This is first of the paranormalized classics I've gotten to read (mostly, I'll admit, because I managed to snag a free copy from sfsignal.com). I found to be pretty good, page-turning fun.

The original classic is not one that I've read (other than a quick skim of the first chapter and a recent watching of the 1944 film version with Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells), so I can't fully vouch for the harmony of this version with the plot, characters, tone, or style of Miss Brontë's volume. But I can say that it satisfied my own inner ear and expectations.

The Buffy-zation of Jane and her world was mostly seamless. Once one accepted the fact that vampires, zombies, and ultimately a werewolf or two inhabited her world, allowing her to become a kung fu fighter in petticoats was an easy step. At a few points I felt the author threatening to strain my suspension of disbelief. But these quickly resolved and the story continued with consonance.

There are a bunch of these books coming out now (I've even spotted one based on Huckleberry Finn). It's tempting to read them all. But I'm certain I could not survive on an exclusive diet of this dish for an extended period. I nonetheless plan to snack on a few in the coming months. ( )

I REALLY wanted to read this when it was first released. Just the title switch of 'Jane Slayre' and that cover! I was in. Been sitting on my TBR shelves for ages. But with the crazy crisis happening, the least I can do is indulge and read the books I want to read the most, in the hopes that I can focus better, instead of doing what I usually do; which is create this vast mathematical equation in my head of what I should be reading based on various factors. So yes, this book is wonderful. Imagine Jane Eyre and Buffy as one character. YES. It is the basic premise, story layout and characters of the amazing, beloved original 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, but full of monsters. Let's be honest: the original 'Jane Eyre' already contains a few monsters and the original Jane Eyre is also a badass. The concepts are seamless -- fits like a custom made lace Victorian glove to Jane's tiny hand. Honestly, I wish there was MORE monster mayhem. The writer has a lovely enough way with words herself, doesn't really need to adapt the books of others, but nothing can really beat the purple-prose-before-it-was-out-of-fashion that is the writing style of the Bronte sisters. I have such love for the original, so it's difficult to tell if I can separate this story from the original. But this was fun - a great way to revisit. ( )

I liked it well enough. Though I have read better mash ups. ( )

Putting beloved characters and plots into different contexts is delightful when it casts a new light on what is already known, thereby deepening the existing knowledge. This is a hard thing to do-- too much novelty and the characters become strangers, too little and the additional material feels artificial and poorly integrated. Jane Slayre, as a book, is rather odd. I think the supernatural context is well-integrated into the world building, but the necessity of putting Jane through all the plot hoops of the old book means her character can't change or react much to the zombies, vampyres, and etc she encounters. Very frustrating. ( )

I had a rough time getting through this ( )