by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: May 25, 2007   Last Updated: January 26, 2012

Classic book recommendations: Ah, Jane Eyre! That's every teenaged girl's fantasy relived. At least it has been my favorite book since I read at about the age of 12 and again maybe two or three times. I was taken by the romance between this backward young girl and this older man. And, believe it or not, although I believed that this was my favorite book of all time, I learned several months ago, I had missed the whole point of the book.

Jane Eyre is a book by a young woman just starting out to write, and while it is a very good book from the standpoint of its integrity, its moral issues-waiting until after marriage for sex-eluded me. Reading the book again, and from the standpoint of a writer, I stand now amazed at my youthful lack of understanding. Or, perhaps, at what I have learned since reading it the first time.

Her writing is boring in places and she goes overboard on descriptions, but her integrity as a writer, and her belief in her characters win out. Loves does conquer all and I now believe this book should be read by every high school girl. If for no other reason it will help to restore the sanctity of marriage and introduce the purpose of Love over lust. She knew what she wanted to write about and she wrote.

I wondered, though, while recently reading this book, would it be accepted today or would it end up in the slush pile. On the rejection note, Sorry, Ms Bronte, 'too old-fashioned and not applicable to what young adults read today. Try again, please.

Jane Eyre, the main Character who tells her own story and she is believable and is emotionally involved with all she comes in contact with. What makes this story so unforgettable is her sincerity and her descriptive, but interesting and compelling words telling of her life, or about three years of her life as a nanny. She is wise beyond her years and is somewhat blissfully blind to events that unfold at the old 'castle like home' where she is employed.

But most of all Jane Eyre is a love story and fifty or sixty years ago this was the favorite book of young readers. It's tender, yet mature love story spoke to the heart of teenagers. In this book there was no hint of impropriety but there was sizzling romance and readers only knew of it by intimation and a few chosen words. There were lots of blanks to filled in by readers who used their imagination to 'read between the lines'.

Although in my second or fourth or sixth reading, I've forgotten how many times I read it during my high school years, it was much different than reading it several months ago. At the time of first reading there was less time in time and place and I was reading as a youngster; the last time I read it as an old woman and I read it critically and for the purpose of finding out what caused it to be such an all-time classic.

This time around I was not taken in by it's youthful fascination and could see more clearly the young writer's intention - Charlotte Bronte - which was to draw in her readers and tell them a story of love. Too, it is pretty obvious that much of it is autobiographic.

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