'Jane Steele' by Lyndsay Faye uses 'Jane Eyre' as muse for a darker tale

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On March 22, Putnam Books released Lyndsay Faye’s novel, Jane Steele. It’s a story inspired by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and is a satirical romance that dives deep into whether a person can truly be good or evil. The book weaves its way through identity crises, guilt, murder and lies, but we’re always sympathetic to the heroine.

Jane Steele grows up much like Jane Eyre. She’s hated by her aunt who sends her away to boarding school. However, our Jane’s past is darker. She’s attacked by her cousin, has her life threatened by her headmaster and leaves a string of dead bodies behind her. The first is an accident, but after that, Jane kills by her moral compass.

When Jane sees in an advertisement that her aunt has passed away, she poses as a governess to the new owner’s ward. She becomes involved with Mr. Thornfield’s family drama and falls in love with him. How can she truly give herself to him while hiding such terrible secrets? Could he ever forgive such a past?

In the book, Jane Steele finds herself obsessed with the novel Jane Eyre and judges her own life by it. The parallels between the stories are interesting, but this book is different enough to stand out. Like Jane Eyre, Jane Steele is a dark romance, but our heroine’s guilt and lies are heightened due to the nature of her crimes. Her life is harder yet than Eyre’s, but we love her all the more for it.

This story really captures the imagination. Being a huge fan of Charlotte Bronte, I was wary that the new tale might destroy the old, but it truly just used Bronte as a muse. The storyline is equally intriguing, yet exotic and dangerous in a way that Jane Eyre never was.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of the original Jane and those who like their mysteries or romances with a little darkness.

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