Wide Sargasso Sea
Jean Rhys
This book provide's the background story of Brontë's famous mad woman in the attic from Jane Eyre.
I felt that it was excellent as a stand-alone book, but, being a huge fan of Jane Eyre I really didn't feel much of a connection. The character of Edward Rochester, especially, felt like an entirely different character from the original. There were other discrepencies as well, although they are harder to pinpoint.
Setting aside the Jane Eyre connection, this was a strong, powerful book - dark, ominous, threatening, intense. A chaotic world where evil is ubiquitous, and often wears a smile. These were the forces that, in the end, caused the madness that afflicted Antoinette/Bertha Mason, and the reader is made to feel them. It is a primal read, one that grabs the reader, and one that you feel in your gut. The short length just saves it from bding too dark and difficult to read.
No mistake, there is a dark kind of beauty to the work, as well. I would definitely recommend this book for it's outstanding, powerful, unique writing, and for anyone who is interested in exploring the deeper shadows of the human soul.
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