is good if you or your partner have something that comes up and eats into your chat time. If you have a buffer built into your schedule, it will be easier to work around these issues. Sometimes Say and I would have to delay our chats by thirty minutes or so, and it worked out perfectly.

@thegirlonthego_reads:
Be understanding with your buddy. Learn to respect each others opinions, and set a particular time in the day to discuss it. And most of all, remember to have fun, that’s what It’s all about!

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       Thanks again to Say for buddy reading this book with me! I had so much fun with it. If any of you fellow bloggers or bookstagrammers would like to do a buddy read with me in the future, make sure you let me know it the comments.

Your bookstagram buddies,
Ashton & Say

More Jane Eyre:

Goodreads

Book Depository

Amazon

If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre