Book Two: Jane Eyre

October 16, 1847, Jane Eyre was published by Charlote Brontë for the first time, under the pseudonym 'Currer Bell'.

It may, possibly, be one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.
(And I've read plenty.)

This book was banned because many people believed that one of the main character's was living out of sin with Jane. But, we'll get to that. Also another reason why I think it could have been banned is Jane Eyre is very independent minded person and speaks very freely about her views and beliefs. Scandalous!

The main character, obviously, is a young girl named Jane Eyre. She is very straight-forward in expressing her opinions and beliefs, as I previously mentioned.

The novel starts with a foretelling of Jane Eyre's horrible childhood living with her deceased uncle's family and on to her good but difficult education at Lowood Institute. She lives at Lowood for about a decade and even begins working there as a teacher. Eventually, she leaves to work as a governess for a French girl named Adele. She works in a home that is called Thornfield Hall. The master of the house, Mr. Rochester, is usually absent but arrives a few months after Jane's arrival at Thornfield. Unaware of his identity at the time, she meets him on a walk towards the house where she accidentally spooks his horse and causes him to injure his leg. Later that day, she returns to Thornfield and is notified that the master has returned. She is quite surprised when she learns that it was the injured traveler that she had come across earlier. The months progress and Jane and Rochester grow closer and closer. During the visit of Blanche Ingram (a woman whom everyone thinks that Rochester loves), Jane is notified that her aunt is dying and that she requests her presence. She leaves abruptly, but returns after a few weeks.

Along with these events happening, when Jane moves into Thornfield, strange things begin happening. Such as a mysterious laughs, a fire in Rochester's room, and an attack on a visitor named Mason.

Anyways, so when Jane returns to Thornfield, there is news of an upcoming wedding between Blanche and her master. However, Rochester professes his love for Jane and proposes. She accepts and the wedding is planned. There is much disdain among the house, especially among the servants who think that the age difference between Rochester and Jane is too considerable. They are 20-years apart in age. Jane being 20(ish) at the time and Rochester almost 40. However, during the wedding, Mason (the visitor who got attacked earlier) barges into the chapel and announces that Rochester is already married to his sister, Bertha. Which, is true.

Bertha is the one who has been laughing, set her husband's room on fire, and even attacked her brother. Rochester shows Jane his deranged wife that he has been hiding in the upper tower of the house. Creepy, right?

Anyways, so Rochester have this long conversation about running away and living as brother and sister or whatever but Jane isn't really sold. So, the next day, she runs away from Thornfield and comes into the care of St. John and his sisters, Diana and Mary Rivers. Eventually, they all find out that they are cousins and that Jane has inherited 20,000 pounds (equivalent to 1.3 million dollars today) from her only relative, who recently died. Thinking that Jane would make a good missionary's wife, St.John asks her to marry him, however, she declines and retreats back to Thornfield Hall, which she finds in blackened ruins. She learns that Rochester's wife, Bertha, set the house on fire and jumped to her death. In attempt to save Bertha, Rochester lost use of one of his hands and his eye-sight. However, Jane is still in love with him and they get married.

RATING

(On a scale of 1 to 10, the higher the score, the better.)

Plot:  8

Characters: 7

Author's Writing Style: 9 (Amazing poetic style and very descriptive) 

Overall Experience:  8


This book was exceptional. Truly exceptional. My review doesn't give enough justice to how beautiful it actually is. I'd also recommend watching film adaptions. I watched two. One was a mini-series done in 2006 (starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens) and the second was an actual film done in 2011 (starring Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska. Both were fabulous.

Keep Reading,

Emma Bradford x

Books, Glorious Books!

Before I come up with a bunch of lame excuses as to why I neglected you all, I'll get to the point.

Oh, dear. For a while I had completely forgotten about my engagement to this blog. My summer completely got away from me and the school year has been off to a particularly busy start as well.

The Summer of Banned Books is now what was. Now, by all means, I read lots of banned books. I just didn't necessarily have the time to blog about them. So, I've decided to continuing on blogging, keeping my ever so catchy title, and attempting to sit down and write about what I've just read.

