Jane Eyre
London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1847. First Edition. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1847. 3 vols. First edition of her first book (only 503 copies were printed). Late 19th century 3/4 morocco, in a matching full morocco slipcase. A near fine set, with all 3 genuine half–titles. Ex–John Louis Ketterlinus, Ex–John Francis Neylan (bookplates of both). Fine. Item #1110
Jane Eyre is a tension-filled psychological romance, so intentionally layered as to court deconstruction. It marked a new event in adult fiction, just as Jane herself was a new breed of heroine, intelligent and passionate but lacking the grace, charm and beauty usually associated with romantic luminaries, one of those naive women who trusts that the bull won’t charge because she is a vegetarian. Superficially it’s a moral tale, akin to a folk fable, omitting ambiguities in society, situation, and character. Deeper it’s a fairy tale full of superstition and myth, but it’s also a symbolic novel, pervaded with elements of nature that epitomize an incident or person in Jane’s life. And that includes the weather, often presaging mysterious or disastrous events. Woven through all this are character foils, parallel situations and other foreshadowings, gathered like distant cousins for the reading of a will, with seemingly chance happenings gaining significance in an impartial rhythm as the novel unfolds, so each previous circumstance is echoed in the next. Most of Jane’s choices are easy ones. Her only difficult decision is whether to become Rochester’s mistress, or leave Thornfield alone and penniless even though she has no family or friends to influence her with their disapproval, and no one who would be hurt if she consented, except herself. But it isn’t what she thinks that counts, it’s what she comes to think in time, so she matures, but in a real world way, without her character changing greatly. And all of this is written with a dexterously crafted structure, in a first person narrative, designed to grip the reader in Jane’s ardor and intensity. A revolution of prose fiction, focusing on the moral and spiritual development of the protagonist through an intimate exploration of themes centering on independence, social critique, and personal growth with profound psychological intensity. The result is the novel as art. High art.
Price:
$55,000.00