More Jane Eyre Odds & Ends: Book Review of The Eyre Affair, Comments on Some Live Productions

[@wesc6755]

The sign of a great channel is when I have no interest in the subject, but still enjoy hearing your thoughts on it.

[@thevelvetskyandstars]

I used to be a bookseller and met Jasper Fforde for lunch to have him sign his recently released debut, The Eyre Affair. He is a remarkable fellow with boundless energy and a genuine passion for a wide range of literature. For instance, he had a photographic memory of every Tintin book. I tested this with various questions, which he handled with aplomb.

[@MoeFoeJo]

I don’t know what it is but getting a notification that you uploaded. Instantly makes my day 😁

[@LiamMichael-zr1uz]

Your affection for Jane Eyre prompted me to watch two adaptations: the 1943 and the 2006 adaptations. I enjoyed both very much, especially the 2006 adaptation. Thank you for introducing me to these and other material that I wouldn’t have watched otherwise. You make your videos enjoyable regardless of the topic.

[@Weiselberry]

You are very welcome! I'm so glad you took a chance and enjoyed them.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

I enjoyed this video, your presentation was, as always, engaging.

[@Weiselberry]

Thank you!

[@philarmstrong3765]

LOVE Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels! As much as I liked your work before, you are now my hero. And if you like Fforde, wait til you stumble upon Terry Pratchett.

[@Weiselberry]

I've read many Terry Pratchett books. :)

[@philarmstrong3765]

@@Weiselberry You SO rock!

[@ronnieburton1312]

Very sorry to hear about Michael Jayston. I enjoy your videos about Jane Eyre and I wouldn't be interested in modernizing the characters either. Always appreciate and look forward to your reviews!

[@donkelley7407]

Hi J. This was fun, was interested in all of it. I used to be in Group 1 but now after reading the book and seeing two (three?) adaptations, it's a pleasure to hear about the various Eyre productions that caught your attention. So I guess I'm Group 3, 4 or 5 by now. I hope it's not your last Jane Eyre video, and I have a feeling it won't be. You never know what may come out of the woodwork. Thanks!

[@stevenklinden]

The sequel to Shades of Grey finally came out in the UK last month, and I think it's being released in the U.S. in May.

[@Weiselberry]

Really?? I had no idea. It's only, what, fourteen years later than expected?

[@stevenklinden]

@@WeiselberryYeah, like you I had assumed the promised sequel was never going to happen. I'll be reading it, though given that it's a decade-and-a-half-later sequel, I'm trying not to get my hopes up very much. (I liked the Thursday Next books, but I LOVED Shades of Grey.)

[@buzzawuzza3743]

Who are these people who don't dig your videos? I like hearing your take on things, especially old black and white films. They seem so distant to many young people that I want to hear what you think. And when you review Ronald Colman movies it's the best. Joseph Cotton would be jealous if he was still alive. Keep up the good work. Best wishes to you.

[@mpulsiveartist]

I enjoyed your odds and ends discussion. Next time you should include bits and bobs as well. Maybe even some dribs and drabs. You can't have too much hodgepodge, in my opinion. Looking forward to your next video. Have a wonderful day.

[@Ned_of_the_Hill]

Dear Ms. Weiselberry, *Thank you* for your awesome videos! I love your eclectic mix of classic literature, the golden age of Hollywood, and kaiju films! I've had a similar experience with sequels (prequels, etc.) by other authors; they truly can be hit or miss with me. That is certainly true of some of the Sherlock Holmes pastiches, though the ones by Nicolas Mayer and Anthony Horowitz are good. I also liked Greg Bear's "Dinosaur Summer" (sequel to Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World") and Stephen Baxter's "The Massacre of Mankind" (follow-up to H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds"). Those two novels also work as alternative histories with appearances by real-world historical figures.

[@jonrobinson8549]

Your love of "Jane Eyre" is interesting to me. I enjoy your talks about it, and I even watched the Joan Fontaine film on your recommendation. I saw the Berkeley Shakespeare Company perform "MacBeth" in 1985. It was a wacky production (meant as a compliment), and I admit I had a hard time understanding it, not knowing the story beforehand. But, I knew I wanted more. I'm a Shakespeare fan consequently, and "MacBeth" is my favorite. I've seen a couple more productions and several films. I can go on and on about it. So, cheers to your "Jane Eyre" enthusiasm from someone who understands. Film idea: "Jane Eyre Meets Godzilla," a Weiselberry Production.

