REVIEW: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.
A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate's true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household's strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him - body, soul and secrets - and what if he discovers her murderous past? (Via Goodreads)
Review
As a life-long Jane Eyre fan the idea of this book intrigued me. I imagined that it would be a reimagining along the lines of Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, although hopefully less odious. Jane Steele is indeed less odious but also less interesting. I wanted to get in the book but something about it just never clicked enough to hold my interest.
If I were to pick the main issue it is the character Jane Steele's fixation on the character of Jane Eyre. The book not only allows the two to exist in the same universe, but it also makes a comparison of the two one of the largest plot points. This was incredibly distracting for me not least because every time Jane Steele mentioned Jane Eyre I wished I was reading that book instead. This constant comparison by both the reader and object made it just impossible for me to focus on the plot at hand.
In all honesty, I don’t really remember much of anything about this book. It has now been over a year since I listened to this book and as I returned it shortly thereafter I was unable to refresh my memory for this review. There are many books in my library that I don’t have the clearest memories of, being a fan of modern psychological thrillers/mysteries the numerous vague and repeating titles have proven to be an issue in the memory department. Jane Steele does not suffer the plight of a vague title it is just not very memorable. It did not hold my attention while listening and does not hold it now.
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