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Go Behind the Scenes with Thandiwe Newton
Editorial review
By Mysia Haight, Audible Editor
REDISCOVER JANE EYRE—A REVOLUTIONARY ICON FOR EVERY GENERATION
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."
Continue reading Mysia's review >
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Featured Article: The Audible Essentials—The Top 100 Romance Listens of All Time
With thousands of romance titles releasing every year across a huge swath of subgenres, it’s a tall order to choose the best among the bunch. So our romance editors listened, debated, and listened some more to bring you this list of the 100 must-hear romances on Audible. From Regency to contemporary, love at first sight to second-chance romance and every trope in between, there’s a story here for every romance fan.
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Absolutely the Best!
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10 star performance
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Entirely compelling!
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