12/31/10

January Selection - The Great Gatsby


Get excited! We're going to be reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest work, The Great Gatsby, for January's bookclub book. We decided this would be the best gender neutral pick since we have received some interested from male readers. It's also fairly short, which should give all of you slackers (Erin) time to finish Jane Eyre.

Synopsis
The mysterious Jay Gatsby embodies the American notion that it is possible to redefine oneself and persuade the world to accept that definition. Gatsby's youthful neighbor, Nick Carraway, fascinated with the display of enormous wealth in which Gatsby revels, finds himself swept up in the lavish lifestyle of Long Island society during the Jazz Age. Considered Fitzgerald's best work, The Great Gatsby is a mystical, timeless story of integrity and cruelty, vision and despair.

12/13/10

Chapter 27 - So good.

I'm obsessed with this book. I have never before been so endeared to a character in a novel as I am to Jane. I think she's amazing. It's really inspiring to read about someone who is so true to herself and to her beliefs. Jane is someone who lives with incredible integrity and moral courage. Honestly, I wish I was more like Jane.

I'm in chapter 28 and I seriously love the book more and more every time I read. I didn't expect it to have such a huge impact on me, but it really has. The way Charlotte Bronte writes is pretty brilliant. I love the long passages of dialog between characters, and of course I love her descriptions and language. I really am beginning to understand what sets a classic apart as a classic.

I finally came to the part in the book that is the reason I wanted to read it in the first place. A long time ago in church, a speaker used Jane as an example of someone who lives with moral courage and makes tough decisions because they're the right decisions, not because they are easy or come naturally - pointing out that the right decisions are often the most difficult to make. I knew nothing about Jane's history or situation, but for some reason I have always remembered that reference to Jane Eyre. The speaker read the passage on p. 475 starting with:

"Still indomitable was the reply - "I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad-as I am now. Laws and principles are not for times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?..."

It's such a beautiful paragraph and reveals a lot about Jane's character. All of chapter 27 has some pretty deep insight into faith and doing what God has called and asked us to do and the reasons why. I've experienced all of the feelings that Jane describes when she's forced to make a decision about Mr. Rochester, but the thing is that I usually choose what is easy in the moment or what is in my nature to do, instead of what I know is right. I really love that Jane doesn't give in. If she did, she would be no different than any modern day romance novel that promotes instant gratification and carnal choices that have no supposed consequences.

And for the record...I don't think Mr. Rochester ever deserved Jane. What was that whole thing playing hard to get by pretending to be engaged to someone else? Really Mr. Rochester? How old are you? Just because you needed jealously in your own life to feel deep love, you projected that onto Jane, as if she needed the same thing in her life. You clearly underestimate Jane's maturity level and her deep understanding of her own feelings.

Brittany

12/7/10

Recap

Hello ladies!
I’m really loving Jane Eyre! I’m up to chapter 13 or so now, but I thought for this post that I would just comment on what has been said so far.


Amanda! I’m so excited that you like the book! The last I heard from Erin, she couldn’t get past page three. Anyway, I’m totally with you. My heart breaks for Jane, and her treatment during her childhood. As I read, I think about students I’ve taught or counseled over the years that have been singled out, teased, and abused (at school and at home). I sometimes wished that I could take these students home with me, and give them a chance at a happy childhood that they deserve. Of course, we can’t do that, but sometimes having a casual conversation, or simply saying hi, like you said, shows students that we genuinely care. And that goes a long way! Just think how Jane gravitated toward Miss Temple, and even Bessie, after they showed her kindness.

On a side note, I heard a statistic a while back that a huge percentage of students will go through an entire school day without hearing their name beyond roll call, or even being addressed directly in some way. I don’t remember the percentage (which makes this fact somewhat less interesting) but it has always stayed with me. As a teacher/counselor, I would try to engage students as often as possible, even if I were just saying hi in the hall. And knowing you, I’m sure you do that too!

Hi Nancy! I’m so excited that you joined our little book club! It’s fun being able to keep in touch this way. And I totally agree. Jane is absolutely resilient. One would have to be to overcome such a Cinderella-esque childhood; raised and neglected by a “family” that considers her existence a burden. Once arriving at Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst warns everyone that Jane is an interloper and liar, and advised the students to shun her, and exclude her from activities and conversation. Teachers were advised to “punish her body to save her soul.” (Chapter 7, page 70 in my book) Despite this label, Jane was able to overcome. Not only did she excel in her studies, but she became a teacher! Though Bronte didn’t delve deeply into the years Jane spent as a teacher at Lowood, I imagine she would have been nurturing and compassionate, and emulated the traits of Miss Temple and others who showed her the love which was absent during much of her childhood.