As it so happens, when I was rummaging through the remnants of our unpacked boxes in our storage building, I came across 5 banned books that my mother had been hiding from me! Okay, so she told me she had a lot of banned books out there when I started this whole trek off the reserve, but I just didn't really get that through me head. I found Slaughterhouse-5 (Kurt Vonnegut), Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey), 1984 (George Orwell), and Brave New World (Aldous Huxley). So, in time, I will eventually write about my actual summer literary experiences, but until then, I will read what I have.

At the moment, I'm reading Jane Eyre (again...) by Charlotte Brontë. It's such an amazing book in my opinion. Kinda dreary, yeah, if you're into that kind of thing (Which, I am.) Although, I could see why it could be banned in that time period.

I'm not going to give too much of my review away because I wouldn't really need to blog about it, would I?

So stay tuned, I'm not putting down my (metaphorical) pen forever! 

Now for the excuses, Hmmm, so, I was unable to write because while I was kayaking down Lake Loch Ness, a treacherous lake monster (which I found out is actually a very large kelpie being held there by wizards!) veered it's ugly head and brought me to it's underwater cave in which I have been discovering for the past two-months. That's all I've got, That's all you're going to get. That's the best I could come up with.

Keep Reading, 

Emma Bradford xx

Book One: Summer of my German Soldier

In 1973, Summer of my German Soldier was published for the first time ever. 

It is 230 pages of pure love and hate. 

It's main reasons for being banned were the facts that the ending was terribly sad for it's age group (young adult) and the constant physical and verbal abuse our heroine receives from her Father. Well, and the fact that she's totally in love with this 22-year-old guy and she's barely a teenager. 

The book is utterly fantastic and beautiful until Chapter 14. The book takes a sharp turn from the road of happiness and down the path of utter chaos. 

The main character is a 12-year-old girl named Patty. In my opinion, she is very mature for her age. She doesn't put off a whiny, needy, or desperate persona at all. It doesn't feel like she's a young girl who is desperately in love with a man twice her age. 

The basic story line is a young Jewish girl living in Arkansas. It is just before the end of World War 2. There is prison in this part of Arkansas and Nazi prisoners are taken there as captives. She meets one of the prisoners, whose name is Anton. He is polite and speaks English very well. After escaping from the prison, Patty helps him by hiding him in her father's garage and providing food and clothing. After her friend (and family cook), Ruth, finds out about Anton and helps cook for him, they plan to help Anton leave the state. Soon before his departure, Patty tells Anton that he cannot leave without her because she loves him, and the feelings are returned. He gives her his gold ring (is most prized possession), kisses her, and flees. Eventually the authorities find out that Ruth and Patty assisted his escape. The FBI shows Patty a report of Anton's death and she eventually admits to helping him. The cook is fired and Patty sent to a Reformatory for Girls.


RATING

(On a scale of 1 to 10, the higher the score, the better.)

Plot:  8

Characters: 6 (I didn't like her parents.)

Author's Writing Style: 5.5

Overall Experience:  6


All in all this was an exceptional book. I might read it again, but the ending is just too sad. I honestly cried.

Keep Reading,

Emma Bradford

Reasons for Starting This Blog

This year, I have recently been curious about banned books. A couple of questions immediately come to mind. 

1. Why have these books been banned? 

2. Are they banned because the government/school system/etc. doesn't agree with the subjects presented in this book, or do they not understand them? 

My curiosity for such literary works have since increased since reading books like Beautiful Creatures and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

I'm sure it is pretty normal for such desires, questions, or curiosities to arise in your adolescence (or life span, actually) and then push you read the books for yourselves. 

So here I go.

I am on a journey to discover why such books have been banned. 

Or maybe just curious about them, I suppose. 

Either way, this will be an interesting summer. But it may last longer than a Summer. Who knows? As long as I continue to read controversial novels, the more I'll have to post. 

Enjoy the ride. 

Keep Reading,

Emma Bradford