Response to page 330

Let me commence by letting you all know that I will be responding through chapter 25.  This book has surprisingly gotten me intrigued.  The dull cover, meshed with the irksome topic, worried me at first, but after reading more and more, I find it harder to set down the book.  The love connection between Jane and Rochester has truly enhanced the book, making it much more exciting.  However, I do have many reservations about the connection between the aforementioned characters.  It seems almost too good to be true.  For Rochester to simply forget about his wife-to-be for plain Jane, something has got to be up! This fact, combined with the tree split, and Rochester's refusal to tell Jane all of the facts until they are married for a year and a day, really are not settling well with me.  It seems that something is going to go terribly wrong in the coming pages.

Other than this qualm, I have very few reservations about the book.  Bronte does a great job at talking 'with' the reader, rather than talking 'to' the reader.  This makes for a much more interesting story, allowing the reader to be there with her throughout her adventures.  Although some descriptions seem nonessential and frankly too long, Bronte chose a great way to write this book.  

A part that I found very interesting was when Jane visits Gateshead upon hearing news that her cousin, John, has committed suicide, and Mrs. Reed informs Jane that her uncle wishes to leave his estate to Jane.  I believe this part is foreshadowing something much larger.  There was a reason that Bronte chose this as the right time for Jane to receive this letter.  

Overall, I am surprisingly content with this book, and can't wait to see what is to come.