| Title | : | Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1439191182 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781439191187 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 391 |
| Publication | : | First published March 27, 2010 |
A timeless tale of love, devotion . . . and the undead.
Jane Slayre, our plucky demon-slaying heroine, a courageous orphan who spurns the detestable vampyre kin who raised her, sets out on the advice of her ghostly uncle to hone her skills as the fearless slayer she’s meant to be. When she takes a job as a governess at a country estate, she falls head-over-heels for her new master, Mr. Rochester, only to discover he’s hiding a violent werewolf in the attic—in the form of his first wife. Can a menagerie of bloodthirsty, flesh-eating, savage creatures-of-the-night keep a swashbuckling nineteenth-century lady from the gentleman she intends to marry? Vampyres, zombies, and werewolves transform Charlotte Brontë’s unforgettable masterpiece into an eerie paranormal adventure that will delight and terrify.
Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist Reviews
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What fun! 💕
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Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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I must confess, I have often done Google searches to look for T-shirts that say “Team Bronte” and “Team Austen.” I’ve been a fan of Charlotte Bronte since I read Jane Eyre in high school. I immediately fell in love with the book and became quite the Bronte enthusiast. On the other hand, Jane Austen and I have never really clicked, and I was very amused when I read that Charlotte was actually one of Jane Austen’s biggest critics back in the day—hence my desire to declare my membership of Team Bronte.
However, this has not turned me away from the relatively recent slew of fantasy rewrites that have made their way to the shelves, such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I admit I would probably enjoy those more than Jane Austen’s originals. So you can probably imagine my excitement when I came across a copy of Jane Slayre, written by Sherry Browning Irwin, in a London bookstore. The cover, which depicted a famous portrait of Charlotte Bronte, only with a stake in her hand and blood spattered on her arm, immediately drew me in. My beloved Jane Eyre as a vampire slayer? How awesome would that be?
The best I can say about Jane Slayre is that it’s a fun, action-packed read. But I would advise fans of the original not to set their standards too high.
The transformation of Jane Eyre into a fantasy adventure is quite well done in many ways. In the original, Jane is abused by her cruel aunt and cousins and disregarded by the servants. In this one, her relatives are vampires, and one of the servants is later revealed to be a zombie. The corrupt headmaster of Jane’s school, Mr. Brockelhurst, becomes Mr. Bokorhurst—a bokor being a voodoo priest. Jane springs into action when he finds out her classmates are being turned into zombies. This portion of the book is by far the most entertaining, as Jane learns the art of swordplay from her teacher, Miss Temple, and goes on a zombie-beheading spree.
I interpreted this whole zombie angle to be metaphorical. The original book portrays Jane as a spirited, outspoken girl whom the adults in her life try to tame into a subservient drone—a zombie of sorts. Similarly, the school she attends really cracks the whip down on students, so to speak, so that they do what they’re told without question—essentially turning them into “zombies.” Whether this was Irwin’s intention or not, I found this to be an effective use of allegory.
However, once Jane leaves the zombie-ridden school and goes to work for Mr. Rochester, her love interest, the book goes downhill.
Charlotte Bronte took her sweet time developing Jane and Mr. Rochester both individually and as a couple. She gave her readers the time to know them and care enough to root for them to end up together. But Irwin here has other factors in play—the vampires, the zombies, the werewolf in the attic—so the rapport between the characters takes a back seat in favor of the fantasy elements. Irwin just wants to get back to the “good stuff”—vampire-slaying and whatnot—and does so by rushing through the relationship of Jane and Rochester, changing their characters in the process. At this point, the book becomes plot-driven instead of character-driven. Proud, steadfast Jane deteriorates into a weepy, lovesick teenager, while Rochester’s Byronic hero qualities are toned down to make him more like a white knight and less like Bronte’s complex antihero.