[@risboturbide9396]

Merci beaucoup, Jerome!

[@kaylanash3588]

I'm so excited you saw the Stagescripts production! Although I found the romantic subplot between two of the servents very amusing, I do agree with you that the dance ensembles by the servents did seem somewhat out of place in a Jane Eyre musical. It felt like they just threw them in there because they thought every good musical needed a few dance numbers. I have also seen the Cronton College production. It is a good production, but I think my only complaint was the lighting was a bit dark at times, so it was kind of hard to see what was taking place on stage at certain points of the show. I do love their trailer for the production as I believe it sums up the story of Jane Eyre beautifully. The Eyre Affair sounds interesting, but fantasy and alternitive universes aren't really my cup of tea. I know you are not a fan of Jane Eyre sequels, but I really enjoyed Death of a Schoolgirl, which is book one in The Jane Eyre Chronicles by Joanna Campbell Slan. One of these days, I would like to get to the next book in the series after I get through my box of books to be read. I also really enjoy Charlene Dekalb's re-working of Jane Eyre, Decide Your Own Fate, The Governess of Thornfield. I just think it is so neat that the story of Jane Eyre has continued to entertain and inspire so many people in their own creative endeavors across the years since it was published in 1847.

[@Weiselberry]

Ha, yes, there was one dance sequence in particular that felt like it had been ripped from a Rodgers and Hammerstein show. Very unusual. I know what you mean about the Cronton College one and the lighting. I wished it had been filmed a little more steadily from a more central location in the auditorium. But I should just be grateful that it was filmed at all, otherwise I wouldn't get to see it!

[@tonydeluna8095]

Hello Jerome happy Saturday! Love your channel

[@RSEFX]

Nice to have such a detailed overview of even the HS productions! The Japanese effort certainly seems worth checking out, as well as the one with the Rochester you say doesn't look the part (this is same one with the very mature-feeling performance by the presumably, 17 year old Jane Eyre actress couldn't she be 18, as some HS students are 18 when they graduate (such as moi)? Thanks for the video.

[@Weiselberry]

Yes, if it's high school I'd say she could be anywhere between 15 and 19, but 17 or 18 seems most likely. Either she's a very self-possessed, talented 18-year-old (which is totally possible!), or they went outside the student body and cast someone slightly older.

[@winterburden]

Thanks for this neat review and comments!

[@wmbriggz]

Started watching “ the day after “ and immediately recalled when I first watched it….. this sensitive soul cannot imagine watching it more than once….

[@BLASTOWICZ]

Big Jerome Weiselberry fan btw

[@the_bookish_took5348]

Eyre Affair sounds exactly like my cup of tea! I was sitting on the fence about it, knowing nothing except having a vague notion it had to with Jane Eyre in some way but with your description of it, it's definitely something I want to pick up now. It sounds goofy and I love goofy.

[@Weiselberry]

If you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

[@kellyjkennedy]

Always admire the way you present the things you're interested in here with a lot of passion - your enthusiasm is contagious and just makes me want to find out more about Jane Eyre. btw - I really liked the phrase Jane Eyre adjacent! :)

[@chrisdigitalartist]

Hi friend. In other sad news, my dad passed away on March 6. His funeral was today. I am going to miss him. He was my movie buddy, too. 😢 I have the comfort that he isn't suffering in pain anymore. 🙏

[@Weiselberry]

I'm so sorry to hear that, Chris. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[@chrisdigitalartist]

@@Weiselberry Thank you. 🙏

[@bartolomeuomacduibheamhnad6855]

@@chrisdigitalartist My condolences :( Wishing you comfort during this difficult time 🙏🏻

[@niallboyle5211]

Please accept my condolences. May your Dad rest in peace.

[@westhollywood5475]

My heart goes out to you and your family

[@Videogamelover58]

Great video

[@alandhopewell]

Hello, Sister Jerome! I fall into that first group of viewers you spoke of; even so, your enthusiasm for the subject made the video interesting, and hanging out with you fun. I may have asked this before - if so, please forgive me - but have you watched and reviewed 1962's CARNIVAL OF SOULS? I watched it again last night, and was once again drawn into this ethereal whirlpool of a film, despite repeated viewings. Thank you for a pleasant time spent with you, as it were. Guten Nacht.

