Jane Eyre

          Jane Eyre is my wife's favorite book of all times. I, however, never bothered to read it. A fact which has bothered her the entire time we have known each other. So as soon as she noticed that it was on the list she started dropping, lets call them suggestions shall we, that this would be a good choice to get my little project started. And really it was nice to get it over with as well. In the end the book was...well... better than expected.
          The story itself is quite engaging and you really do begin to feel an attachment to this poor girl through all of her trials. That being said, the one thing that really came through in the entire book and the one thing that makes this book less than ideal for me is that I will never understand that female Victorian mind. Maybe it is just that I have always been very independent. Maybe it is the near daily dose of militant feminism that I was treated to as a child (thanks Mom and Smitty). Or maybe it is just that I am a product of my generation and have no real concept of the hardships of the past. Whatever the reason, I am just not able to comprehend the motivations of a character that blindly follows whatever the nearest man tells her to do. I mean seriously who learns a new language in order to make the man you don't want to marry happy? You just want to shake her and  make her understand that it is ok to do what she wants to do every once in a while.
          In the end I rated the book a 3 out 5. It was a very detailed and enjoyable read. I t was slightly dry in some areas but overall I think it deserves its spot as a must read.