The original novel was written in 1847 and was first published as Jane
Eyre: An Autobiography under the pseudonym Currer Bell. The story was
an instant success and in 1848 Charlotte Brontë revealed herself as the
author.
Jane Eyre is a plain, determined and intelligent child. Orphaned and
poor, she is adopted by her Aunt and Uncle Reed. The death of Uncle Reed
allows her unpleasant aunt and cousins to treat Jane cruelly. They send
her away to a charity school, which grim place continues her harsh
upbringing, but gives her the education that finally frees her. Once old
enough, she becomes a teacher and takes the role of governess in a large
manor house, Thornfield. It's there that she meets and falls in love
with Rochester, her employer - but Rochester is hiding a secret, which
when revealed means that Jane has to choose between following her head
or her heart.
The original novel was both critically acclaimed, and immensely popular,
dealing as it does with concepts of class discrimination, morality,
equality for women (unheard of in Victorian Britain) and freedom of
choice.
Designed to encourage readers to enjoy classical literature, titles in
the Classical Comics range stay true to the original vision of the
authors. They also offer alternative text versions to cater for
different readership levels. This title has been moderately and
sympathetically abridged from the original text to fit within the
graphic novel format. Despite that, all of the events of the book are
represented in every version - it's only the speech that changes!
The book includes an illustrated Character List (like a Dramatis
Personae), 125 pages of story artwork (by the legendary UK comic book
artist, John M. Burns), and fascinating support material detailing the
life of Charlotte Brontë - all beautifully presented in color.
To support the use of this title in the classroom, photocopiable
teachers resources are available that offer lesson plans and activities
from 6th grade and up: ISBN 978-1-906332-55-6