Furthermore, being familiar with Jane Eyre, I found that some portions of Jane Slayre were copied, word-for-word, from the original novel. Every now and then, amid demon-slaying ventures and metaphorical dream sequences, a phrase or an entire paragraph directly pulled from Jane Eyre would jump out at me, and it felt out of place. The formal 19th-century dialect of Bronte’s literary voice disrupted the rather whimsical fantasy element. In other words, Irwin and Bronte’s writing styles don’t quite mesh.
Jane Slayre is an overall entertaining read. Despite the botched characterization and inconsistent writing style, this book does deliver its share of fun. I’m sure there are diehard fans of the original out there who would want to stake themselves after reading what they perceive as a bastardization of a classic; but if you can come out of it unscathed, I would recommend this for a light read.
Read this and other reviews at my blog:
http://zeitgeist-sacha1689.blogspot.com/ -
First thing’s first. If you are a Charlotte Brontë purist, you may not like or appreciate JANE SLAYRE by Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin. This story is similar to the original in the way 10 Things I Hate About You was similar to Taming of the Shrew; close enough to recognize the story, but that's about it. If you've ever read and liked these kind of adaptations before, I'm fairly certain you'll love this book. If you would rather keep Ms. Brontë's the story the way it is in your mind and don't want to experiment, don't read it.
That being said, I highly recommend this book. Full of the paranormal, this is like crack for those of us who love the classics but just can't seem to get enough dark and creepy in our books. From the first page you'll get hooked as we meet Jane Slayre and learn a little bit about the family she is living with. While her cousins weren't my favorite children in the original, they are hilarious in this adaptation. Hilarious, but certainly not nice. You see, Jane has the unfortunate circumstance of living with a bunch of vampires. Not really something that to stick on a resume or use to boost one's social status.
Like any good heroine in a paranormal story, Jane quickly learns that there is more to her history than she knew. She is a slayer, destined to hunt down creepy blood-suckers and end their miserable existence. All while wearing a dress and bonnet mind you. Can't have a girl's hair go frizzy, now can we.
Probably the best aspect of this story was the hilarity of the situation. I haven't read a whole lot of these adaptations, so the whole idea is still pretty fresh and new to me. I just loved that I could revisit a favorite story of mine with a brand new twist thrown in. Combine that with the fact that one of my favorite romances now has an edge of suspense to it and you've got one heck of a book.
Did I mention there are werewolves in JANE SLAYRE?
Oh yes, there are! Zombies, vampires, werewolves...a paranormal girl's dream come true!
Will Jane end up with Mr. Rochester? Will Mr. Rochester eat Jane? You'll have to read to find out!
Yep. Loved it. Definitely recommend it. Even if this didn't have the original classic to cling on to and use for publicity, this would still be a great book. It can easily stand on its own against any paranormal out there right now. Well, that's my opinion anyway.
What do you think Charlotte Brontë would say? I would hope she'd have a sense of humor and get a good giggle out of this story. I know I did. -
Jane Slayre has just obtained a job as the new governess to Mr. Rochester’s daughter, Adele. Once Jane arrives, she realizes that it might have been a mistake to agree to be the new governess. There is something strange about Mr. Rochester. Most of the time he hides behind closed doors. Though, whenever Jane does get to spend time with Mr. Rochester, she feels a connection with him.
Mr. Rochester is not the only person, Jane has to worry about. His former wife is locked up in the attic. She is a werewolf. Jane must deal with her. As if that wasn’t bad enough, one of Jane’s friend’s turns into a zombie. Oh what is a girl to do?
