When I was studying abroad in the UK, I came across an essay about Wide Sargasso Sea that sang its praises. It adored Rhys for de-colonizing the Jane Eyre story, and for finally giving Antoinette a voice. Now that I've finally read Wide Sargasso Sea myself, I can see what the essayist was talking about.

Rhys's loving tribute to Antoinette is a fascinating journey through a mental landscape hemmed in by race, patriarchy, and colonialism. The first section describes Antoinette's childhood and adulthood right before her brother sells her to the Rochester's. The second section describes the perfect--and very common--storm. Rochester's wilful ignorance of Caribbean culture, his lack of compassion for the people around him, and his British ego and insistence on his own righteousness doom Antoinette spectacularly. The third part is the heart-wrenching conclusion with Antoinette's time at Thornfield. Antoinette's mental illness is treated with little respect or dignity, and the tragedy in that is a kick to the gut.

Rhys's writing is beautiful and intricate, like the swirling vines and flowers of the jungle she describes. Longing, fantasy, and heartbreak ache off the page. The imagery is devastating in its beauty, cruel and precious all at once. I'm not ashamed to say that it invaded my dreams. If you're a fan of Jane Eyre, Jean Rhys's masterpiece is a must-read.