I gather this is required reading at a lot of high schools these days, and I'm sure that a lot of today's high schoolers do indeed think of it as a drag. It sure doesn't have to be, though, if you read from a larger perspective.

To fully appreciate today's world, it helps to understand the attitudes and experiences of the past, and JANE EYRE is one of the novels that helps us understand.

The book takes an orphaned girl taken in by an unloving aunt, and follows her into an unhappy school experience and ultimately into as good a career as a woman of that time and station could hope for, that of governess.

Well, this is one of the earliest gothic novels and true to the genre, you know the girl's going to fall in love with her employer who, unfortunately, has a deep and dark secret.

There's tragedy of sorts here and there's triumph, all told against the mores of a bygone era. There's much to learn and to enjoy here if you open up to it. It is dated, and not 100% relevant to today's life, which is why I give it four rather than five stars.

It may be helpful to read and compare JENNA STARBORN to JANE EYRE. The former pales horribly by comparison, but by setting the story in the future, today's reader may gain a better understanding of the original story.

I recently finished Jane Erye and I couldn't bear the thought of there not being more of it to read. At first I thought it was strange that Jane could fall in love with such a cold, hard man. But then it turned out that he had a certain charm and gentleness that was buried deep inside him, not to show its face until Jane uncovered it. I think a big reason that some people don't like this book is because they expect Jane to fall in love with a handsome, obviously charming man. But that kind of romance is done too often in literary works, and eventually it loses its effect. In his own suttle way, Mr. Rochester is Prince Charming, though it takes time and patience to see. The book has a slow start, but stick with it. I've seen two movie versions of this story already, and it's a shame to put the title Jane Eyre on them. They are great stories in themselves, of course, but they hardly do the book justice. I'm 14 years old now, and in a few years I plan to read this book again, in hopes of getting more out of it than I already have.

I first read "Jane Eyre" when I was entering my sophomore year in high school. I was so fascinated by the beautiful language, expressing the love between Jane and Edward Rochester. I love Edward so much, because he is human. He is depressed with his life, and wishes for another. He searched for another, taking any and every risk he needs to...even adultery or bigamy. His love for Jane is deep and real, as is her love for him. This classic hasn't lost it's details, details about hope, love, and dreams, in the some 150 years since it's been published. I still enjoy it, even after reading it about 100 times!!~ I consider it the greatest love story ever written.....a story that defies the stuffy rules and regulations of 19th century England. It just shows that love can be more powerful than anything. With that, I give this story 5 stars....only wishing I could give it all the stars in the world. Why? Because it deserves that!