Mr. Rochester Published by Grand Central Publishing on May 2017
Genres: Adult Fiction
Pages: 453
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
"Reader, she married me."
For one hundred seventy years, Edward Fairfax Rochester has stood as one of literature's most romantic, most complex, and most mysterious heroes. Sometimes haughty, sometimes tender-professing his love for Jane Eyre in one breath and denying it in the next-Mr. Rochester has for generations mesmerized, beguiled, and, yes, baffled fans of Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece. But his own story has never been told.
Now, out of Sarah Shoemaker's rich and vibrant imagination, springs Edward: a vulnerable, brilliant, complicated man whom we first meet as a motherless, lonely little boy roaming the corridors and stable yards of Thornfield Hall. On the morning of Edward's eighth birthday, his father issues a decree: He is to be sent away to get an education, exiled from Thornfield and all he ever loved. As the determined young Edward begins his journey across England, making friends and enemies along the way, a series of eccentric mentors teach him more than he might have wished about the ways of the men-and women-who will someday be his peers.
But much as he longs to be accepted-and to return to the home where he was born-his father has made clear that Thornfield is reserved for his older brother, Rowland, and that Edward's inheritance lies instead on the warm, languid shores of faraway Jamaica. That island, however, holds secrets of its own, and not long after his arrival, Edward finds himself entangled in morally dubious business dealings and a passionate, whirlwind love affair with the town's ravishing heiress, Antoinetta Bertha Mason.
Eventually, after a devastating betrayal, Edward must return to England with his increasingly unstable wife to take over as master of Thornfield. And it is there, on a twilight ride, that he meets the stubborn, plain, young governess who will teach him how to love again.
It is impossible not to watch enthralled as this tender-hearted child grows into the tormented hero Brontë immortalized-and as Jane surprises them both by stealing his heart. Mr. Rochester is a great, sweeping, classic coming-of-age story, and a stirring tale of adventure, romance, and deceit. Faithful in every particular to Brontë's original yet full of unexpected twists and riveting behind-the-scenes drama, this novel will completely, deliciously, and forever change how we read and remember Jane Eyre
"Reader, she married me."
For one hundred seventy years, Edward Fairfax Rochester has stood as one of literature's most romantic, most complex, and most mysterious heroes. Sometimes haughty, sometimes tender-professing his love for Jane Eyre in one breath and denying it in the next-Mr. Rochester has for generations mesmerized, beguiled, and, yes, baffled fans of Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece. But his own story has never been told.
Now, out of Sarah Shoemaker's rich and vibrant imagination, springs Edward: a vulnerable, brilliant, complicated man whom we first meet as a motherless, lonely little boy roaming the corridors and stable yards of Thornfield Hall. On the morning of Edward's eighth birthday, his father issues a decree: He is to be sent away to get an education, exiled from Thornfield and all he ever loved. As the determined young Edward begins his journey across England, making friends and enemies along the way, a series of eccentric mentors teach him more than he might have wished about the ways of the men-and women-who will someday be his peers.
But much as he longs to be accepted-and to return to the home where he was born-his father has made clear that Thornfield is reserved for his older brother, Rowland, and that Edward's inheritance lies instead on the warm, languid shores of faraway Jamaica. That island, however, holds secrets of its own, and not long after his arrival, Edward finds himself entangled in morally dubious business dealings and a passionate, whirlwind love affair with the town's ravishing heiress, Antoinetta Bertha Mason.
Eventually, after a devastating betrayal, Edward must return to England with his increasingly unstable wife to take over as master of Thornfield. And it is there, on a twilight ride, that he meets the stubborn, plain, young governess who will teach him how to love again.
It is impossible not to watch enthralled as this tender-hearted child grows into the tormented hero Brontë immortalized-and as Jane surprises them both by stealing his heart. Mr. Rochester is a great, sweeping, classic coming-of-age story, and a stirring tale of adventure, romance, and deceit. Faithful in every particular to Brontë's original yet full of unexpected twists and riveting behind-the-scenes drama, this novel will completely, deliciously, and forever change how we read and remember Jane Eyre
Review: Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker
Review:
Mr. Rochester is the story of yes, that Mr. Rochester. Our gothic love interest that dear Jane Eyre so faithfully fell in love with. Who betrayed her and mislead her. Who eventually was reunited with her.
I am a big fan of Jane Eyre so naturally I jumped at the chance to review a book on this misunderstood hero. What I got was something more than I imagined.
Edward Rochester’s life before Jane takes up much of the book. In fact, Jane doesn’t appear until the last 1/4 of the story, which is both good and bad. If you’re like me, you’re itching to get to the beginning of Jane’s story, when they meet, how they fall in love, etc. But at the same time, Rochester’s story is filled with so much before he even meets Jane, it is really satisfying to see how this man became who he did. And how the mad woman in his attic became his wife.
Truthfully, the story of Rochester’s mad wife is the most interesting thing about the book. (And let’s face it, the most intriguing thing about this man.) Before this, Edward is cast aside, lonely, losing friends and without family love. His story resembles Jane’s closely and I liked reading about his trials and challenges. When he gets to Jamaica, the story really picks up and Rochester is thrown into false friends, a beautiful woman’s orbit and a family web of promises.
The tone of the book perfectly mirrors Jane Eyre. I liked Rochester’s voice, his turmoil and his despair. And the light of hope Jane becomes. He does whine a bit though (as you would I guess if you were suckered into his situation) and he is probably the most emotionally overdramatic character, even in his 30s, behaving like a lovelorn teenager of 14.
Also, the book is a bit long on the front end and because it doesn’t really pick up until Jamaica, I almost set it aside.
Overall, Mr. Rochester is exactly what you would expect. It’s a well written, intriguing and dark tale of one of my favorite gothic heroes. Whether or not you still think he’s a hero, that you’ll have to wait and read.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
