Why it's essential
Thandiwe Newton performs the achingly romantic Gothic tale we all had to read in high school. There’s no better way to revisit this Brontë classic.
Featured in The Top 100 Romance Listens of All Time.
What is Jane Eyre about?
Set in 19th-century England, this first-person narrative tells the story of Jane, a young orphan who, after being neglected and abused by her wealthy relatives, is sent to a boarding school where she suffers more mistreatment. At age 18, she secures a position as a governess and falls in love with her brooding employer. But their relationship is threatened by the revelation of Mr. Rochester's terrible secret.
Editor's review
Mysia ("Misha") is a book person who loves escaping into twisty mysteries and contemporary fiction driven by complicated characters.
I first read Jane Eyre when I was in high school and remember feeling terribly sorry for Jane—for not only what she suffered as a child but also for her ending up married to a damaged man. A few years ago, I stumbled across a piece on Vox, written in honor of Charlotte Brontë's 200th birthday. I was intrigued by Constance Grady's assessment of Jane as "prickly, judgmental, and totally unlikable," and of Brontë's work as "monumental." When I learned that the talented actress Thandiwe Newton performs the Audible Original adaptation, winning an Earphones Award and listener raves, I just had to listen. It was time to rediscover Jane.
Jane Eyre was first published in England in 1847, credited to Currer Bell. That the gifted author Charlotte Brontë felt compelled to use a male pen name to get her work taken seriously speaks volumes about the status of women at the time and the novel’s unconventional heroine. Jane Eyre is fierce, intelligent, and outspoken. She’s passionate but not a beauty—she describes herself as "little" and "plain." She never waivers from what she believes is right, and she respects herself. As a short, not exactly stunning, and quietly strong-minded woman myself, I found Jane refreshingly down-to-earth and relatable. And as a feminist, I found Jane inspiring.
Jane is no stranger to hardship. By the age of 10, she has endured losing her parents, being treated as a burden by her relatives (especially one cruel aunt), and getting sent to Lowood Institution, where the students, poor and orphaned girls, are subjected to cold rooms, meager meals, and harsh punishments. Her struggles only make her stronger—and more outraged by injustices against the poor, the weak, and women. At 18, after two years as a teacher at (the much improved) Lockwood, she seeks work as a governess and accepts a position at Thornfield Hall, teaching and tending to a young French girl, Adèle, the ward of Edward Fairfax Rochester. When Jane first meets her employer, she finds him arrogant. But as they spend time together, she comes to appreciate Rochester’s humor and tenderness. Jane falls in love—hard. Then, strange things start to happen at Thornfield—the sound of chilling laughter through the walls, a mysterious fire, an attack on a houseguest. Rochester is hiding a terrible and terrifying secret. Will Jane wind up hurt and alone once again?
Jane Eyre is a romance, so there’s ultimately a happy ending. But a lot happens for Jane to get there, and it’s complicated and heart-wrenching. It’s a story about love and sacrifice, madness and loss, compromise and forgiveness. It’s also the story of Jane’s awakening—from Jane’s perspective. Brontë wrote her novel in the first-person in a groundbreaking way that’s intimate, emotional, immediate, and deep. What I most loved about Jane Eyre is getting to know Jane, in all her prickliness and vulnerability, and what she thinks—about topics such as class, religion, sexuality, and feminism, as well as her oppressors, her supporters, her friends, and the infuriating, alluring Rochester. Listening to the novel as a woman with a daughter about Jane's age, I found myself marveling at her courage, her conviction, her moral compass, and her remarkable good sense. This time, I didn't feel sorry for Jane—I felt in awe of her.
With its strong heroine, feminist themes, indictment of society’s treatment of the poor and disenfranchised, and priority on self-respect, Jane Eyre speaks powerfully to listeners of every generation, and especially women. Beyond the novel’s complicated romance, Jane’s struggles and survival story will resonate with nearly everyone who’s ever been oppressed, discounted, or underestimated. To quote Newton, whose narration is brilliant, "I think the reason we're so struck by [Jane Eyre] is how Charlotte Brontë manages to relate, expertly, what it means to be a human being ... and that never changes."