This book drew me into the scary and morbid world of Jane Slayre. It takes a strong woman to deal with vampires, werewolves and zombies. All of the characters played a prominent part in the story, even the secondary characters. Jane started out a prim and proper young woman but as the story advanced, readers saw her grow and become a demon slayer. It seems everywhere you turn there are tons and tons of books to choose from that feature vampires, werewolves and zombies. It is still a little rare to have all three appear in the same book. Sheri Browning Erwin did a good job incorporating paranormal elements into a classic. Though, I have never read the original book, I had no issues with reading this new twist to a classic. Jane Slayre is a slaying good time. Fans of Charlotte Bronte will probably like this latest mash up. Though, I am sure Ms. Bronte is rolling in her grave as we speak over this book. If she could, she would return as a zombie and try and take down Jane Slayre and Sheri Browning Erwin. Jane Slayre is better than some of the others one out there right now. -
Jane Slayre is raised by a family of vampires, and attends a school where the students are turned into zombies. With slayer blood in her veins, she quickly disposes of them with elegance and fury. As she grows up, will she continue on with her destiny as a Slayer or is she for the life of a Victorian housewife? Read this book and find out for yourself.
This was my first ever classic horror mash-up story and I enjoyed reading this. It was worth the 30 cents that I bought it with at my local Big Lot's store book clearance. If you like vampires, zombies, werewolves, and classic literature then you will enjoy Jane Slayre. This book is perfect to read during All Hallow's Read and the Halloween season. Look for this book wherever its sold at. -
Oh my goddd where has this book been my whole life??
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3.5 stars. I was quite impressed by this weirdly fitting update to the classic. Instead of becoming a parody, or being incoherent, this became a pretty good horror/fantasy novel in itself, while at the same time shedding new light on Jane Eyre. I do think the stars in my review are for the skill of the author of illuminating the five star original work, by tweaking some elements of the setting. And what this book makes abundantly clear is that the original is often mis-interpreted. It is seen as a boring novel of manners, of a romantic tale maybe, something to swoon by, gazing longingly to the moon. I think people have the idea of the titular Jane as being a weakling, waiting for her Mr. Rochester to come and ending in his embrace at the end. But they are wrong, and this book shows why. Even without the addition of vampires, zombies, and werewolves, Jane Eyre is a gothic romance (Guillermo DelToro quoted Jane Eyre as one of his inspirations for Crimson Peak and rightly so), containing abuse, isolated country manors, monsters (of a more human persuasion), immorality, and hardship. These elements are brought to the fore here, and the only thing added to the protagonist is a skill with a stake or sword: her morally upright, courageous and enterprising character were all there in the original (better developed even, as the deep felt spirituality of Jane is here subsumed by her being a slayer). She is not toughened up here compared with the original, this is the same character, bearing a different name, and her tough choices are fundamentally the same here. The beauty of Bronte's prose also shines, with the new elements seamlessly integrated. And I must say I laughed at the words 'Reader, I buried him ...'. Still, if you haven't read the original Jane Eyre, I would recommend you to start there. Why start with the inferior work, when the original is a bona fide classic, touching, well written, absorbing? Then come back here to gain more insight in the story and enjoy some decapitations and high flying kicks in the mean time ...
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I'm a fan of the original Bronte novel, but that doesn't affect my rating -- in fact, I love the premise of this, & thought it sounded like great fun. But the final product just didn't work. After a strong first couple chapters, it took a turn for the boring (N.B.: I was never bored reading the original Jane), & by the time zombies came into it -- complete with a couple scenes of uber-bland, uber-rushed, & entirely uninvolving zombie slays -- I just didn't care. In fact, I've only read one zombie book that didn't bore me to tears**...so it's safe to assume I won't bother with any more. What works in Dawn of the Dead just doesn't cut it on paper. In fact, I daresay the more lighthearted approach in this book was its ultimate downfall. Original Jane has such a serious, fully Victorian sensibility that I couldn't reconcile those happenings with the paranormal Buffy-esque tone of this fanfic.
**Night of the Living Trekkies. That one was an adorable Trek/nerd-culture homage with LOLz & goofy gore. -
I have such complicated feelings about Jane Eyre (thanks, Becca), but once I got into this, I found it delightful. Overall, I thought this was a much more successful amalgamation of classic lit and supernatural creatures than P&P&Z (although that movie was fab).
