The Mockingbird Project: Jane Eyre

I hate to admit it, but until recently, I’d only ever watched the film.

I tried to read it when I was younger, but I was just too young. The bad experience put me off, and so I just watched the film versions.

I’ve loved the story of Jane Eyre for years. It’s very conflicting; is she a feminist or simply a naïve young woman manipulated by a man? Whatever you think of the heroine, the book is a classic. Arguably, one of the biggest, most shocking and now famous twists occurs in this book, and the writing is sublime.

I devoured this book, and I devoured this cocktail.

The plot (in case you don’t already know)

The book follows the life of an orphan who gives her name to the title of the book. Initially, Jane is raised by her cruel aunt where she is subject to physiological and sometimes physical bullying. She is then sent to Lowood School, where life is equally as hard. Eventually, the headmaster is replaced with a slightly nicer man who makes Jane’s life easier. Although, if I’m honest, it still sounds miserable.

Upon completing her education, she remains at the school as a teacher as she has nowhere else to go. Eventually, she gets bored. Who can blame her? And applies for a governess role that she gets and leaves to head to the infamous Thornfield Hall owned by the enigmatic Mr Rochester.

Here, things get a bit creepy and a whole lot more romantic. There’s a fire, manic laughter, footsteps in the night and a handsome, brooding man. All things that make this book a classic. Of course, there’s also the major spoiler in the attic. I won’t give it away.

The twist in the attic is famous.

The Book

As I said, I’d only ever seen film adaptations of the book and have watched the 2011 film with Michael Fassbender as Mr Rochester about 100 times; I thought I knew the story well. However, as with most book to film adaptations, so much was missed. I still love the film, but I really enjoyed reading the book and getting what felt like behind-the-scenes glimpses into Jane’s world.

Unlike other writers, Bronte’s writing is rich in detail, but it doesn’t linger on unimportant details. She paints a vivid picture of what it must be like to be neither poor nor wealthy. It’s refreshing to read the intricate thoughts of a working woman during this time, and it really sets the book apart from other stories of governesses.

The book is indeed dark, but there is a real hum of life throughout, which I think film adaptations can gloss over. Jane’s mind is much more alive in the books, and her active thoughts are clear and exciting. She might be plain on the outside, but her inner world is beautiful.

I found Jane Eyre easy to read as the language wasn’t too overpowering. Bronte strikes a clever balance between using what I’d call “flowery old words” and just telling the story. In a way, the writing reflects the heroine, sometimes plain, but with glimpses of extraordinary.

The supporting characters feature enough to be interesting and drive the story but without detracting from the intricate Rochester-Eyre relationship. As is always the case, fictional men are too good to be true. But in Rochester, there is a flawed, damaged, manipulative liar who embodies the “bad boy” aesthetic. You shouldn’t like him, but you do.

The Cocktail

The cocktail to accompany my reading was Gin Eyre. As a gin lover, I knew I’d be more than happy drinking this and it slipped down as quickly as the chapters slipped past.

The drink itself packs a punch. I’m used to taking my gin with tonic, not a dash of lemon and sugar. That being said, it was delicious. I think the choice of gin here is crucial. I used Tanqueray, which is pretty inoffensive. A bad gin in this cocktail would be a tragedy. Despite being mainly made up of gin, it didn’t have an overwhelming flavour. The mint was a huge plus point but slightly overpowering.

However, I did enjoy the cocktail, and it was easy to drink. I think I’ll be adding to my list of regular drinks for evenings when a classic G’n’T just isn’t going to cut it. This is the more potent, big sister cocktail. 

That being said, I didn’t find many similarities between the cocktail and the book. The cocktail is not subtle. It doesn’t have the layers of Jane. The only thing I can say is it left me feeling warm inside, something I also felt in the final chapter. . . “Reader, I married him.”

Book: 9/10

Taste: 9/10

Pairing: 5/10

Up Next: Bridget Jones’s Diary/ Bridget Jones’s Daiquiri