The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

Are you a fan of Jane Eyre?  Have you read the book?  Do you have a favorite movie or TV version?

The Wife Upstairs is a modern day take on Jane Eyre.  Jane has recently moved to Birmingham Alabama and works as a dogwalker in the rich Thornfield Estates Community.  She takes trinkets on the side and is always watching. Resident Eddie Rochester’s wife Bea has recently been presumed dead.  Bea had started a Southern homestyle line and made a fortune.  Eddie and Jane soon start a romance, but Jane has a lot of questions.  What exactly happened to Bea and how was Eddie involved?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a Rogue Book Club selection for November.  Unfortunately, only one other member read it, but she enjoyed it as much as I did.  She had not read the original Jane Eyre and still enjoyed this book on its own merits.

·       This retelling of Jane Eyre was a new story in itself.  It kept the names and some scenarios from the original tale, but it gives the story its own unique spin.

·       This book kept me guessing.  I kept thinking that I had it figured out and then the story would switch.  This was often achieved with changing the point of view.

·       I didn’t really like any of the characters.  Unlike the original novel, this Jane was not a good person.  I still wanted to know what would happen to the characters.  It was a plot driven novel.

·       Jane grew up in foster care.  She is street smart, but she can read people and blend into her surroundings.  She mimics Bea’s style and that of the ladies in the neighborhood.  Jane is strong willed and will get her happy ending.

·       The author said at the end that she gives Jane the ending she deserves.  I’m not sure if I agreed with the ending of the book being the ending that Jane deserved.

·       Minus one star for the “Reader, I F&*^ed him” quote.  While it did make me chuckle, I didn’t like this rewrite of the famous Jane Eyre quote.

·       This also reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which is itself a modern day take on Jane Eyre.  Just like in Rebecca, the start of the novel was romance between Eddie and Jane as they got together. 

Overall, I thought The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was very entertaining!

Book Source:  A gift from a friend