Did you know?
Like Jane, Charlotte Brontë was "little," of slight build and less than five feet tall.
Like Jane, Charlotte spent time in a boarding school, along with her sisters Maria, Elizabeth, and Emily. Charlotte maintained that the school's poor conditions permanently affected her health and physical development, and hastened the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, who both died of tuberculosis in 1825.
And like Jane, Charlotte worked as a governess. Unlike Jane, however, she did not enjoy her work. According to anecdotes, one of her charges was an unruly child who threw the Bible at Charlotte—an incident that may have been the inspiration for an incident in the opening chapter of Jane Eyre in which John Reed throws a book at the young Jane.
What listeners said
"Despite numerous tragedies, Jane is a force to be reckoned with throughout the tale! She’s what every writer should aspire to make of their lead female characters … I truly didn’t expect to become so absorbed in this novel. Thandie Newton’s performance is spectacular." -Alysa, Audible listener
"I never got around to reading Jane Eyre but I finally decided to listen and I am glad I did. I loved this book immensely ... Ms. Newton gave true voice to every character, man, woman or child, with such skill that I was enthralled. At once I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation while riding an emotional roller coaster to the end of the line with her Jane." -Helene, Audible listener
"I am completely blown away by Thandie Newton's performance! There were so many times I had to remind myself who was narrating because her voice changed so seamlessly with each character. What a talent! Not to mention this book is a classic and a superior one at that. Well worth the 19+ hour listen." -Andrea, Audible listener
"I could not stop listening, even when I should have been asleep ... Thandie Newton enthralled me! I could swear that I too was living the story. She gave this book the timelessness it deserves! I will definitely keep this audiobook set aside for my future daughters and the young women I influence. Jane Eyre herself inspired in me greater self respect and love. What a wonderful character!" -Audible listener
Listen if you loved
Quotes from Jane Eyre
"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself."
"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will."
"Do you think I am an automaton?–a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!–I have as much soul as you,–and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh;–it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal,–as we are!"
"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."
"I would always rather be happy than dignified."
Adaptations
Jane Eyre has inspired more than 70 adaptations across feature films, television, theatre, and radio. Notable screen adaptations include 1943’s Jane Eyre, starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles (featuring a young Elizabeth Taylor, in an uncredited role, as Helen Burns); a 1996 version, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt (featuring Anna Paquin as young Jane); and the widely praised 2011 version, starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.
About the author
Charlotte Brontë was born at Thornton, Yorkshire on April 21, 1816, the third child of Patrick Brontë, a clergyman, and his wife, Maria. Her mother died in 1821, leaving five daughters— Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—and a son, Branwell. After working as a teacher and a governess, Charlotte focused on writing poetry with her younger sisters, Emily and Anne, under the pen names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Charlotte’s first novel was rejected by several publishers. Her second novel, Jane Eyre was published in 1847 and achieved immediate success. Between 1848 and 1849, Charlotte lost her three remaining siblings, Emily, Anne, and Branwell. Her third novel, Shirley, was published in 1849, followed by Villette in 1853. In 1854, Charlotte married the Reverend A. B Nicholls. Soon after her wedding, she got pregnant and fell ill. Charlotte Brontë died with her unborn child on March 31, 1855, three weeks before her 39th birthday. The Professor, the first novel she had written, was published posthumously in 1857.
About the performer
Thandiwe Newton is a British actress known for film roles such as the title character in Beloved, Nyah Nordoff-Hall in Mission: Impossible 2, Tiffany in Shade, Christine in Crash, Linda in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Condoleezza Rice in W, as well as for playing Maeve Millay in the HBO series Westworld. She has received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and two Critics Choice Awards. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to film and charity. Her other impressive audiobook performances include the Audible Original adaptation of War and Peace. (Editor's note: Newton was born in London to a white British father and a Zimbabwean mother. In 2021, she announced her decision to revert to the original Zimbabwean spelling of her first name, Thandiwe, pronounced "tan-DEE-way," from the anglicized version, Thandie.)
