This was amazing and changed the way I will think about Jane Eyre forever. Rhys's style is lyrical, the historical era she evokes so fraught and nuanced, so haunting and heartbreaking (that tension between white guilt and systemic cultures of oppression!) ( )

Excerpt from Linus's Blanket - Rhys is a thought provoking and insightful writer. She puts the truth of people and their situations into her colorful characters and their dialogue, and lets her readers draw their own conclusions. It’s not a happy book, and if you’ve read Jane Eyre you don’t go into it with much hope for Antoinette because you already now the ending, but I enjoyed reading it and the perspective that it provided. It’s also one of those books that will yield more with each reading. Jane Eyre fans and those looking to read plantation era Caribbean fiction should definitely check this one out. ( )

Very pre-feminist in its look at the mad woman in the attic. Nice and short too. Have i said I like short? ( )

Wide Sargasso Sea
By Jean Rhys

Several times I’ve come close to reading this short novel – and several times my courage left me. I love Jane Eyre – adore the novel and must say here – Jane Eyre is my favorite novel.
But I suppose Wide Sargasso Sea had to be written. That is what we do – especially women, we turn over the stone to see what truth crawls beneath, lance open the sore, press where it hurts.
But here I must say I was disappointed – in my fears.
I had nothing to fear because I soon realized I had no intention of defending Edward Fairfax Rochester. The man was drifting, filthy rich, lost soul, in Jane Eyre and in Wide Sargasso Sea that’s what he was as well.
And yes, larger books can be written about the differences between Jane, so Christian and Bertha, (Antoinette) so cynical but I won’t. Suffice it to say that one book was written in the 19th century with ideas and themes to the world – the other was written in the 20th century with ideas and themes to the world.
What both works share is a definite sort of axe to grind.
Prejudice – both Jane and Bertha suffered due to the “upper class,” disdain toward them – and the oddity that these “adults,” were picking on children – oddity I suppose is putting it too mildly – these were young girls and both authors made sure that we should blush on behalf of being adult.
The hate toward both young girls is staggering. The difference is that Jane was set, determined, understood she was plain, understood she had to find a way in the world. Bertha was hindered by her physical beauty – she was easily cast off because of her beauty - for who knows how quickly that would fall to ruin.
In the end – as Rochester defines his own suffering – the maiming of his arm, the loss of his hand and the even more terrible admonition “I’d give my sight,” Rochester stays the same. Vain. Self-seeking. Pandering – yes pandering of himself – his physical love - and not learning there is no satisfaction in it without love.
In keeping true to Rochester, Ms Rhys does make a viable and yes honest rendition of “The other Mrs. Rochester. “
I’m glad my courage did not fail me in the end. ( )

This short story was fabulous. But the background of it is even more fascinating. Jean Rhys grew up as a white woman in the Caribbean and went to study in England when she was 17. Even though she never returned for more than a few weeks, she always considered herself to be a white Creole and resented the English. She read Jane Eyre and felt that she related less to Jane and more to the minor character of Bertha. (I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't read Jane Eyre.) So she wrote a beautiful story with Bertha as the main character. It's meaningful and interesting, and talks about zombies! (Although the voudou kind, not the contagious rage-filled monkeys kind) ( )