Hi Britt! I was also struck by the fact that Mrs. Reed didn’t have a stronger reaction to what Jane had said. (Chapter 4, page 36 in my book). I don’t think Jane was looking for an all-out brawl, by any means, but any reaction more than what Mrs. Reed had given her would have maybe prevented Jane from feeling remorse for her words. Jane said something along the lines that the feeling of vengeance was like an “aromatic wine, on swallowing, warm and racy.” However the aftertaste of the words said gave her the sensation that she had been poisoned. Jane should not have felt one ounce of regret, because everything said was true, and needed to be said. Frankly, Mrs. Reed deserved a lot more than a long-overdue, verbal beating! (Then again, that could be the Sicilian in me talking.)

Kelli

PS—It’s so fun reading a book, knowing that my amazing friends are reading along with me. I love it!
I would just like to say how much I am throughly enjoying reading this book! I really had my doubts in the begining when I was told this is a classic. I figured it would be really boring and hard to get through. Its totally NOT!!

Ok so I feel really bad for Jane. I cant stand to see (or read about) people (especially children) treated so bad! As a parent, I see my children always trying to "pin" things on eachother. How could her aunt honestly NOT see that? RIDICULOUS! You can feel how it is affecting Jane in her thoughts about herself. Being left lone because she was thought "bad" was almost too much for her! It made me think about when i see students being singled out or hanging out by themselves and how sad it makes me feel. I always try to go over and say hi or something to these ones because you can just see how much they hurt!

As for this school she goes to I really like Miss Temple. She has a really kind heart and is willing to over look and bend the rules to do what she can for the children. Its sad, though, that they had to have that typhus fever hit so badly before peoples eyes were open to what was really going on. However, Jane prevailed as I knew she would! To stay there for 8 years seems pretty amazing to me. She seems to have such an adventurous spirit that needs to get out and explore. We will see how long she stays at this new place (although I am not liking this Mr. whatever his name is at the moment).

12/3/10

Helen vs. Jane

Thank you for the invitation to the book club! I am new to both book clubs and blogging...should be an exciting adventure.

I read Jane Eyre in high school and don't remember enjoying it. Now as an adult I find it a much better read. Jane is so feisty...I love it!

Jane watched her friend Helen suffer a lashing at the hand of Miss Scatcherd. Later that evening she questions Helen about the beating and says that she would not be able to handle such a severe punishment. Helen's response stuck with me:

"Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear." (Chapter 6, page 56 in my book)

To me, Helen accepts this punishment because she believes she is defective and deserves to suffer. On the other hand, Jane questions authority (Mrs. Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, Miss Abbott) when they label her "bad." Jane never internalizes their descriptions of her; she recognizes that the adults are the ones who are flawed. I think that defiance and refusal to accept others negative descriptions make her resilient. I believe this character trait has been (and will continue to be) one of the reasons she survives such awful, harsh treatment. What other qualities do you think Jane possess that make her resilient?

12/2/10

Jane Eyre Chapters 1-4

After a few nights of marathon reading, I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire yesterday. Loved it! Some of you may know that I’m one to read more than one book at a time, in case I’m in the mood for a memoir one night, and a thriller the next. I just have the third book in the Stieg Larsson trilogy to finish, but I’m going to postpone it so I can completely dedicate myself to our first book club selection!

I read the first four chapters of Jane Eyre last night. So far so good! As far as first impressions, I like Jane already, really don’t like John or Mrs. Reed, and am kind of irritated with Bessie for not being a true nurturer or confidant to Jane until her last night in the Gateshead house. I’m a little worried about this school Jane is being sent to, and wish Mr. Brocklehurst didn’t have this preconceived notion that Jane is a bad seed. We shall see...

Early prediction: John Reed is going to grow up to be a serial killer.

PS-I am very pleased with the copy of the book I’m reading. As Britt and I learned on our trip to Borders, there were several copies to choose from. I’m reading my Nana’s copy, that has footnotes on every few pages or so, translating key words and phrases. For instance, did you all know that “fagging” means “performing wearying labor.” I did!