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?
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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!
