I had to read this for English class during the school year. We started it around December 2012 and finished it around March 2013. Suffice to say, an already tedious and large volume was dragged out. My personal opinion on this book is that the plot is well constructed, but the excessive details are unnecessary. I understand that descriptions can add beauty, but in this case, it was overdone. The feminist undertones were also a bit overwhelming; Jane Eyre slightly reminds me of Lisbeth Salander from Steig Larsson's famous Millenium Series. In both novels, the main female protagonist is portrayed as overly independent in an attempt to portray feminism. However, I must say that Bronte did a great job in conveying Jane's thoughts to the reader. I was always able to understand why Jane did such actions because I could put myself in Jane's shoes. I recommend this book only because it is a classic, and you cannot call yourself educated unless you have endured this book.

It was great to hear on NPR today that an updated biography of the Bronte family by Juliet Barker has come out. Sounds even better than the previous edition. I loved reading Jane Eyre and may have to take on the new biography; Jane is a powerful character as is Mr. Rochester. Their romance is compelling, mysterious, and it amazed me how both were so well portrayed throughout. This is not to say that I fell in love with either of them; they were perverse in ways I found annoying, but the characters were convincingly just that--seemingly real characters.

this was a beautiful book. the story was endearing to your heart and to your soul

One of the early proponents of feminism, Ms. Bronte's themes shook up the establishment when this book was first published over a century ago. The story of how this book was brought to the public eye is interesting in itself (read the book jacket and the introduction for the details).
Don't let the "Classic" label fool you. This book is easy to read and is very thought provoking. I did have my dictionary near my side occasionally, though.