Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

It took me a long time to get around to reading this because it's my mum's favorite book and we tend to have very different tastes. I thought it was ok. It was very easy to read but the writing style didn't particularly grab me (unlike most Victorian fiction). It reminded me a lot of an Anne Radcliff gothic romance but with a stronger heroine. Of course Jane herself was a mass of contradictions. I loved that she was able to speak her mind and didn't see any class distinctions, though was totally repulsed by the way she gushed over "her master" and her repeated use of "sir" when talking to him. She went from independent to totally submissive, and the hard-to-get games she was playing after the engagement made no sense at all. Not to mention her fluctuating belief in god. I thought the part towards the end with the extra family and St. John was totally unbelievable. Starving after 2 days and running into the only people you are related to in the whole country? It seemed too far-fetched. Still some good moments, Rochester was quite good, though St. John was totally hideous. Good to have finally read it, but not one I'd highly recommend.