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i was foolish enough to think that Jane would kill Mr Rochester (this vile cockroach deserves it) in this “retelling”. instead i got a happy ending for the character i wanted to suffer. this could be epic. but it indeed sucked 🤪🧛♀️
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It could be that I went into it with low expectations (I'd just finished a different retelling of
Jane Eyre, and... let's just say that was the one that truly merited low expectations), but Jane Slayre surprised me-- in a delightful way. Jane Eyre is one of my very favorite books, and Jane one of my very favorite characters. Her independence, quiet strength, blunt honesty, and unwavering self-respect make her one of the best and strongest female characters I've come across... well... ever. And I didn't feel like this retelling took away from that in any way.
Although Jane Slayre turns Jane into a Brontë version of Buffy, (who is my other favorite female character ever, so I was REALLY hoping to like this book despite my doubts) Slayre's physical strength doesn't take away from her internal strength-- which I believe Sherri Browning Erwin keeps the integrity of very well. I felt that she understood each of the characters-- especially Jane and Mr. Rochester-- and their relationships and what drives them to the choices each of them make.
I loved that Sherri Browning Erwin kept much of the original story and dialogue intact-- for good reason, it's a flippin' amazing story! Don't mess with a good thing, right Sherri?? But she added in her own twist and it just worked. SO. Well. There were so many lines of original dialogue that fused perfectly with a fantastical plot. Like when Rochester teases Jane, asking whether she was waiting for her "people", referring to fairies, Browning Erwin twists Jane Eyre's original reply-- a deadpan joke-- into a serious comment about fairies not residing in the area. So many of these little gems were sprinkled through the book, nods to the original that fans will appreciate. And seeing Miss Temple, Jane Eyre's beloved teacher, as Jane's slayer mentor is just perfect. :)
Honestly? I liked it nearly as much as the original. I never dared to hope that would happen... But who was I kidding? I'm a sucker for slayers. ;) -
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but that doesn't always mean that it works.
This was my first classic and horror "mash-up" that wasn't from Quirk Classics, and now I'm regretting it. What I loved so much about "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" as well as "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters" was that it took the whole of Austen's text and just added fun absurd things to it, only altering the original as necessary to fit the crazy additions.
Not so with "Jane Slayre," I'm afraid. I have to re-read the original (which I may well do) but I know from some quick scene checks that a lot was simply hacked out of the original or re-written with no obvious reason but length. (Except for some parts that were just entirely redone.) It was cut down to a shorter size, to include the additions, and perhaps make it more easily understood by a modern audience. That's not honoring the original with some fun insanity. That's mutilating it.
I am not so much a purist as to not appreciate the classic and quirky mixed together, but in this one, many of the things that were taken out were crucial to the soul of the story. It shows, to me, that Ms. Browning Erwin thoroughly missed the point of the original and the "mash-up" exercise. These alterations gutted Jane's character in a way that being a "plucky demon-slaying heroine" couldn't truly make up for and gutted the love story in a way that can't entirely be forgiven.
I've given it two stars simply for the fact that I did manage to read the whole thing and didn't (though only narrowly) throw it across the room. And because she didn't entirely ruin the ending. -
Leslie's Review:
Before I begin my review, let me first say that I don't read the English classics. They bore me and I have a hard time with the language as it's not something I'm used to. However, after reading this book I really, really want to read the original Jane Eyre. Also, this was my first "twisted classic" book and I didn't know what to expect when I first began. Anyway, to sum this book up: Jane Eyre + paranormal creatures = Jane Slayre. And wow, this book was really good!
Jane was awesome! She is brave, determined and very smart. She didn't start out that way though and I loved reading about her growth as she became a kick-ass slayer. I also liked Mr. Rochester who was strong and handsome. Together they were amazing! I loved, LOVED their romance. When the conflict came between them, they had dealt with it perfectly, in their undying love for each other, without getting too crazy and loosing their senses. My favorite part would have to be the ending with Jane and Mr. Rochester--I gave a happy sigh when I closed the book and had the biggest urge to beg my dad to drive me to the library so I could borrow Jane Eyre. This is one awesome book! 5 out of 5 stars -
Being raised by vampyres doesn't change Jane's destiny as a slayer. She has a duty to rid the world of these creatures but it becomes a problem when she falls in love with a man who whose first wife is not only a werewolf, but also living in his home. In the end will love conquer all or will Jane be forced to live alone because of her responsibilities with the paranormal world?
