Recommendation: It’s a classic, just don’t take it as romantic advice
Where to read: On a winter break
Read with: Chocolate and a good red
In brief: Let’s be honest here, Mr Rochester is the original fuckboy.
Jane Eyre is a weird read from a modern perspective – on one view it’s a fairly radical assertion of women’s rights and autonomy and on another it’s a textbook case of really fucking settling.
If you want romance, read Austen. If you want wit, Austen again. If you want an account of life as a single woman, Jane Eyre is not a bad bet. It’s overlooked but the bulk of the story is about Jane, not about her suitor. It’s the kind of novelistic style we’d take for granted today but at the time it was rather shocking.
On the topic of said suitor though, buckle the fuck up –
People, if he tells everyone including you he’s about to marry someone else just to test whether you’re actually into him… nnnoooooooooo
If his first wife is crazy and kept locked in an attic…. again, not ideal.
If he then proposes a bigamous marriage and/or keeping you on the continent as his mistress… so many red flags there I do not have the word count.
If I’ve got to chose a Regency lady-boner, Mr Darcy (also a bit of a douchebag, granted) aaaalllllllll the way.
Bookshelves & Bourbon 