Yes, dear reader, all the stars. 5 stars.
The blurb: Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked – but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.
A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him – body, soul and secrets – and what if he discovers her murderous past?
My take:
Back when I was at uni, my fellow English students tended to fall into three camps: those who preferred poetry, those who preferred plays, and those who only got excited once Defoe had the good grace to write the first thing widely recognised as a novel in English. I fell, and still fall, into the last of those camps. And, if I then had to pick my favourite period for the novel, it would be the Victorian era.
Jane Eyre (1847) is one of my favourite books, but several times I’ve wished Jane could show just a little more spine and a little more sense. Jane Steele fulfils those wishes and then some in an involving tale which is part romance, part mystery and part thriller.
The execution of this story is pretty-much perfect. Rather than come at her retelling with a straight face, the author has her Jane Steele consciously compare her story to that of Jane Eyre, the heroine of her favourite book. All this meta-business is conducted with a wry smile and a knowing sense of its own ridiculousness which is thoroughly charming. Furthermore, in addition to all this disarming whimsy, the author clearly has a sincere love for the Victorian novel and manages to recreate its style and tropes while subtly subverting them.
You don’t have to have read Jane Eyre to enjoy this book. It stands on its own as a cracking tale of intrigue, murder and romance. The heroine’s first-person voice grabbed me from page 1 and I didn’t want to put the book down. In fact, I was rather disgruntled every time something else demanded my attention. However, if you do remember the ins and outs of Charlotte Bronte’s tale, there are many lovely details and parallels to raise an additional smile. My personal favourite? In Jane Eyre, Mr Rochester’s ghastly secret is up in the attic of Thornfield Hall. This has lead to shed loads of psychoanalytical literary analysis which equates the attic space to the psyche or “head space” of the characters. How fitting then that in Jane Steele, a much earthier retelling of Jane Eyre, the grisly secrets of the big house are hidden in its cellars? Ha! The Freudians would have a field day!
Overall: a highly-entertaining adventure with with lots of action and romance narrated by a fantastic anti-heroine. What else could you want?
Claire Huston / Art and Soul
I have been eyeing this book. You have made me eager to learn more with your review. Thanks!
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Great! It’s so enjoyable. I hope you like it 🙂
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Sounds really good, I’ll have to check it out. Thanks, Claire 🙂
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Thank you!
It’s very good indeed. I always know I’ve found a cracker when I get upset that I have to put it down and do practical things… like eat… or sleep! 🙂
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Haha yes, I know the feeling.
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Awesome review Claire! I loved this book!
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Thank you!
It’s so good, isn’t it?! 🙂 I have to get more people to read it so I can rave about it with them!!
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☺️☺️☺️
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This book sounds like a lot of fun. I’m not the biggest Jane Eyre fan, but this sounds enjoyable to me.
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I think you’d enjoy this even if you don’t love Jane Eyre. In fact, if you find some aspects of Jane Eyre annoying then this is possibly the perfect antidote 🙂
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So glad to hear you liked this! I’m definitely going to try to read this soon. I’m also glad to hear you don’t have to read Jane Eyre first as that’s a book I’ve been meaning to read forever yet haven’t gotten to.
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No need to read Jane Eyre at all. The connections are quite loose and it’s a very entertaining story in its own right. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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I need to read this book now, Claire! Jane Eyre is one of my — if not my — favourite books of all time! Darn, if only the paperback was out. Then it would be on my shelf and I would push it to the top of my TBR…
Thanks for an amazing review as always!
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I hope you can get a copy soon 🙂
I think some Jane Eyre fans have taken against it, but if you approach it in the spirit of fun in which it was written (and in a way it’s a great tribute to Jane Eyre), then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it 🙂
And thank you!
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I think I will then. One of my other favourite books is The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Have you ever read it? It’s a really fantastic book, so unique, and really funny — reminds me a bit of Prachett’s work (in some ways)!
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I think I might have The Eyre Affair on my TBR. I’ll check! 🙂
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I need to tell my BFF about this book. She loves Jane Eyre! Great review.
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I hope she can read it and enjoys it. Such a great read!
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Awesome review Claire. This sounds like a great read and 5 stars… I will definitely look for this one but after reading Jane Eyre since that has been on my TBR for ages now.
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Thank you!
I really hope you enjoy it. It’s great 🙂
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Fab! Another book to go onto my TBR-pile! 😀
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You won’t be sorry. It’s great! 🙂
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I don’t even need to read the review. Iif you gave it 5 stars, I’m buying it!
But I’ll read it anyway 😀
I am totally with you on the fact I wish Jane Eyre would sometimes have a little more will and sense. I love the parallels about the attic and the cellar, what an interesting point. I predict I will have lots of fun with that book!
Loved your review 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
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I’ve had my eye on this one for a while and your review has confirmed that I simply must read it especially as it sounds like this Jane has a little more backbone! Thanks for a wonderful review.
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I think you’d like it because there is a strong mystery/thriller element. And I certainly liked Jane. It’s tough to make a murder sympathetic, but the author does a great job.
Thank you!
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After reading your review, I went out yesterday to my local bookstore and ordered it. Can’t wait to read it. Vivienne
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Oh great! I really hope you enjoy it now or I’ll feel bad
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