BOOK REVIEW: Wide Sargasso Sea (A Prequel Of Some Sort to Jane Eyre)

In a nutshell:  Welcome to the world of Antoinette Cosway, or better known as "the madwoman in the attic" we read about in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.  Witness her steady & inevitable (?) descent to madness she probably inherited from her mother... Or was she driven out of her mind by the young Mr. Rochester?

Written by:  Jean Rhys
Genre:  Postmodern Novel
# of pages: 190
Country:  U.K.
Year Published:  1966

So why should you read this? If you're like me, you're probably suspicious of any books (pseudo-prequels or sequels) trying to ride on the popularity of classic novels and inevitably disappointing us. That's why I usually steer clear from these kinds of books, unless it's written by the same author. Wide Sargasso Sea delivers more than I expected. It was actually good. Sometimes, I even forget that it was written by a different author, because the characters & their back stories were convincing. Granted that it could be unnecessary to some, but for me, it's good to read something that re-writes a well-loved classic, and boldly may I add. This is not just a prequel. It's something that gives substance to a minor and probably overlooked character in Jane Eyre. And as much as I loved Bronte's novel, wherein the madwoman was written basically as a crazy ass biatch that stands in between Mr. Rochester & plain old Jane, I was pretty much surprised to read a different side - a fleshed out character - of this wild-haired "ghost" of Thornfield Hall, and a young Mr. Rochester who is painted more of an antagonist - infinitely less romantic & altruistic than Bronte's brooding male protagonist. And I enjoyed it. I didn't like the older Mr. Rochester anyway. So while I was reading this book, every once in a while, I was like HAH! Yeah I knew you're a real dick Rochie!


Must you read Bronte's classic first to understand Wide Sargasso Sea? No. There are wonderful references especially in part three, but this is pretty much a stand alone novel.

What I like about this book is its use of multiple voices/POVs because it makes it more convincing to be in the shoes of both main characters. One may argue that Rhys' characters contradict what Bronte has presented to us, but by letting us into the minds of Rochester & Antoinette, despite the weaknessess and bad traits of both, we see what pushes them to do this or that, and eventually what makes them how they are in the future. And most importantly, we get to see that the madwoman in the attic is more than a horrible monster which Rochester has led Jane to believe - she's in fact a human being, who was oppressed psychologically by the people around her, making me see Bronte's novel in a whole new darker light.


My Rating:  4/5 - This may not be a book that the casual reader will appreciate because of the alternating POVs plus the complex themes used & the post-colonial setting. But if you give it a chance, it's one book that's worth your while.



ACCOLADES:

• Winner of the WH Smith Literary Award in 1967, which brought Rhys to public attention after decades of obscurity.
• Named by Time as one of the 100 best English-language novels since 1923.
• Rated #94 on the list of Modern Library's 100 Best Novels

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