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Jane Steele Lyndsay Faye Books

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Jane Steele Lyndsay Faye Books

This book has been on my radar for awhile and has gotten quite a bit of buzz on the book review/library scene. I was drawn to it for its' Gothic vibe and the connection to the classic book, Jane Eyre. The reference to the classic was a rather big undertaking and I thought the author would have big shoes to fill if the mere mention of Jane Eyre was used in the same sentence as this book's description. While Jane Steele admits to reading Jane Eyre (I cannot make the same claim) and that it inspired her, this is not a retelling of the original.

This book had two very distinct parts for me. The first third of the book I loved. The writing was unique and very smart, it was funny in parts and Jane, though an admitted murderer, was a character I could get behind. There aren't many multiple murderers that I've found myself rooting for but Jane Steele definitely fit the bill and I was surprised when I found myself justifying her murders. Jane is strong, resilient and has a strong sense of loyalty to those close to her even though she's suffered throughout her life. Her voice was refreshing, candid and quite humorous.

Then Jane becomes a governess for Mr Thornfield's ward and the story takes a rather sharp turn. The momentum pretty much halts as the book focuses less on Jane and more on a mystery surrounding lost items in the Sikh war and her quiet, sedate life as a governess. Even so, there were still certain characters that I quite liked in this part of the book, namely Sardar Singh, young Sahjara (and to a lesser point Mr Thornfield). Unfortunately at this point in the book my interest waned almost to the point of me giving up on it.

But I persevered and finished the book. I can honestly tell you that I didn't enjoy the last two-thirds of the book. The writing itself wasn't as smart, Jane didn't feel like the same person and I didn't care for the mystery which took over that part of the book leaving Jane to the shadows. I'd give the first part of this book a solid 4 stars but the ending I'm giving a generous 2 stars for an overall rating of 3 stars.


Tags : Amazon.com: Jane Steele (9780399169496): Lyndsay Faye: Books,Lyndsay Faye,Jane Steele,G.P. Putnam's Sons,0399169490,Historical,Black humor,Detective and mystery fiction,FICTION Historical.,Interpersonal relations,Interpersonal relations;Fiction.,Man-woman relationships,Thrillers (Fiction),Women serial murderers,Women serial murderers;Fiction.,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,AMERICAN MYSTERY & SUSPENSE FICTION,Crime,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction Crime,Fiction Historical,Fiction Literary,Fiction-Historical,FictionCrime,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,United States

Jane Steele Lyndsay Faye Books Reviews

I purchased this book because of a positive review. In the time between the purchase and the reading of it, I started wondering why. The summary - Jane Eyre as a serial killer - sounded too much like all those zombie books/movies/tv shows. I am so glad I read it any way. It works!

The writing is clear and compelling. The main character, Jane Steele, has read and reread "Jane Eyre" and is aware of some of the parallels in their stories, though Jane S's story is rougher and more realistic, with more violence and sex (though not too much of either). As the story unwinds, the reader's understanding of her character becomes clearer and clearer, and while I wouldn't say the character evolves, her own understanding of herself does.

Take a chance on it - I don't think you'll regret it.
First of all, JANE STEELE is not a rewrite of JANE EYRE. Jane Steele, the character, is not a new version of Bronte's Jane. Faye's Jane does live in Victorian times, is orphaned, is sent to a girls' school with a sadistic headmaster, does become a governess, does meet up with a brooding hero, but that's where the similarities end. Faye's Jane is, however, a big fan of Bronte's book and has her own second-edition copy which she reads and rereads and muses upon and is inspired by to write down her own story, which I as a reader found clever and entertaining.

Another thing this is *not* is a book about a "serial killer". While Jane Steele does commit multiple homicides during her first 24 years of life, she does not, by any stretch of the imagination, fit the serial killer definition of a person who commits multiple murders "usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification." (Wikipedia definition.) Our Jane here is no psychopath. Or if she is, then so am I, because I cheered her on with every murder she committed.

Bronte's Jane is told at every opportunity by various characters of the book that she is "evil". Faye's Jane is not told that. Faye's Jane, however, believes herself to be evil and that is perhaps more devastating to her identity than being accused by others of evilness. But this is not a book to describe. This is a book to read and feel. I loved spending time with this protagonist. Every moment of her life, from a young girl losing her mother, to her time spent at Lowan Bridge School, to her escape from said school to spend years surviving on the "mean streets" of London, to her move to Highgate House (her old home) as governess to the ward of brooding ex-soldier/medical doctor in India Charles Thornfield. At Highgate House she is embroiled in a mystery involving the East India Company and a missing treasure and is surrounded by a household of fascinating Sikh characters who had moved from India along with Thornfield.

This is a very complete and entertaining read. Part psychological study, part romance, part mystery, with excellent, well-developed characters. Some of the secondary and incidental ones are quite unsavory. Some quite exemplary. All add to the richness of the read. I had not expected to like this when I read descriptions of the book such as "Jane Eyre meets Dexter" or "Jane Eyre reimagined as a serial killer" but those descriptions do not reflect the book's content at all, IMO. Well, just read it and decide for yourself.
This book has been on my radar for awhile and has gotten quite a bit of buzz on the book review/library scene. I was drawn to it for its' Gothic vibe and the connection to the classic book, Jane Eyre. The reference to the classic was a rather big undertaking and I thought the author would have big shoes to fill if the mere mention of Jane Eyre was used in the same sentence as this book's description. While Jane Steele admits to reading Jane Eyre (I cannot make the same claim) and that it inspired her, this is not a retelling of the original.

This book had two very distinct parts for me. The first third of the book I loved. The writing was unique and very smart, it was funny in parts and Jane, though an admitted murderer, was a character I could get behind. There aren't many multiple murderers that I've found myself rooting for but Jane Steele definitely fit the bill and I was surprised when I found myself justifying her murders. Jane is strong, resilient and has a strong sense of loyalty to those close to her even though she's suffered throughout her life. Her voice was refreshing, candid and quite humorous.

Then Jane becomes a governess for Mr Thornfield's ward and the story takes a rather sharp turn. The momentum pretty much halts as the book focuses less on Jane and more on a mystery surrounding lost items in the Sikh war and her quiet, sedate life as a governess. Even so, there were still certain characters that I quite liked in this part of the book, namely Sardar Singh, young Sahjara (and to a lesser point Mr Thornfield). Unfortunately at this point in the book my interest waned almost to the point of me giving up on it.

But I persevered and finished the book. I can honestly tell you that I didn't enjoy the last two-thirds of the book. The writing itself wasn't as smart, Jane didn't feel like the same person and I didn't care for the mystery which took over that part of the book leaving Jane to the shadows. I'd give the first part of this book a solid 4 stars but the ending I'm giving a generous 2 stars for an overall rating of 3 stars.