Yes totally agree! I read it fully hoping and expecting to be immersed in Bertha's emotional world and to see Mr Rochester from a different angle, but just didn't feel like I got to know either of them. I also felt like I was missing something most of the time.. The descriptions of the landscape were super lush and evocative, but without the emotional depth it left me totally cold! It was almost universally disliked by my book club as well, reassuringly :).
It's so comforting to know that others feel the same way! Neha and I actually had a lot to discuss on our episode, and I respect the text for its richness - but like you said, something emotionally didn't land for me. - Shruti
I’ve never read it and my daughter who did Wide Sargasso Sea last year at school as part of their work round Jane Eyre thought it was painful. But Jean Rhys’s 1934 book Voyage in the Dark, while a little harrowing, is proper dazzling literature imho. I’m intrigued to have a look at WSS now you’ve said all this - and she did produce it much later, which underlines your point re overworking it.
On your last point, it would be neat if she did release her drafts for comparison. This reminded me of Whitman's many editions of Leaves of Grass over his life. One thing I love is that you can read through the different editions over the years, and while I do have a favorite, it's also interesting (and enjoyable) to see the evolution of the work over his lifetime.
Yes totally agree! I read it fully hoping and expecting to be immersed in Bertha's emotional world and to see Mr Rochester from a different angle, but just didn't feel like I got to know either of them. I also felt like I was missing something most of the time.. The descriptions of the landscape were super lush and evocative, but without the emotional depth it left me totally cold! It was almost universally disliked by my book club as well, reassuringly :).
It's so comforting to know that others feel the same way! Neha and I actually had a lot to discuss on our episode, and I respect the text for its richness - but like you said, something emotionally didn't land for me. - Shruti
I’ve never read it and my daughter who did Wide Sargasso Sea last year at school as part of their work round Jane Eyre thought it was painful. But Jean Rhys’s 1934 book Voyage in the Dark, while a little harrowing, is proper dazzling literature imho. I’m intrigued to have a look at WSS now you’ve said all this - and she did produce it much later, which underlines your point re overworking it.
I've heard about Voyage in the Dark before - thanks for the nudge, I'll have to check it out soon! She is definitely a great writer
On your last point, it would be neat if she did release her drafts for comparison. This reminded me of Whitman's many editions of Leaves of Grass over his life. One thing I love is that you can read through the different editions over the years, and while I do have a favorite, it's also interesting (and enjoyable) to see the evolution of the work over his lifetime.
That would be so cool to see! I would love to see early versions, or companion works (like the poem she wrote)