Helpful Score: 4
As a fan of the original Jane Eyre, I was elated to hear about this book. In April Lindner's debut novel, she does quite a good job. Her descriptions are detailed without being overly wordy. I think she truly knew the heart of Jane Eyre and focused to enfuse it into this book.
The title character of Jane was just as I expected, if not at times a bit bland. While I mostly loved this character, at times she just fell flat. Perhaps the most problem I had with the book was the character of Nico Rathburn (aka Mr. Rochester).
Lindner's love for this character became quite apparent, but I feel like she never truly made Rathburn her own. Instead he became a somewhat odd variation of Rochester. Imagine Mr. Rochester in leather pants. Oftentimes I found she would have Rathburn saying things that just seemed ... dated. I could see *Rochester* saying them, but not a rockstar from 2010.
The storyline of JANE is sound and the love Lindner feels for the original is apparent on every single page. The love story between Jane and Nico is sweet and passionate. This book is by no means bad, and I am not disappointed I purchased it. I just think fans of the original Jane Eyre may struggle with some of the characters, but the audience this is geared towards has probably never read Charlotte Bronte's novel and will enjoy JANE immensely.
The title character of Jane was just as I expected, if not at times a bit bland. While I mostly loved this character, at times she just fell flat. Perhaps the most problem I had with the book was the character of Nico Rathburn (aka Mr. Rochester).
Lindner's love for this character became quite apparent, but I feel like she never truly made Rathburn her own. Instead he became a somewhat odd variation of Rochester. Imagine Mr. Rochester in leather pants. Oftentimes I found she would have Rathburn saying things that just seemed ... dated. I could see *Rochester* saying them, but not a rockstar from 2010.
The storyline of JANE is sound and the love Lindner feels for the original is apparent on every single page. The love story between Jane and Nico is sweet and passionate. This book is by no means bad, and I am not disappointed I purchased it. I just think fans of the original Jane Eyre may struggle with some of the characters, but the audience this is geared towards has probably never read Charlotte Bronte's novel and will enjoy JANE immensely.
Helpful Score: 2
Fans of the Charlotte Bronte original will no doubt cheer for this loyal modernization of Jane Eyre. For those of us who are more ambiguous about how we feel about Jane Eyre, however, JANE does little to convince us otherwise.
What April Lindner does best in JANE is capturing the mood and tone of the original story. The tormented romance between the Janes and their employers, the enigmatic attractiveness of the Mr. Rochester characterits all here.
Whats missing in JANE, however, is Janes inner passion, a part of her that is all too easily overlooked, especially if youre me and was lukewarm about the original. In Jane Eyre, readers see a fierce determination within her to stay true to herself and speak to her mind. Grown-up Jane, in turn, retains some of this passion and drive, even though on the surface she seems submissive. Jane Moore, on the other hand, starts out as a rather passive and flat character and remains so throughout the story. She feels like she was born an old lady, instead of like how Jane Eyre learned how to hide her fieriness.
Jane Eyre was no Pride and Prejudice for me, and I think thats what makes it and all subsequent retellings still difficult for me to immerse myself in. I think most people either love or dont care for Jane Eyre, and the divisions will most likely still stand for this modernization. Bronte fans will cherish the familiarity of this storythe tormented Nico Rathburn, Janes levelheadedness, their slowly unfolding romance. And thus the very things that bother people in Jane Eyre will most likely still bother them in JANE. Give the book a try: its superbly written and up to the originals standards, but theres little it can do to convince you to love it if you werent a fan of Jane Eyre in the first place.
What April Lindner does best in JANE is capturing the mood and tone of the original story. The tormented romance between the Janes and their employers, the enigmatic attractiveness of the Mr. Rochester characterits all here.
Whats missing in JANE, however, is Janes inner passion, a part of her that is all too easily overlooked, especially if youre me and was lukewarm about the original. In Jane Eyre, readers see a fierce determination within her to stay true to herself and speak to her mind. Grown-up Jane, in turn, retains some of this passion and drive, even though on the surface she seems submissive. Jane Moore, on the other hand, starts out as a rather passive and flat character and remains so throughout the story. She feels like she was born an old lady, instead of like how Jane Eyre learned how to hide her fieriness.
Jane Eyre was no Pride and Prejudice for me, and I think thats what makes it and all subsequent retellings still difficult for me to immerse myself in. I think most people either love or dont care for Jane Eyre, and the divisions will most likely still stand for this modernization. Bronte fans will cherish the familiarity of this storythe tormented Nico Rathburn, Janes levelheadedness, their slowly unfolding romance. And thus the very things that bother people in Jane Eyre will most likely still bother them in JANE. Give the book a try: its superbly written and up to the originals standards, but theres little it can do to convince you to love it if you werent a fan of Jane Eyre in the first place.
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
Jane Moore has just recently become an orphan, and with no one to help her financially and no one who she can truly turn to, Jane must quit school and find a job. She quickly finds a position as a nanny for Nico Rathburn's daughter, Maddy, at Thornfield Park.
Nico is a rock star who has been through all the troubles that a normal rock star would go through - relationships that go awry and drug problems that make for an escape. However, Nico feels like it's time to clean up and make a comeback, and so he needs someone to take care of Maddy, whose mother is nowhere to be seen, or so people are thought to believe.
With Nico as her new employer, Jane has entered a world full of dark secrets and romance. For some reason, Nico causes Jane to have feelings that go against her rational and practical personality. As their relationship begins to go from boss and employer to something even more, Jane has to be careful, as Nico comes with an attic full of secrets. The emotions between them may be too picture perfect, and letting her guard down might just break her down completely.
April Lindner does an amazing job at modernizing the great classic JANE EYRE, and it tops some of the other classic re-tellings. The plot itself parallels the original, and the characters are so well-developed and intriguing that it does feel like you are reading the classic. JANE is a novel that is part romance and part mystery, and it will leave the reader breathless.
JANE will make readers who have not read JANE EYRE want to go back and pick up the classic to compare the similarities and differences. And with EMMA becoming Clueless, I would not be surprised if JANE was turned into a movie.
Jane Moore has just recently become an orphan, and with no one to help her financially and no one who she can truly turn to, Jane must quit school and find a job. She quickly finds a position as a nanny for Nico Rathburn's daughter, Maddy, at Thornfield Park.
Nico is a rock star who has been through all the troubles that a normal rock star would go through - relationships that go awry and drug problems that make for an escape. However, Nico feels like it's time to clean up and make a comeback, and so he needs someone to take care of Maddy, whose mother is nowhere to be seen, or so people are thought to believe.
With Nico as her new employer, Jane has entered a world full of dark secrets and romance. For some reason, Nico causes Jane to have feelings that go against her rational and practical personality. As their relationship begins to go from boss and employer to something even more, Jane has to be careful, as Nico comes with an attic full of secrets. The emotions between them may be too picture perfect, and letting her guard down might just break her down completely.
April Lindner does an amazing job at modernizing the great classic JANE EYRE, and it tops some of the other classic re-tellings. The plot itself parallels the original, and the characters are so well-developed and intriguing that it does feel like you are reading the classic. JANE is a novel that is part romance and part mystery, and it will leave the reader breathless.
JANE will make readers who have not read JANE EYRE want to go back and pick up the classic to compare the similarities and differences. And with EMMA becoming Clueless, I would not be surprised if JANE was turned into a movie.
