Charlotte Brontë's most famous novel, Jane Eyre, reveals a lot about its author: it builds up the bitter years of Jane's childhood from biographical elements, and takes the unbreakable, stubborn character of its heroine from the depths of her soul. Due to its romantic plot and sentimentality, the novel was a great success when it was first published.
Its title character is a beggar-poor orphan girl who is raised by her aunt. Their relationship is punctuated by many conflicts, so Jane eventually ends up in a correctional institution in Lowood. Constant fasting and cold, as well as the harsh, strict rules of the institute, do not make the situation of the sensitive, love-hungry girl any easier. After a while, however, she makes friends, which gives her strength for indoor life and studies, so much so that she soon becomes first in her class, and years later, a teacher. She gives up this job when she becomes a governess to Mr. Rochester, with his little daughter. Here he finds peace and acceptance, and even love... but a secret waiting to be discovered casts a shadow over all...
The nuanced, subtle characterization, the magnificent style and editing rightly ensure the novel's prestigious place among the classics of world literature and in the hearts of readers.