Key Details Author: Jean Rhys Genre: Novel Goodreads Link: Link This novel written by Jean Rhys in the 1960s is taglined as a prequel to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre written from the perspective of Antoinette/ Bertha who is Rochester's legal wife and dubbed the 'Mad wife in the attic' The novel is set in Jamaica after the abolition of the Slave Act in 1833 where Antoinette's family were former slave owners and depicts her early childhood, her marriage to Rochester and her arrival in England and imprisonment at Thornfield Hall. The novel touches on some aspects of Colonialism and race which is an aspect that gets very little attention in the Jane Eyre novel and is also written as a reaction against the patriarchal nature and the problematic depiction of mental illness. It is however a bit strange that Rochester gets a voice in the novel which you don't get in Jane Eyre. I Felt that he already comes across as not very likable character in Jane Eyre and there wasn't really a need to further demonize him. As a result most of the discussion during our book club seemed to center around Rochester's motives for his actions! The same goes with the depiction of mental illness as the story and the shifting perspectives made it incoherent and difficult to glean any meaningful message regarding it. Compounding this issue is the shifting perspectives style adopted by the author where without warning you jump between different characters. At times its hard to stay from who's voice is the novel being written. In a way this shows the skill of the author, but it also make for a confusing read! It's only in the final part of the novel which is also the shortest and most coherent segment where we get a glimpse of Thornfield Hall and it overlaps with the incidences of the events in Jane Eyre. While there are some interesting imagery that the novel brings up and in the way Antoinette's childhood trauma is brought full circle with how she meets her end as depicted in Jane Eyre, the novel didn't feel very coherent. Reading the novel left me unsatisfied and having recently read Jane Eyre, felt that this didn't enrich or add a deeper understanding as a result of it. It's also not a novel you can read as a standalone novel and hence wouldn't recommend it for someone who has only a vague memory of the source material. Quotes ‘Because they told me to say so and because it is true. She did die when I was a child. There are always two deaths, the real one and the one people know about’‘Two at least,’ I said, ‘for the fortunate.’ ‘Justice,’ she said. ‘I’ve heard that word. It’s a cold word. I tried it out,’ she said, still speaking in a low voice. ‘I wrote it down. I wrote it down several times and always it looked like a damn cold lie to me. There is no justice.’ I too can wait – for the day when she is only memory to be avoided, locked away, and like all memories a legend. Or a lie….
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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