This is a modern version of Jane Eyre, in which the role of the brooding Mr. Rochester is played by Nico Rathburn, brooding rock star. Jane is still a young woman who is the nanny for Mr. R, and she is on her own. I really didn’t remember very much of Jane Eyre, so I truly wasn’t sure what to expect of the ending. Would it be tragic or not? All I remembered was the wife in the attic and a fire. The book has an afterward which is really interesting and all about how she conceived of making Jane Eyre possibly believable in the modern age.
The narration of the story was kind of strange and stilted, and also told from, apparently, the far off future (and with a somewhat detached voice.) I don’t remember Jane’s voice in the original, so it may have been mirroring it. Or, it may have been to add to the fact that Jane is kind of a weird character herself-very out of touch with popular culture and the world. Which is actually how she gets placed with such a famous musician as his daughter’s nanny.
One thing I found a bit unbelievable was that Jane actually loved Nico and that he loved her. And because I didn’t remember the original I found it unsettling to not know whether or not to believe that he actually had feelings for her. Their love did not in any way seem believable.
I liked this quite a bit and think I may need to reread Jane Eyre now! (honestly, The Eyre Affair may be more a part of my literary memory these past several years, than the actual Jane Eyre.)