I thought this book was fantastic! I really loved the twists and turns, it was almost like a roller coaster ride. Two thumbs up! -
No matter how many monsters and vampires and werewolves you put into Bronte's Jane Eyre, it doesn't make it any more interesting or readable. I found this adaptation just as uninteresting as the original. I wish I would have stopped reading it right as soon as I started to get bored (about 1/3 of the way in).
Skip this one. -
I love these types of books! They help bring a wonderful classic to a new audience.
Some very good twists and turns however it also falls pray to the fact that parts of the book are just copied and pasted from the original novel. Going through these parts just make me think that I should have just reread the original novel instead of the book. -
Jane Slayre is an extremely fun read and the perfect example of how the new classic mash-up genre can be done well. Browning Erwin weaves vampires, werewolves, and zombies into Jane Eyre deftly and without losing the essence of the story itself. For the well-read vampire nut.
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“Sherri Browning Erwin’s Jane Slayer is an instant classic—with fangs!” —Philip Loyd, author of You Lucky Bastard.
I knew I was going to love this book when upon first opening the package my daughter saw the cover and said, “Cool!” No better place to hook the reader than with the cover.
Imagine Jane Eyre’s aunt and cousins weren’t just overbearing and cruel, they were vampires as well? Imagine no more. With Sherri Browning Erwin’s new spin on the classic tale, now even today’s readers have something to look forward to.
Move over Twilight, Erwin has teamed up with the likes of none other than Charlotte Brontë to bring you the classic story of Jane Eyre, but with a modern twist. Think they didn’t have vampires back in the mid-nineteenth century? Think again.
Seemingly doomed to a life of darkness and servitude, Jane is visited one night by the ghost of her late uncle who reveals to her that she is not some helpless young lass destined to spinsterhood after all, but that she comes from a long line of vampire slayers. Enter, Jane Slayer.
Throw in a girls’ school full of orphaned zombies, a werewolf, and you’ve got nothing less than an otherwise sensible world gone mad. It’s up to Jane to bring order to this world.
My first thoughts when first picking up this book were, Good luck. Trying to live up to a master like Charlotte Brontë is a task I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. About a dozen pages or so into the book, however, I realized (without noticing it at all), “By God, Erwin’s pulled it off!” Except for the fact that there were vampires everywhere (and that her cousin kept wanting to drink her blood), I really did think I was smack dab in the middle of the 1847 classic.
So, what business does Erwin have slipping into such a big pair of shoes in the first place? For me, someone who had not read Brontë in more than 30 years (since prep school), it was like traveling back in time to the good ole days. I had forgotten how much I love the classics, like Austen, Dickens, and Brontë herself. I have Erwin to thank for bringing it all back to me.
For an old fogy like myself, revisiting such a classic is a wonderful walk down memory lane: a real no-brainer. But I’m too easy. What Erwin does by ratcheting-up the classic Brontë novel is to make it interesting for today’s readers. Jane Slayer would be a great segue for today’s younger generation into the classics themselves. Dare I say, I think this book would fit perfectly in most any high-school curriculum. Then again, that’s just one guy’s opinion.
