Charlotte Bronte's - Jane Eyre in pictures

Charlotte Bronte's
Jane Eyre in pictures

 Sometimes I like to dwell in the puissant language and stories of the female authors of the 18th and 19th century. Being very interested in English history in particular, I then find myself lost in the books of Jane Austen or the Brontes, or I am sitting in front of the TV and enjoy the tearfull stories.

When I first discovered that a publisher printed one of my very favourite heartbreakerstories in graphic, I swallowed and wondered how this might work.

Jane Eyre is one of the classical novels that dramatically show what it meant to be female in the 1800's English society - unprotected by high birth, family and money. Even though - of course - everything turns out to come to a happy ending, the fate of the young woman captures me over and over again.

So, how on earth could this word in a graphic novel work? Well, it did!

Meeting Classical Comics during the International Bookfair in 2008, I was trying to find out if a graphic novel might be able to drag me into the story the way the books and movies/series do.

After a short while I indeed found myself dragged into the story. Perhaps it's necessary to be a lover of such stories to fully appreciate the way Classical Comics managed to express the particular beauty of this (sometimes cheesy) mix. Containing some social criticism (even though a lot less expressive than Jane Austen did), it simply told a story of its time. The fate of Jane Eyre was nothing really special in its time, and the fact that we read it today with a mixture of shaking ones head, wondering why women accepted this treatment and of being thankful of not being in this position, is a mere change of times.

Jane Eyre, the classical story of a reverend's daughter, that is confronted with the few perspectives of a poor relative after her parents death, is of course well known to English readers, less common to our German guests. So let me just take the chance to write a summary:

After the sudden death of both parents, baby Jane Eyre is brought up in the family of her mother's brother. There she experiences what it means to be a poor relative, merely tolerated by this family, a constant butt for practical jokes of the families' children, mockery of the lady and the servants.

Being of a stubborn and independent mind, she is being sent to an "institution" for unwanted girls of richer families. There Jane becomes friend with Helen, another pupil in this home. For Helen, who is very religious, life is a place full of burdens who are overcome only by "looking to the end". She represents the strong faith of being focused on eternal life and reward after a faithfull and accepting life. One of the strongest moments to me is the moment when Helen dies in the orphan asylum in her sleep after severe sickness - in the arms of Jane, who fell asleep as well during the night and woke up besides the cold body of her friend.

During this night, before sleeping, Helen tells Jane not to be sad when she dies:

I am very happy, Jane, and when you hear that I am dead, you mus be sure and not grieve. There is nothing to grieve about. By dying young, I shall escape great suffering. I had not qualities nor talents to make my way very well in this world. (Classical Comics, Original Text, P. 36)

 

After her time as a pupil in the orphanage, she needs to take a position that supports her, and she ends up in the house of Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester and Adèle Varens, a young girl living in Rochester's house at Thornfield Hall. 

There she falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and - happy enough - he loves her as well. Everything seems to be just fine, when Rochester's dark secret is revealed: He is already married, to a mentally disturbed woman who lives at Thornfield Hall, hidden by her husband. 

Once again Jane Eyre looses everything. During the night she runs away and ends up on the doorstep of a vikary. There she finds some rest of mind. The family there offers shelter and then an option turns up that would end the whole story: The head of house, St. John Rivers, a decided missionary and in search for a wife, offers marriage to Jane. For most women this would have been the ultimate chance. Again Jane shows her independence. She refuses.

Finally Jane decides to bring an end to the unfinished chapter in her life: She has to return for Thornfield Hall to find out what happened to Mr. Rochester, only to find the house burnt down, the man of her heart disabled. 

Having the choice between the "Original Text" and the "Quick Text" of the Graphic Novel, I decided to choose the original version to get as close to the original as possible. 

Amy Corzine who did the adaption of the novel for the script, and John Burns who did the artwork, did a wonderful job. One captures the whole story, and the outtakes, even though pretty large (necessarily), do not ruin the effect the novel has. What I found most appealing was the fact that the artwork presents pictures that appear to me almost handcolored. All experts in this may forgive me for not being more precise. I am very disturbed when I read comics and/or graphic novels where the faces appear mask-like. To my great joy this didn't happen here. Thanks for that in particular :-).

Again Classical Comics decided to also offer a Quick Text with modern language. Like in "A Christmas Carol" (Review in German) or "Frankenstein " (Review in German) this offers the opportunity to first enter with the modern text and get an insight on the story, get the plot and then move on to the original text with the full beauty and richness of the "old" language.

This is something that graps me every time I get hold of the books. Compared to what they offer, the price is more than adequat, and I can only recommend them to any teacher or parent who wants to bring their kids and/or pupils to classical reading. 

As an example here (left) the original version, then (right) the quick text.

And for all others it's an eye-and-mind-candy (I know this word doesn't exist :-).

 

Facts on the books:

Jane Eyre: Original Text: The Graphic Novel: Original Text (Classical Comics)
Charlotte Bronte (author), Amy Corzine (editor), John M. Burns (illustrator)
Paperback, 144 Pages, £9.99 / EUR 13,99
ISBN-13: 978-1906332068

Jane Eyre: Quick Text: The Graphic Novel: Quick Text (Classical Comics) (Taschenbuch)
Charlotte Bronte (author), Amy Corzine (editor), John M. Burns (illustrator)
Paperback, 144 Pages, £9.99 / EUR 13,99
ISBN-13: 978-1906332082

Classical Comics Ltd
published September 2008