This is a hard book to rate. It's a classic that inspired so much. But I also think it's so dumb. Mr. Rochester is gross and creepy and not a good guy. But, whatever. Still a good story.

DNF at page 302

My second attempt didn't go so well. The first time I read this, I gave it 4/5 and you can read my review below. This time, I couldn't get through it. It was so annoying and I just... I couldn't. Not my kind of book in the least.

Original review:

Coming into this book, my only knowledge was what I kind of remembered from watching one of the movie adaptations. And, I spaced out halfway through it, so I didn't remember much at all. The basic plot, and that was it.

Happily, I found that this was not like [b:Wuthering Heights|6185|Wuthering Heights|Emily Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388212715l/6185._SY75_.jpg|1565818], a book that I did not like too much as a whole. Yes, there was an asshole of a man who was supposed to be attractive. Yes, there was one woman who was insane.

But the comparisons end there.

Overall, I liked Jane as a character. She was resourceful, strong, and witty. I liked the relationship between her and Rochester because they were a match for each other. Of course, there were bits about Jane I didn't like. Personally, I didn't like that she went back to Rochester in the end, although he had become a dynamic character (aka wasn't as much of a shit). I also didn't like how much she put out that self-hate. Seriously, there was one passage in the book I cringed through as she drew herself to compare herself to a description of a woman she had never met... all for a guy.

Rochester was a dick. But, he was a good match for Jane. Out of all the trials she'd gone through in her life, he was a pretty easy one to handle. He just should realize next time to never hide the fact that he's married when he's out courting behind his wife's back.

St. John deserves a comment as well. He was a dick, too. A different type of dick, but a dick nonetheless. Seriously? You want to marry someone so you can "mate" with them? That is how you word it? No wonder no one wants to marry you and you die alone.

For the plot, I realized about halfway through that this was going to be a long ending once the whole thing dwindled down and I remembered where it was going. It's a classic, though. What more can you expect?