Thursday, February 17, 2011

Booking through Romance

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What’s the most romantic book you’ve ever read?

And, secondly, did you like it? Is it your usual kind of reading, or did it take you by surprise?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë wins hands down for me. I read it while I was in school. It enthralled me then, it still enthralls me now. Jane was one very strong character. She knew her mind and was a very independent female. Her integrity is always left intact, and Rochester too does not believe in the classes. An amazing novel which is quite modern, considering those times.

These are a few of my favourite quotes from the novel:

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags" (Chapter 12). 

"The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint; the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him" (Chapter 15). 

"And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associates, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire"(Chapter 15).

"I knew," he continued, "you would do me good in some way, at some time: I saw it in your eyes when I first beheld you; their expression and smile did not.strike delight to my inmost heart so for nothing" (Chapter 15) 

"I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me" (Chapter 17).  

 "In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards.  What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight tell: it groveled, seemingly on all fours: it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair wild as a mane, hid its head and face" (Chapter 26). 

 "Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine.  May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love" (Chapter 27). 

 "Reader, I married him." 

16 comments:

DawnTreader said...

I agree, it's definitely one of the best in its genre.
http://dawntreader-island2.blogspot.com/2011/02/btt-romance.html

Cat SaDiablo said...

As a romance junky I have to read more classics!

Paula said...

I have this book you mention. I have to read! :D

Sally said...

I've started Jayne Eyre so many times but never made it all the way through. I am going to have to try again.
Sally.
Here's my answer:
http://theelifylop.blogspot.com/2011/02/booking-through-thursday-6.html

CMash said...

I probably had to read Jayne Eyre in school, but it wasn't by choice.

Cat SaDiablo said...

CMash, sometimes that obligation to read it at school just spoils a great book for you.

Lori said...

This was actually a difficult question for me. I just couldn't choose one. Check out my answer for this week's Booking Through Thursday.

Anonymous said...

here's mine http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/02/booking-through-thursday_17.html

Lesley said...

Quite a few people have mentioned Jane Eyre as their most romantic book and I will have to put it on my to read list! I chose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for mine.

zetor said...

I have posted about the exactly same book, Jane and Mr Rochester ---- wonderful!

Leigh Russell said...

Some books are to be read once, some bear rereading, and there are some that improve every time you read them. For me Jame Eyre is definitely in the third category. Great post.

The Social Frog said...

I've never read this one.

Jo K said...

Absolutely, Jane Eyre is one of the most romantic books ever. I like it, too.

Pam (@iwriteinbooks) said...

SOOOO many classics are being listed, this Thursday! Mine's not a classic (it was published recently) but it takes place in black and white so it has that timeless, vintage feel to it. ;O)

Nise' said...

Great choice.

stacybuckeye said...

This is defineitely in my top 5 books of all time.