Posts
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)
Or does she?
Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
Review:
After reading several serious fiction books lately, I was please as punch to finally get a hold of the audio book of My Plain Jane, by the Lady Janies (Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton). This was a wonderfully fun parody of British Gothic novels such as Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre.
What I Liked:
Narration:Once again, Fiona Hardingham delivers a stellar performance in this audio book. She flits between plucky Jane, to teenage ghosts, to gruff Mr. Rochester in an instant. I think Ms. Hardingham is one of the best narrators currently working right now!
Book References:
British novels are some of my favorite books, so it was a blast reading all the sly references to many other classic books such as Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and even Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!
Story:
What I love about this book series is that it takes a classic story with a teen heroine, and turns it on it's head! The misogyny present in the original story is clearly trashed with witty asides, and change ups. The authors also feel free to add new elements to the story. In the case of My Plain Jane, ghosts are now added to the Jane Eyre story, creating a kind of Victorian Ghost Busters! They also "fix" some of what is so wrong in the original Jane Eyre. Isn't it really awful that Mr. Rochester tries to commit bigamy in the original book? Well, in this version there is a better explanation for that strange story twist.
Characters:
I love Jane. I love that she is not a pushover as in the original novel. She is kind, and smart, loyal to her friends. Ghosts see her as stunningly beautiful, while living people find her rather plain. I love how this shows her inner beauty.
Charlotte Bronte, the author of the original book, is also a formidable character in this novel. Here she is pushing to be taken seriously as a person, rather than as "just a woman". I also liked her struggle to not be jealous of Jane when good things happen to her. I think in Victorian times, opportunities were so few that it would have been hard to not be envious of the what she was offered.
What I Didn't Like:
via GIPHY
Overall, this was a seriously funny book. If you are looking for some escapist fun, check out My Plain Jane.
Rating:
Release Date: June 26th, 2018
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Harper Collins Audio
Narrator: Fiona Hardingham
Audio Book Length: 10 Hours, 7 Minutes
Page Length: 464 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: A fun, light book that parodies classic British novels. Very enjoyable!
0 comments :
Post a Comment