[@Weiselberry]

I have seen Carnival of Souls, but I haven't reviewed it. That was a few years before I started doing the mini reviews. Good creepy movie! I'm glad you enjoyed this video, even if the topic is not one you're familiar with. :)

[@cloopera]

Your video has a vintage vibe. 😊

[@earthcreature5824]

Sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Jayston.I had not seen this news reported.I noticed that he was part of the large ensemble cast of two big budget,large scale,historical epics that bombed and are not highly regarded and yet, I am personally fond of them.Cromwell 1970 and Zulu Dawn 1979.He also played the ill-fated Czar in another historical epic Nicholas and Alexandra 1971.Thank you for the memories,Mr. Jayston. I keep wondering if there is a version of Jane Eyre that adapts the book practically verbatim?Dialogue and scene descriptions straight from the book.I am sure someone has attempted this.Thank you.Your findings are part of a vast community of Eyre information gatherers.Others will learn from you.And you will learn from others. And we will enjoy the results.

[@Weiselberry]

I think the 1973 miniseries is the closest we've gotten so far to a verbatim adaptation. Not that it's perfectly word-for-word, but it has fewer changes and includes scenes that most others cut or condense. It also includes a lot of Jane's inner monologue through voiceover. The stiffest competition is the 1983 adaptation, which is longer and equally faithful. Each one takes a few liberties on minor points, but I love them both.

[@earthcreature5824]

@@Weiselberry Thank you for your reply.Jane Eyre is a novel that has a narrative that lends itself quite well to being faithfully adapted to the screen.The only constraints being the limits of time.At least there are adaptations that you do love. It has been an honour and a pleasure to watch the videos that you have created for this Project-that has been years in the making.Your passion for Eyre is contagious.I hope that fellow Jane experts enjoy your thoughts as much as I (who is not an expert) do.

[@paulcoffey2667]

Oh, i'm so sorry but i'm not really in the ( Ms Jane Eyre and Co ) camp ( sorry ) ! . But , i did really enjoy your two book review of ( KHAN ..... ) haha ! . I realise that you have ( quite possibly a shed load of reviews to get through ) and a new one that's being put up next to that one ( a shed that is ) haha ! . However , i would very much appreciate it if you could review some more ( S/T Novels ) in particular - ( The Vanguard series ) - The first one is by David Mack called - ( Harbinger ) . It's set in the ( T-O-S ) time period - you know ( Kirk , and crew etc ) ? . Well , the sun is now over the yard arm , and it's also ( st Patricks day ) . so it's time to have some of the ( Black Stuff ) haha ! - that's Guiness to you and me - Slant ya ! - or as we here in England say - Cheers ! haha .

[@bartolomeuomacduibheamhnad6855]

It’s Sunday the 17th here now so Happy St Patrick’s Day :D ☘️ I haven’t read The Eyre Affair but did know of its existence and my awareness of it probably came from one of your videos, it’s also possible I may have read about it somewhere but have a sense it came from you. I have no doubt it’s a book I’d enjoy so I should really get to it, it seems like a fun series. It sounds like Jasper Fforde was an author you enjoyed reading and it’s disheartening how he has left you and other admirers of his series feeling slighted and without resolution, I’m sorry, it must be very disappointing. I’m always open to viewing some new Jane Eyre live productions and will give the ones you’ve mentioned and linked a watch :) ☘️☘️~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~ ☘️☘️

[@Weiselberry]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! You probably have heard about it from me, haha. I must have shown my Fforde collection in my book tour video, and I know a couple people have asked about it in the comments over the years. It used to be one of those books I'd blab about all the time to anyone who'd listen, so I guess it tells you something that it's taken me 9.5 years to get around to reviewing it. I do feel kind of interested in reading books 2-4 now... :)

[@bartolomeuomacduibheamhnad6855]

@@Weiselberry Ha Yes! My introduction to the Fforde collection must’ve come from your book tour video lol, I’m sure I may have heard you mention them a couple of more times over the years too. I will get books 1-4 :) I had become so distracted with wishing you a Happy St Patrick’s Day that I glossed over mentioning how sad it is that Michael Jayston passed away :( he seemed like a very charming man and I’m sure he’ll be missed by those who loved him. It must’ve been very tough news for Sorcha Cusack to hear also. You did such a great job speaking of him and his importance to Jane Eyre fans. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry and Happy St Patrick’s Day again because I’m milking it lol. ☘️🍀💚🇮🇪📗🦖

[@dragon-ly2xf]

Christopher Nolan praises GODZILLA MINUS ONE: "Speaking about director Takashi Yamazaki’s film via Film Updates, he says: “I thought it was a tremendous film. I thought it was so exciting. It’s beautifully made and the mechanics of it were so involving. There was wonderful depth to the characters and a wonderful sense of history that I really appreciated.” The project was made on a reported budget of just $12-15 million, almost unheard of for a film featuring the hundreds of elaborate visual effects shots this uses. The film ultimately pulled in over $107 million worldwide at the box-office. Yamazaki has previously hinted at making a film in response to Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” offering a Japanese counterpart to the events portrayed." source: Dark Horizons

[@drewlotzmoore]

Jane Eyre? That's a name I've never hear before, especially on this channel. Maybe I should look into it.