I want to thank Sherri for a wonderfully entertaining couple of days and a most enjoyable read. Not just enjoyable, but reminiscent. Thanks, Sherri. I can’t wait to read Grave Expectations. Maybe Sherri has something new in the works. Vampire Heights? The Tenant of Werewolf Hall? Whatever it is, I’m sure it will have fangs. -
I love
Jane Eyre, so of course I had to read this. I guess my only complaint about Jane Eyre is that it's not actually supernatural (even though it has that atmosphere and mystery), so this is an improvement! But I was a little disappointed that more wasn't done, I feel most of the novel was kept as it was, with only a few small supernatural scenes added, and some words here and there. The plot isn't really any different. I do love the story either way, so I'll just go ahead and give it 5 stars. -
A book about a girl who fights against the troubles in her life (cruel guardians, cruel headmaster, vampyres, zombies, werewolves) and ultimately triumphs. She attains all she has ever longed for and has some wicked adventures along the way.
This is, as any fule kno, Jane Eyre with monsters. It's done in a very convincing way. You can't really imagine it working without the monsters, although I'm told the original works very well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I'm sure you will too if you give it a try. -
This all blended surprisingly well. She didn't include the "poor and plain and" speech, and I wish she had. I really liked the way Jane was always worried for Rochester's safety when she wasn't there to protect him. I loved the twists the supernatural creatures brought
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Good fun!
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This book is a great read! I love the adaptions of classic novels like "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and others and thought this fit pretty well!
I disliked how the novel included only the three "popular" fictional horror creatures but not others. I think the symbolism and theme of what the y represented was interesting and with further study, but I think it would have been beneficial to focus on only one instead of including all three.
I was disappointed that the zombies at Lowood were so ridiculous?!? I love zombies but these were not well thought through. There was a huge disconnect in logic and how Jane killed them and how they reacted to meat, and it really ruined the zombies for me. As a zombie buff, I declare these zombies as LAME!
I read this book for my Jane Eyre class and it was awesome! I definitely think it's worth studying and considering how the supporting characters were styled and assigned their fictional horror creature role. I think this novel primarily raised Jane from "unique" to "BAMF".
I would recommend as a fun read! -
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Angie
Jane Slayer is a sweet and wonderful love story of a woman who finds herself falling in love with a man not her equal in societal status. She can’t believe he would ever be able to return her feelings. And just when she thinks that all is as it should be, fate takes him away from her. Jane must decide if she is going to follow the path that fate has chosen for her, of if she’ll defy her roots and take what she wants.
Jane Slayer is an orphaned infant taken in by her uncle, Mr. Reed. He is attacked on his way home with her and finds himself a vampyre. His wife is unable to stand the thought of ever growing old and not having her husband by her side so she begs him to turn her. He obliges her and soon after, their three children are turned, as well.
After his untimely final death, Mrs. Reed is sworn to keep the girl, Jane, and raise her as one of her own. But of course she doesn’t. Jane is never given the same luxuries as her cousins, and they will not turn her nor eat her as she is considered a “commoner” and Mrs. Reed abhors commoners. Jane is sent away to a boarding school at age 9 where she learns that vampyres are not the only monsters in existence. It is at this boarding school that she is taught the ways of a slayer and that she has an uncanny ability in this activity.
Throughout this book we find Jane discovering her talents and herself. Nearly everyone she has ever had to rely on has left her or betrayed her in one way or another. Thus, she’s become a strong woman both in body and in mind. The fact that she uses her intellect more than her brawn, though, shows us that often times we overlook and underestimate that which seems weak on the surface.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and found the language to be very authentic of the 19th century; the cadence, the vocabulary, the formality. Erwin did a phenomenal job. It was beautifully written and I was brought to tears on more than one occasion. It was not over-seasoned with the current spicy trend of vampires, werewolves and zombies, but instead served just the perfect amount of zest to spark the supernatural senses without overwhelming. -
Quick P.S.: Make sure to read the book discussion questions at the end, if your copy has them. Definitely more tongue-in-cheek than any guide I've ever read:)
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OK, so quickly I have to say that this is the first of the literary/supernatural mashups I've read, so I can't compare this with the others.
