In Which I Compare Copies of Jane Eyre

February26

Jane Eyre

Yesterday afternoon we took a run into the city and, of course, had to stop at Starbucks for our ‘city coffee’ fix. While the others sipped their mocha white hot chocolate, I stepped over into the Chapters store (which had been my intended destination all along) and checked out the $5 and under table.

I found this beautiful copy of Jane Eyre.

This book is on my 2012 reading list and I already had a paperback copy of it in my TBR stack. But when I walked away from that copy with the leather-like cover, color spreads of Bronte Country, the Bronte family tree, Bronte timelines, principal characters and so on, I knew I would regret not spending the $5. So, of course, I had to go back and get the book.

And so now I have two Jane Eyres, although one is going in the garage sale in July. I love the way the black copy feels in my hand – it’s 100 pages shorter than the paperback which is chunky and feels awkward. Plus, there’s a built-on elastic to mark my spot while I’m reading.

compare Jane Eyre copies

I had been dreading tackling this classic despite everyone’s raves about it, but now I’m looking forward to it.

Which one would you prefer to read?

posted under Book stuff

10 Comments to

“In Which I Compare Copies of Jane Eyre”

On February 26th, 2012 at 4:24 pm Jillian Says:
I’d much rather read the black one. And also – I adore this book. I need to reread it. 😀
On February 26th, 2012 at 5:12 pm Debbie Says:
I’ve heard that from a lot of people, Jillian! I’m looking forward to seeing for myself what the fuss is all about.
On February 27th, 2012 at 8:08 pm Katrina Says:
What a bargain, I’m not keen on paperbacks at all, the print is never as good as hardbacks. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Jane Eyre, I’ve read it umpteen times. Have you read Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier’s version of the story?
On February 28th, 2012 at 11:23 am Debbie Says:
I’m pleased with the bargain, Katrina. One of the Starbucks drinks cost that much – and what have they to show for that? 🙂

I read Rebecca many years ago – I didn’t realize it was a take on Jane Eyre. Thanks for the tip!
On February 28th, 2012 at 7:54 pm Care Says:
Oh yes! Go with the black copy with the elastic band. I bet it even FEELS better in your hands. Our library has a beautifully bound copy that I keep saying I will check out but my reading list keeps crowding it out. It’s one of these books that I *know* and thus am actually not sure if I read it in high school or later or if at all.
On February 28th, 2012 at 9:24 pm Debbie Says:
Yes – it feels wonderful in my hands!

I know I haven’t read this before even though I know the story – it’s just been talked about so much in the blogosphere. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one left who has never read it. 😉
On February 29th, 2012 at 3:07 pm Leslie Says:
Nice find. I’m always on the lookout for replacement books too. If I had a better copy of Jane Eyre I might read it again. I looked at my ancient (circa 1960!) paperback and it’s tiny print and I said nope, headache material.
On February 29th, 2012 at 3:27 pm Debbie Says:
Thanks, Leslie. Because of the size of most paperbacks, publishers have to choose between tiny print or so many pages that it’s chunky and awkward.
On March 5th, 2012 at 1:52 am Cipriano Says:
I like both copies. I love old old paperbacks and read them all the time. I love the feel of those old pages.
However, I ALSO love these particular Worth Literary Classics editions. I recently read Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in that very black faux-leather binding EVEN THOUGH I, TOO, HAD AN OLD PAPERBACK OF THE THING.
I couldn’t resist the cheap price of it at Chapters, I love the font itself, the way the pages have an almost purple kind of sheen to them in the very middle as it lays flat [open yours there and see if you can also see the sheen effect, it is mysterious, like in the crotch of the pages… like an optical illusion] and plus the book DOES lay flat at almost any point. Which for me is a deciding factor in itself, because this frees me up to lift coffee to my face as I read.
On March 5th, 2012 at 12:36 pm Debbie Says:
My first reaction, Cipriano, was that my paperback copy isn’t that old – it was just published in 1962 lol…I know what you mean about the old, old ones, though. I have several Agatha Christies and Ellery Queens published in the 1940s that I love to read, although the cheap mass paperback paper sometimes crumbles in my fingers. But they have a different heft than this copy of Jane Eyre.

As for this Worth Literary Classic edition, it does have that purple sheen to the pages (or maybe I was looking so hard I saw it, but see it I did). And it does lay flat open – BONUS!

Thanks for your keen observations. 🙂

P.S. Another Eva Cassidy fan – yay!