<p>Our August selection is another duet, combining the modern classic Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys with its inspiration, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. </p>
<p>From Amazon:</p>
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Jean Rhys' late, literary masterpiece Wide Sargasso Sea was inspired by Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and is set in the lush, beguiling landscape of Jamaica in the 1830s. Born into an oppressive, colonialist society, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent sensuality and beauty. After their marriage the rumours begin, poisoning her husband against her. Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is driven towards madness.
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<p>The story is a prequel to Jane Eyre, but the styles of the two books are strikingly different. It will be fun to compare and contrast the novels, and to see how the same characters are portrayed at different stages in their lives. Wide Sargasso Sea, with its steamy Jamaica setting, should be perfect reading for the sultry days of summer. And even if you read Jane Eyre long ago please pick it up again and join us! Discussion begins August 1st.</p>
<p>^Ha, that’s funny NJTheatreMOM because I plan to do the opposite.</p>
<p>I was going to recommend reading Jane Eyre first, especially if you don’t know the story, as Wide Sargasso Sea reveals some of the secrets in the plot of Jane Eyre that unfold late in the novel. Also, I think that being exposed to Bronte’s original classic characterizations first will make for a richer reading experience when picking up picking up Wide Sargasso Sea. Obviously, just my opinion! Actually, it could be interesting to find out how each of us perceive certain characters, depending upon the order in which we read the books. I think Jane Eyre is going to slant you one way, and Wide Sargasso Sea another.</p>
<p>FYI, for those unfamiliar with the books, one is not a modern re-telling of the other—they are very different stories. Wide Sargasso Sea takes a minor but pivotal character from Jane Eyre and imagines what her life was like before she graced the pages of Charlotte Bronte’s novel.</p>
<p>I’m thinking I’ll read Wide Sargasso Sea first. I like the idea of starting with the prequel. I’m familiar with Jane Eyre so I’m not worried about secrets revealed that shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>Mary: I’m looking forward to the books and discussion. Thanks for organizing it.</p>
<p>I love the character of Jane—it should be interesting to see how she compares to Antoinette Cosway. Not that we’re tracking, but as it happens, our last four CC books were written by men, so it’s time for two female authors and two female protagonists!</p>
<p>I think using the word “prequel” can be misleading. WSS is Rhys’ imagining of the earlier story, not Bronte’s. So reading WSS first could cement this as the actual backstory, rather than an interesting positing of one.</p>
<p>Have read both, so I think I’ll sit this month out. Good luck. I may drop in and cheer you on.</p>
<p>I think garland’s point is a good one, so I, too, would suggest Jane Eyre first.</p>
<p>You may want a movie night. I saw the new Jane Eyre with Mia Wasikowska and it was very, very good. The first one has Elizabeth Taylor in a heart breaking cameo (she’s actually amazing and about 12 years old) and Orson Welles at his most flamboyant but still handsome best.</p>
<p>One of my kids had to read both as summer reading before AP Lit. Hope the books (at least WSS) are still around here somewhere. Hope that I don’t find WSS in pristine condition with an unbroken spine .</p>
<p>^LOL archiemom, I have a copy of WSS at home, too. The front cover is a very amorous photo from the movie, so it looks like a Fabio romance novel. I may have to carry it around in a brown wrapper. :)</p>
<p>mythmom, please do drop in from time to time! We need your professorial expertise.</p>
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The talented Livesey updates Jane Eyre, changing the setting to Scotland and the Orkneys during the 1950s and ’60s but taking care to home in on the elements of this classic story that so resonate with readers: a resourceful orphan makes her way in an uncaring world and not only endures but also triumphs. Despite readers’ familiarity with the story line, they will be held rapt as Gemma Hardy, orphaned at age 10, is taken in by a loving uncle only to lose him, too. Her aunt so cruelly shuns her in the wake of her uncle’s death that she looks forward to attending boarding school, but her status as a working girl means that she has little time for her schoolwork, often laboring to the point of exhaustion. Still, Gemma’s high intelligence and fierce resolve see her through many difficult experiences until she lands a dream job as an au pair on the isolated yet beautiful Orkney Islands. There she meets the family that will change her life (minus the madwoman in the attic). A sure bet for both book clubs and Bront</p>
<p>If anyone is interested, you can download Jane Eyre free from project gutenburg (gutenberg.org). It can be downloaded to Kindle, Ipad, or other e-readers, or to a pc. Even though I ordered a print copy, because I would like to be able to make notations, I downloaded one as well for convenience when I have the Ipad with me.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, we just had to pick a book whose author died as a result of complications of pregnancy at 38? :(</p>
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