That being said ... I absolutely adored this:) I don't know how someone who's not a "Jane Eyre" fan would feel, but "Jane Eyre" is at the top of my all-time favorite books. I don't know why such a cheeseball romance hits so hard at my strings, but it does, every time I read it. (Who knew that when I first read it so many, many years ago, Mr. Rochester would come to form my vision of ideal male specimen? And yet the men I've loved or even lusted after all bear a certain resemblance ...)
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. "Jane Slayre."
Seriously. This is so freakin' much fun ... The supernatural is so seemlessly melded into the classic, I can't remember what the real classic was and where the fanciful took over. OK, for the most part. It's pretty darn funny, too, in parts. Jane snuggles her Mr. Rochester while keeping a wary eye over his shoulder, watching a vampyre stalk closer, unbeknownst to any but herself. Phut! The slaying is done, Mr. Rochester spared and the two continue their romance.
This Miss Jane is her own woman. -
I never thought I'd say this, but I think zombies fit better with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice that they do with Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.
Basic premise of this novel: Insert zombies, werewolves and vampires into Jane Eyre, turn Jane into a monster slayer and turn Bronte's dramatic novel into a comedy.
Except that -- unlike Pride and Prejudice -- Jane Eyre isn't naturally comedic. There are few funny lines in the original work and some strange moments (Rochester cross-dressing as a gypsy? Dude has issues). But just adding monsters to the mix isn't enough to make the novel funny. It might have worked if this adaptation had also parodied the original. But there are no "wife in the attic" jokes or snide comments about Rochester's melodramatic mood swings. There's just Jane, armed with a stake, facing a band of vampires/zombies/werewolves -- over and over again. The joke gets old quickly.
I didn't really laugh, so much as cringe over how much the novel mangled Bronte's beautiful prose -- which is one of the main reasons I like the original. I guess that makes me a snob, who takes Jane Eyre a little too seriously.
It was worth reading once, if you're a Bronte fan or like literary mashups, but it's not memorable. -
I adore reading "The Classics" with a paranormal twist. I find them refreshing and fun. Jane Slayre, unlike those done by the Quirk Classics, has a more serious tone to it, and took these books to a totally different level for me. To say I loved this book, would be a gross understatement!
Sherri Browning Erwin took Jane Eyre and made it "hers". The incorporation of vampires and other paranormal creatures, was flawless and brilliantly done. Had I not known about Jane Eyre, I would have sworn that Erwin had created this novel from beginning to end.
The characters have depth and a real feel and true quality to them. When vampires appear, they don't just feel like they've been added, but are well incorporated into the storyline. I have nothing but praises for the work that Sherri Browning Erwin has done on this novel. I hope she decides to do another, because she has definitely spoiled me, creating a need for a more adult type of paranormal classic! -
I've long been a fan of monster mash-ups; you get all the fun of rereading the classic, plus the fun of the supernatural twist. This is an especially good one. I love that it includes the whole Jane Eyre story - unlike the erotica mash-up
Jane Eyre Laid Bare: The Classic Novel with an Erotic Twist, which disappointingly excludes the St. John Rivers story. In Browning Erwin's telling, St. John is the Daryl Dixon of the tale, slaying vampires and werewolves with a crossbow of his own invention. Zombies have also come into play, but their fiercest slayer is Jane herself. Saving people and hunting things is the Slayre family business.
This book does include the line "Reader, I buried him," causing me to laugh out loud - but fear not, the happy ending is still intact. In short, this is the monster mash-up done right. -
This was an absolutely hilarious adaptation/modification of Jane Eyre. This was way better than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (the one that started all these macabre versions of classics?), because all the original text was included, but with either slight modifications or additions - it was a seamless blend of old and new, whereas P&P&Z omitted a lot and changed the rest. Slayre was still romantic and I did feel as if I were still reading a Victorian domestic fiction. The vampires, zombies, and werewolves weren't as overbearing as the undead were in P&P&Z, as they served to compliment the original story and not perform a hostile take-over. In fact, there are full chapters without a single mention of the supernatural. The novel was addicting, and for lack of a better word, BAD ASS. I loved it to pieces - almost more than the original.
