I’m reading “Jane Eyre” at the moment and it’s annoying me a little. I read it at a very young age, but that was one of those ludicrously abridged Illustrated Classics, reading it for an English Lit class is way more taxing – that book is long. I’m not a huge fan of the Bronte’s – save for “Wuthering Heights” which I sort of worship, sort of. We just wrapped up “Pride & Prejudice” and the parallels between Austen’s narrative and Charlotte are a bit striking if you look at it in the right perspective, and then I came across this article which amused me. It seems many are not fond of Austen, Bronte included. I’m a Jane Austen apologist, but in her defence – no one can take such simple plots and turn them into brilliant ruminations like she. “Jane Eyre”? Not so much. After the atrocity of “Robinson Crusoe” – I refuse to retract that statement, I loathed the book - Henry Fielding and Jane Austen were welcome distractions, but now we're on to Bronte and Charlotte and her fancifulness aren’t making me very pleased. Ah, school is bland – and then we’re doing “Paradise Lost” for Poetry – ugh, not a fan of Milton....
Speaking of aged 18th century lit, though, I had the weirdest experience last week. I went into a library, told the Librarian that I was looking for Caribbean plays. She’s there looking and turns to me, “Oliver Twist isn’t Caribbean, is it?” W! T! F!??????????????? It’s not Caribbean, it’s not even a freakin’ play! And from a librarian? And people wonder why I have no faith in humanity. Sigh.
What have you been reading lately? I hope it’s for pleasure, and not for school. Scholastic reading always ends up becoming tedious...
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