Whilst I am more drawn to Jane Austen’s more everyday story telling, I love a complete suspension of reality every now and then. So a trip to the cinema to see the new Jane Eyre adaptation was called for. I love this book, it is everything a gothic romance should be – instensely passionate, broody, suspensful. The 2011 adaptation, starting Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender captures this gothic romance perfectly.
I’m a purist and therefore don’t like them messing around too much with the story for example starting in the middle of the story and looking back is a new way of telling the story, but I felt it missed the dramatic climax of Jane running away from Thornfield.
Also, they seem to assume that everyone knows the story, particularly what Thornfield’s secret is, so they don’t emphasise the drama as much as other adaptations. Which is a shame because I was talking to a 14 year old recently, who has just been given a copy of Jane Eyre and she doesn’t know the story. I would hate for her to miss the joy of wondering what the strange noises are, who Grace Poole is and who is the stranger from Jamaica!
But it was 2 hours of pure bliss and I’ll forgive the makers for making Mr Rochester way more handsome than he is made out to be in the book!
