6 Books to Read if you love Jane Eyre

On By Jane @ Greenish BookshelfIn 2019, Book List

Happy June y’all, and welcome back to my Saturday Book List series!

I am thrilled to be back after a several week hiatus with a new list for y’all. Today I am sharing 6 books to read for fans of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I have to admit I was an adult before I actually read this book about four years ago. But don’t worry, I loved it!

Jane Eyre is a unique classic with a mix of suspense, love, tragedy and hope. There are so many reasons to love this novel. So if you haven’t read it, I would start by reading Jane Eyre 😉

And if you are already a Jane Eyre fan, I hope you enjoy my list of novels below.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte // If you love Charlotte Bronte, the best place to start is with her sisters’ novels. I have only read this one (so far) years ago and I can’t say it was my favorite novel. But it has similar suspense, intense passion, and a darker tone than say Jane Austen novels.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell // I just finished this book and loved it! Gaskell creates a spirited, strong heroine in Margaret Hale that reminds me of Jane Eyre at times. She also experiences difficult trials. and she is able to rise above them. This novel also tackles more intense issues like class, death, strikes, and faith crises which I think would interest fans of Jane Eyre which discusses similar themes.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier // I have only read this novel once for high school summer reading. But it is the first novel I thought of for this list. Suspense seems the best word to describe this book. I can’t even spoil the ending for you–I don’t remember it! Ha!

The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay // I’ve raved about Katherine’s books on my blog before. This one follows Lucy, a former rare books saleswoman who is hired as a consultant on a trip to England. She must confront her past and future on this trip that culminates at Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters. I love the way Katherine weaves Bronte literature and other classics into her modern tales. This book will inspire you to travel to the Haworth House!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen // I included this Austen novel because of it’s Gothic elements. While it is a satire of the genre, it also has true Gothic elements that complicate that tone. I love this novel and think it’s a great one for fans of Jane Eyre.

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgsen Burnett // I loved Burnett’s books as a kid and I continue to love the as an adult. This one is great for this list because it has a darker, more suspenseful tone with the mystery surrounding the garden and Mary’s aunt’s death. I love the way the garden creates friendship and hope for the children. It’s been years since I’ve read this one–time for a reread!

On my TBR:

  • The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
  • Agnes Gray by Anne Bronte

What books do you recommend for Jane Eyre lovers?

21 thoughts on “6 Books to Read if you love Jane Eyre”

  1. Pingback: June Wrap-Up and July TBR – greenish bookshelf

  2. Good suggestions!

    Last year I read both Agnes Grey and the Tenant of Wildfell Hall since I’d never read any Anne Bronte, and I enjoyed them both. I’d recommend reading Agnes Grey first, as it’s shorter, and I liked Tenant better personally.

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  4. Pingback: Ten Interesting Posts You May Have Missed (6/9/19) – Pages Unbound | Book Reviews & Discussions

  5. Great list! I love to see people recommend Gaskell. I find her social commentary fascinating!

    Catherynne Valente wrote a cool fantasy called The Glass Town game in which the Bronte siblings enter the magical world of their juvenilia! It’s a fun read!

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  8. lydiaschoch

    What an intriguing post! Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favourite novels. I haven’t read most of the books on your list, but now I want to check them out. 🙂

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  10. Hallo, Hallo,…

    I’ve been travelling through the book blogosphere this weekend seeking out discussing the Ravenwood Saga – a Dark Fantasy with High Fantasy elements within it – and of course, one reader mentioned how it was a strong representation of Gothic Medevalism which I had to concur I agreed — thus, when I saw your subject line about “what to read after Eyre” you had me most intrigued as that is the kind of mood I am currently in to be reading! lol

    Speaking directy on the topic – I have been trying to finish reading “Jane Eyre” since I started blogging (or thereabouts) whilst I have a sequel series I want to begin as well. It isn’t mentioned on your post but its the Eyre Hall Trilogy by Luccia Gray? I have the first two in print and I am hoping one day the third will go into print so I can finish the series — this Summer I am hoping to at least get through the first of the trilogy as that would make my heart soar I could finally dig back into Eyre and complete the experience. It has felt like a journey at this point!

    I’ve been keen on finding sequels and/or re-tellings or just stories inspired by and/or influenced by Eyre which again is why this post appealled to me!

    The stories on this list which I will pick up myself are definitely:

    *Rebecca // its been rec’d to me for ages but I also had a healthy curiosity about it before people started to encourage me to read it.

    *The Bronte Plot // everything you shared about it is enough of a reason for me to be keen on reading it! I have also seen this previously but continuously keep forgetting about it!

    *Northanger Abbey // has been on my TBR for #AustenInAugust for several years now… perhaps this is the Summer at long last?

    *The Secret Garden is a beloved classic and I love seeing the different film adaptations for it as well.

    —-

    *Words of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley was a wicked good read I felt and it is hinged so dearly into the siblings of the Brontes to a level of insight I hadn’t previously known

    *Keeping Kate by Lauren Winder Farnsworth was a cherished find – it is a re-telling of Eyre and it was such a wicked good selection to have found – I am hoping I keep my copy easily to be re-grabbed off my shelf as I haven’t seen it in awhile – after I finish Eyre I wanted to re-read this one because its such a gem!

    You’ll find my reviews for both of these novels on my blog – would love to hear your thoughts if you visit and maybe if you try them?

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment!

      Good luck finishing Jane Eyre! It sounds like a book you would definitely enjoy. Sometimes, we have to find the right time to read a book, right? Hoping this summer is your time!

      I haven’t heard of the Eyre Hall Trilogy by Luccia Gray but it sounds fascinating. I will have to check it out! Good luck reading them this summer

      Have you read much Jane Austen? I loved Northanger Abbey when I reread it earlier this year. It’s a brilliant novel. I have only Mansfield Park left to reread then I will have read (and blogged reviews of) the full 6 Austen novels.

      I love everything Katherine Reay writes (author of The Bronte Plot) so if you enjoy that one, there are several more to read! They are all stand alone novels so no pressure to read a trilogy or anything. Haha.

      I will have to look into those other Bronte inspired/retellings. Sounds fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

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