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Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Nov. 23rd, 2009 06:20 pmThis is the prequel published fanfic of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, which has the distinction of being the only published fanfic of relatively recent fiction (as opposed to various versions of famous, older legends) that I’m aware of that’s considered a classic in it’s own right as published fanfic.
It is, in particular, all about how the evil, deceitful, abusive Rochester came to lock his wife in the attic and pretend she didn’t exist. The first time I read Jane Eyre my first really coherent thought after finishing it (before that was along the lines of “What the hell? What the hell? WHAT THE HELL???? EEEEEEWWWW!!!”) was “Wow, I hope she never annoys him if he ever gets well enough to lock the attic door again.” (Even before the end or even the Reveal, I thought his supposed appreciation of and respect for Jane was very much based on her conforming to what I now know is called the Madonna/Whore Complex.) Jean Rhys seems to think along the same lines.
( spoilers )
It is, in particular, all about how the evil, deceitful, abusive Rochester came to lock his wife in the attic and pretend she didn’t exist. The first time I read Jane Eyre my first really coherent thought after finishing it (before that was along the lines of “What the hell? What the hell? WHAT THE HELL???? EEEEEEWWWW!!!”) was “Wow, I hope she never annoys him if he ever gets well enough to lock the attic door again.” (Even before the end or even the Reveal, I thought his supposed appreciation of and respect for Jane was very much based on her conforming to what I now know is called the Madonna/Whore Complex.) Jean Rhys seems to think along the same lines.
( spoilers )