I initially struggled to become invested in the story. I didn't expect Jane to begin her story as a child, and despite loving her spunkiness I was little interested in this part of the story. I gave myself a place where I'd be allowed to DNF, and then, in spite of myself, I fell in love with this novel. I even now look back fondly on the portions which so vexed me on first reading with gratitude for how they established Jane's character. And what a completely captivating character she is, so much more memorable than I'd anticipated.⁣
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I'm not fond of this novel's portrayal of madness, and I was often baffled and/or disquieted by the way the characters relate to one another. Some of the twists are questionable. Unsurprisingly, the changes in culture, and of course vernacular, from this novel's formation to the present are challenging, but it became obvious from the issues at hand why this novel became and remained a classic.⁣