Review: There should be a no star option for this
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 11 30, 2012
I couldn't even come anywhere close to finishing this book it is so bad.  I'm a huge Jane Eyre fan and was looking forward to reading this. What a disappointment.I felt a premonition at the very first sentence of the preface: "Dear Reader, do you remember me?" Then came a recital of the events in Jane Eyre. One of the most famous novels in the world doesn't need a recap. The fact that the author almost injures herself trying to imitate the tone of the novel doesn't help. And it is painful to read it is so awkward.It quickly becomes clear that the Jane in this sequel has a very low opinion of Mr. Rochester and an inflated opinion of herself: "I was pleased to see my generous nature was influencing my companion's tendency towards pettiness, and the marriage ceremony only ten minutes old!"She gets mean on their wedding night, blowing hot and cold for no reason. Then, after 4 months of marriage she becomes a resentful shrew who feels that her husband is selfish and though she has gone out of her way to serve him without his asking her to be a slave (she even tastes his cherries before he does to make sure they're not too tart!) feels put upon, feels that he has nervous fancies and is "not cruel, but merely conjectured my service to him was a pleasure." Then she gets ticked off if he takes any time away from her. Sheesh.Finally after treating the poor man to a series of mood swings and pettiness (she's even upset that marriage doesn't improve England's climate for her) that cause him to withdraw she says: "What his struggle was that took his attention from me I could not ascertain by a survey of his pagan mien."!!!That's it. 12% into the book and I couldn't take this crap anymore. Because the rest is surely as bad or worse.  I wasted 30 minutes of my life that I will never get back.