[@wmbriggz]

I googled incompletely bookseries 😂there are too many to list… but. “ game of thrones “ is apparently still incomplete.

[@kirstgrafx]

You may be interested in knowing the sequel to Shades of Grey, Red Side Story, has been released in the UK and will be released in the US in May. I think for The Eyre Affair one had to have read or seen an adaptation of Jane Eyre to understand Fforde's book. Otherwise you'd never have those, "that's not how the book goes," moments which make it so ridiculous and enjoyable. He shied away from that for later books, probably surprised at how many were not fully aware of the exact plot of Jane Eyre.

[@Weiselberry]

I'm flabbergasted to hear the sequel to Shades of Grey has really come out. And just when I declared my belief it would never happen! I think you're probably right that foreknowledge of Jane Eyre's plot is necessary here. An uninformed reader could follow along, but without an understanding of how Fforde's twists monkey around with the narrative as we know it, the book wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.

[@kirstgrafx]

@@WeiselberryI really remember my first run through the Eyre Affair, going "Did I forget a lot from Jane Eyre? Is that how it went?" and being delighted at how he turned it all around.

[@midi0210]

Can you recommend a novel that would have a narrative similar to that of Jane Eyre? It should be first-person, but also... it should be so honest and fresh. What I like about Jane is the self-reflection and high level of self-awareness of the heroine. She tries to describe her own interior clearly, honestly, and come to terms with herself. In general, the author undoubtedly shows psychological "tendencies" and if she lived in today's times... well, I would tell her that I found examples of reflection, clarification, fight and flight mode, cognitive dissonance, etc. (and to be super honest, prejudices and stereotypes too :D). I would be grateful for recommendations of such psychological novels. It would be great if it was also a morally uplifting book.

[@PaintDryPictures]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, J! 🍀

[@Weiselberry]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

[@chooseyouhandle]

Jane Eyre modernized. My skin is crawling just thinking of that.

[@niallboyle5211]

☘️ A happy Saint Patrick's Day to you Miss Weiselberry. Listening to your latest epistle was a lovely way to start our national day. Excelsior!

[@Weiselberry]

Happy St. Patrick's day to you, Niall!

[@TheGoodTheBadandTheCheezy]

I would probably want to scoop out my eyes with a spoon before watching or reading Jane Eyre. So, I am one of those who just enjoy watching your reviews.

[@Weiselberry]

I can't imagine what you think is in Jane Eyre...

[@joylederman4501]

Stupid KZbin, neglected to let me know when you posted this video! In recent months I've gotten used to seeing your reviews automatically pop up on Saturday evenings. When I hadn't seen it by the following Tuesday, I was getting concerned about you and actively went looking for it, only to discover it was a Jane Eyre video and had been posted on Saturday as usual. Arghhh! Anyway, I totally agree with your disdain for Jane Eyre Fan Fiction. You know what a JE Fundamentalist I am, finding even movies to be annoying if they stray too far from Bronte's plot. IMO it's utter sacrilege to try to create new works of fiction using Jane Eyre as a basis. Seems creatively lazy to me....I did finally watch most of the KZbin videos you linked in this review. I found the Japanese version of the musical to be quite interesting. And I wrote a long comment on the Stagescripts site when I first saw that version some time ago. ...Guess you can count me among the latter group of viewers who were led to your channel by Jane Eyre, and have stayed for all the other great content. Thanks!

[@Weiselberry]

I'm glad you found it! The almighty KZbin algorithm must be on the team that doesn't care about Jane Eyre videos. :)

[@vdelrio999]

Wow. The hottest of thumbnails.

[@deboracopeland4795]

Aren’t they all dead? Hard to do a sequel.

[@yyyfffff33333]

You do like Jane Eyre don't you !

[@Krishnachauhanhhdbbfbh]

Ma'am, YOU LOOK LIKE A DEW KISSED FLOWER.