CRITISCM

“The author attempts to persuade the reader that happy people only occasionally think of God, and in times of trouble especially, thus lacking in a depiction of true religion that would be satisfactory to the reviewer.”

“the heroine herself is a specimen of the bold daring young ladies who delight in overstepping conventional rules” (“The Last New Novel [Unsigned review of Jane Eyre]” 1847).

PRAISE

“the story is…unlike all we have read…” (“Review of Jane Eyre from the Era” 1847).

The reviewer believed that the novel is morally sound. Jane’s “trials and temptations” highlight the importance of correct morals and obeying the laws of man and of God, no matter the circumstance. 

The freedom of expression and narrative power made the novel very unique, capturing even the most critical reviewers, such as Elizabeth Rigby, who stated that “it is impossible not to be spell-bound with the freedom of the touch” (Rigby 1848).