Jess's Reviews > Reader, I Murdered Him

3.5/5 *SPOILERS AHEAD*

A dark twist on the beloved classic “Jane Eyre”, with the best title to exist in history, told through Adele’s (aka the Villainess, aka Protector of Women) eyes. I’m afraid it’s been a couple of years since I last read “Jane Eyre”, so my memory is fuzzy on the original storyline, but this book brought some of the details back, as well as gave voices to neglected side characters (though I’m sorry—Mr. Rochester is completely ruined for me now. The romance? Nuh uh. Gone. We don’t mess around with predators). The author did a great job of capturing the voice and vernacular of the (I think?) Victorian era. I admired the themes woven throughout of solidarity and loyalty between women, and our duty to protect one another from the ghastly fates we may face; of the fact that the menaces in society are more often than not the rich who abuse their power, rather than the poor who are overlooked. The author also expanded on the queer themes which might be sowed throughout the original script—as the wise Marie Kondo said, this sparked joy.
I thought it was intriguing how the author interpreted some feminist themes. In “Jane Eyre”, our heroine gains financial power and independence at the end of the story, which allows her to enter a marriage with Mr. Rochester for love rather than necessity. They are on equal standing, a rare thing for women in the 19th century. In “Reader, I Murdered Him”, however, we see how Jane becomes ensnared in domestic life, tending to her children and (manipulative) husband. This isn’t to say that the domestic life isn’t wonderful for those who seek it, it’s the fact that Jane was in love with someone she thought she knew, but didn’t, and this created a power imbalance where Mr. Rochester was the swindler and Jane was the swindled. Adele comes into her own fortune in a similar fashion as her governess at the end of the book. Seeing how even the strong-minded, iconic Jane was duped by the big fat lie which is ✨men✨, she compensates by refusing to tie herself down (at least legally—she does fall in love with a girl, to whom she is betrothed in spirit, and they form a partnership of true equals). Long story short: as many men will inevitably disappoint you, stick with women, kids.
I have dreamed about writing a story where women punish the men who act like pigs yet never face the consequences, and this book provided that catharsis. Cleansing for the soul, maybe not for the clothes; murder is a drastic way to take matters into your own hands, but there are slightly less “get-you-incarcerated” ways in which we can look out for one another, stand up against bullies, and lift each other up in real life. Perhaps the worst tactic the patriarchy uses to keep women oppressed is training them to see each other as threats, when this is the furthest thing from the truth. We need to empower one another, because if we don’t, then who will?
My only qualms with this book were that it was a tad slow and repetitive in a couple of places. The language would get a bit precious for my taste, but then it would pick up pace. The description was beautiful, and listening to the audiobook felt almost meditative.
The author’s note added another layer of appreciation to the story, and I admire Betsy Cornwell for creating a whole new world out of this classic. It’s definitely made me want to re-read “Jane Eyre” through an older, more mature lens.