Jane Eyre Read-Along: Part 1

My friend, Amy, over at We'll Always Have Books is hosting a read-along of a classic: Jane Eyre.  I've never had a strong desire to read Jane Eyre, but always felt that I should.  So, I'm using the read-along as motivation to actually sit down with the book.  So far, I'm pleased.  The language is a bit old-school, but not nearly as difficult as I feared it would be.  After the first 10 chapters, Jane Eyre has captured my interest enough to commit to reading the rest of the book and blogging about it.  Here are two of my favorite passages so far:


"Such is the imperfect nature of man! such spots are there on the disc of the clearest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb."   [regarding Helen, whom Jane has just described as an extraordinary inspiration to her confidence, but in whom the teachers find a messy, careless pupil]


"Hush, Jane! you think too much of the love of human beings; you are too impulsive, too vehement: the sovereign hand that created your frame, and put life into it, has provided you with other resources than your feeble self, or than creatures feeble as you.  Besides this earth, and besides the race of men, there is an invisible world and a kingdom of spirits: that world is round us, for it is everywhere; and those spirits watch us, for they are commissioned to guard us: and if we were dying in pain and shame, if scorn smote us on all sides, and hatred crushed us, angels see our tortures, recongise our innocence...,and God waits only the separation of spirit from flesh to crown us with a full reward.  Why, then, should we ever sink overwhelmed with distress, when life is so soon over, and death is so certain an entrance to happiness - to glory?"  [spoken by Helen]