I Am No Bird; and No Net Ensnares Me

This past year I spent four months studying abroad in London. And, as one should do when they visit London, I spent an afternoon touring Westminster Abbey. Among the notable kings and queens buried there, is the infamous niche dubbed "the poets corner". It is here that Charles Dickens is buried. In addition, the corner is filled with memorials to Jane Austen, T.S Elliot and William Shakespeare as well as many other great writers. I'm not above admitting that being in such a magnificent place brought a tear to my eye. One of the most touching areas of this corner is the memorial to the three Bronte sisters. I've only read works from two of the Bronte's but I'm certainly anticipating more great things from all three of them as I continue to trudge through this list of books. The two Bronte works I have read however, are two of my favorite books of all time.

Jane Eyre: Words cannot describe how much I love this book and its characters. Jane is everything I could hope to be. She values intelligence and never gives up her beliefs, even for Mr. Rochester, the love of her life. She is not afraid to break the customs of her time; her strength and conviction is inspiring.Her personal struggles in her search for for freedom in the midst of love is beautiful. And then there's her relationship with Mr. Rochester. Their love is one filled with passion. The reader experiences the painful longing that Jane feels for him, and the agony that accompanies her discovery that Rochester is, in fact, a married man. In addition, the reader is made keenly aware of the passion Rochester has for Jane. He makes it clear at all times (except the exposition of the story, of course) that he values and loves Jane for her intelligence and spirit. Their relationship is exactly of the kind I envision for myself, an admiration of both personality and ability founded on mutual love and respect. A story worthy of an A+, hands down.

Wuthering Heights: I loved Wuthering Heights. Despite is oppressive and tragic nature, it offers one of the most interesting character studies in the person of Heathcliffe and capitalizes on my interest in the theme of revenge. Heatcliffe sets out on a mission to get revenge on those who have wronged him, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. This story offers a beautiful examination of the dangers of obsessive love and poses a rather interesting question. The reader is left to decide if the passion of Heathcliffe and Catherine is heroic or immoral and destructive. There is a wonderful juxtaposition of nature and culture here, and the novel is definitely worth a thorough reading. I give it an A.

23 down, 978 to go!

"I feel monotony and death to be almost the same." (Charlotte Bronte)