Thornfield Hall: Jane Eyre's Hidden Story
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Kirkus
'Tennant's story works perfectly, creating a genuine modern sequel to Bronte's tale that's neither a parody nor a cheap imitation.'
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"Tennant's story works perfectly, creating a genuine modern sequel to Bronte's tale."--Kirkus Reviews
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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First Sentence
We lived in Paris, in a house on a long, gloomy street, the rue Vaugirard in Montparnasse, but our house was far from being somber or sad. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
We lived in Paris, in a house on a long, gloomy street, the rue Vaugirard in Montparnasse, but our house was far from being somber or sad. Read the first page
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25 reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
don't bother with this hack job
23 Jan 2007
Format:Hardcover
Ugh, I gave this "book" one star because you can't give no stars, but that does not for one minute mean I think this piece of schlock excuse for a book has any merit whatsoever. Why do people write companion novels to great classics if they are going to change the author's original premise? Or in this case, crap all over it.
Many people compare this novel to "Wide Sargasso Sea" and while I have never liked that either, because I feel that Jean Rhys also misrepresented Charlotte Bronte's original intention, at least that book has the distinction of good writing. This one isn't good, in any way. There is simply not enough room to enumerate the faults of this book, but the other reviews have done an admirable job of listing them: Rochester's brutality, the constant insulting of Jane by Adele, the normality of "Antoinette" (it's always rankled me that Rhys called her that, in the original she is Bertha, why pretty her up by calling her her middle name?) The murderous insanity of Mrs. Fairfax, as kind and benign a creature as was ever invented in fiction, the ludicrous murder mystery later in the book when Bertha's body is found in a shallow grave. And the last hilariously awful plot twist about Celine being pregnant by both the Viscount and Rochester. I mean, maybe, just maybe, a pregnancy by two men is possible if you happen to release two eggs and have sex with two men all at the same time, but really, would you be able to spot the differences in the fraternal twins so exactly as to know who to hit up for child support?????
The whole book is so ridiculous, I can't even believe someone published it. Avoid it, taking a nap would be more productive than reading this.
Many people compare this novel to "Wide Sargasso Sea" and while I have never liked that either, because I feel that Jean Rhys also misrepresented Charlotte Bronte's original intention, at least that book has the distinction of good writing. This one isn't good, in any way. There is simply not enough room to enumerate the faults of this book, but the other reviews have done an admirable job of listing them: Rochester's brutality, the constant insulting of Jane by Adele, the normality of "Antoinette" (it's always rankled me that Rhys called her that, in the original she is Bertha, why pretty her up by calling her her middle name?) The murderous insanity of Mrs. Fairfax, as kind and benign a creature as was ever invented in fiction, the ludicrous murder mystery later in the book when Bertha's body is found in a shallow grave. And the last hilariously awful plot twist about Celine being pregnant by both the Viscount and Rochester. I mean, maybe, just maybe, a pregnancy by two men is possible if you happen to release two eggs and have sex with two men all at the same time, but really, would you be able to spot the differences in the fraternal twins so exactly as to know who to hit up for child support?????
The whole book is so ridiculous, I can't even believe someone published it. Avoid it, taking a nap would be more productive than reading this.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Please Read All Reviews....
6 July 2005
Format:Paperback
Before buying this book. I wish I had. I was disappointed in this book. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, I also loved Wide Sargasso Sea, but this book is nowhere close to being as good. The reason this book failed is that the author tried to write a book that was an extention of Jane Eyre but could also stand alone. The problem with this is that the person most likely to read this book, fans of Jane Eyre, want to read about familiar characters and make connections to the original story, which this book fails to provide. Since this story is written by a different person and at a different time, it is understandable that the feel of the book is different, and I did not expect a book that was exactly like Jane Eyre. However, this book is billed as a companion to Jane Eyre so the author owes it to her readers to make a connection to the original story. Instead the author fails dismally in her attempt to reproduce the original characters. Every character was wrong and did not resemble the originals. The author portrayed Adele as a rebelious, scheming, unhappy girl, whereas in Jane Eyre Adele was happy if not resigned to her lot in life. Even the character of Jane Eyre is not portrayed accurately in this book. Speaking of accuracy, there are a lot of inaccuracies in this book. Like others have mentioned, it's almost as if the writer had never read Jane Eyre. I think the writer chose to ignore certain facts in order to make the original story fit her own. This is a mistake as anyone who has read Jane Eyre will be annoyed by the inconsistencies. The grossest inconsistency being (in my mind) was the supposed murder of Bertha before she fell off the roof. It was made clear in Jane Eyre and earlier in this book that Bertha was seen and heard screaming before she jumped. Finally, I was most disappointed in the cheesy overwrought soap opera ending. Mrs. F as a murdering maniac who is so intent an Ingram/Rochester marriage that she kills the first wife and dangles the current wife over a ledge? Unbelieveable. Even if I had never read Jane Eyre I still could have not enjoyed this book. The dark, garbled plot and all the twists and turns make this a difficult read.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Too, too much melodrama
19 Aug 2003
Format:Hardcover
Alas, I cannot say anything other regarding this 'hidden' companion to Jane Eyre, than that it is dreadful. Having read several others of Tennant's continuations, I ought to have known better. For once again the author has decided to refocus a well-known book to make it read as she thinks it ought to be seen.
The book is mainly told from Adele's point of view, changing as she ages in tone to reflect her new, less childish perspectives. Then there are also several changes to the narrative of other characters: Rochester, Mrs. Fairfax and Grace Poole (of all people!). These made an already wobbly narrative thread, a jolting one. It was Wuthering Heights and not Jane Eyre that was written in this fashion.
I also could not help but be confused by several background references made in the text to such things as railway fortunes, Parisian boulevardes and Puccini operas. Were these meant to show the narrative was actually coming from the distance of many years? For none of these things were appropriate to the period setting. Odd and irritating.
Then the storyline itself seemed to be trying to out trump Bronte in the melodrama stakes. The whole of the drawn out conclusion with Adele's flight to Paris was too much. Tennant truly did evoke some beautiful, almost lyrical images - but it ill fitted the overall tone of dark melodrama. The whole mystery of Adele's birth being given an extra notch of dark deeds, was far too unbelievable.
I felt slightly insulted and definitely thankful that I had read it courtesy of my local library.
The book is mainly told from Adele's point of view, changing as she ages in tone to reflect her new, less childish perspectives. Then there are also several changes to the narrative of other characters: Rochester, Mrs. Fairfax and Grace Poole (of all people!). These made an already wobbly narrative thread, a jolting one. It was Wuthering Heights and not Jane Eyre that was written in this fashion.
I also could not help but be confused by several background references made in the text to such things as railway fortunes, Parisian boulevardes and Puccini operas. Were these meant to show the narrative was actually coming from the distance of many years? For none of these things were appropriate to the period setting. Odd and irritating.
Then the storyline itself seemed to be trying to out trump Bronte in the melodrama stakes. The whole of the drawn out conclusion with Adele's flight to Paris was too much. Tennant truly did evoke some beautiful, almost lyrical images - but it ill fitted the overall tone of dark melodrama. The whole mystery of Adele's birth being given an extra notch of dark deeds, was far too unbelievable.
I felt slightly insulted and definitely thankful that I had read it courtesy of my local library.
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