November 2015 – Book Buffoonery

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

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Title: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Premise:

Jane Eyre is an orphan who endures a fair amount of misfortune in her life, yet she takes advantage of the opportunities that come her way. By getting a good education, she is able to strike off into the world to start her own life. She ends up as governess for a ward of Mr. Rochester, her eventual love interest. Through some fairly radical circumstances, Jane and Mr. Rochester are separated, but eventually true love wins out, and they are reunited. I have omitted a lot of the story, but this gives you the main gist of it.

My thoughts:

This is one of my favorite books. I go back to read it every few years, as the urge strikes. Whether for good or bad, I’m a sucker for classic stories that have a romantic twist to them. This book fits that description, but it’s more complex than your typical love story.

The main characters in this book have a richness and depth that makes them truly lovable. As you read, you actually begin to care about what happens to them. I suppose that’s the mark of a good writer–they make you care about the subject matter. Jane is the underdog, and you will probably find yourself rooting for her success fairly early on.

It’s satisfying to see a plain and rather ordinary heroine triumph over life’s adversities and find happiness in her relationships, as well. Though Jane has been dealt a bad hand in life, she still has hope that things will turn out better and she’s willing to do what she can to secure some peace and happiness for herself.

I recommend Jane Eyre to all the ladies out there who like an old-fashioned romantic story.

Rating: 5 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre This post contains an affiliate link.

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. I go back to read it every few years, as the urge strikes. Whether for good or bad, I’m a sucker for classic stories that have a romantic twist to them. This book fits that description, but it’s more complex than your typical love story.

It’s satisfying to see a plain and rather ordinary heroine triumph over life’s adversities and find happiness in her relationships, as well. If only real life were so simple.

If you’re a lady who enjoys a good romantic story, Jane Eyre may be right up your alley. Let me know what you think of it!

Possible Objections:

God is mentioned several times. This book is definitely written with a Christian worldview in mind. Even if you’re not a Christian, there is enough substance to the story to keep you interested.
The language is rather challenging, if you’re not used to reading classical literature. Keep a dictionary nearby, and be patient with yourself. If you stick with it, you’ll eventually get the hang of interpreting this old-fashioned language. 🙂

Rating: 5 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

The Giver by Lois Lowry

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The Giver is a story about a boy who is chosen to carry the burden of an entire society’s memories and feelings. People in his community value sameness and following rules. Jonas (the main character) is chosen as the next in line to carry the heavy burden for the rest of society, so that others don’t have to feel pain, confusion, fear, etc. As Jonas progresses in his training, he decides that it is not right that the people in his community should not have to help carry the burden. In the end he leaves to find an alternate type of society, not only to force the people to feel again, but to save somebody who is in danger. It’s the Newbery Medal winner for 1994.

I read The Giver as a kid, and I remember that it had a great impact on my thinking. It helped shape my understanding of feelings, the role that we should play in our society, right and wrong, what is important in life. For that reason, I wanted to share it with my boys. There were parts of the story where I changed the wording as I was reading. There were also sections/topics that caused my boys a bit of discomfort or which they didn’t quite understand. This led to many interesting conversations and some deep thinking.

I would recommend this book for older school-age children or teens. It depends partly on the child’s maturity level. There are some parts of the story that would be shocking and/or confusing to some children. I would also recommend that parents read the book first, to judge whether or not it’s appropriate for their child.

Possible Objections:

Something called “the stirrings”–basically when the main character starts to be sexually attracted to the opposite sex. It’s in chapter 5, if you want to check it out. I changed the wording while reading aloud to my boys.
Children are allowed to bathe older people, while fulfilling their volunteer hours. It is only talked about as a caregiving action.
An infant who happens to be a twin is injected with a lethal drug and dies. For us, this brought up a discussion about abortion.

Rating: 5 Stars

Until next time…

Lori