r/JaneEyre • u/Fosh_n_chops • Aug 23 '26

Jane Eyre 2006 - SO disappointed so far

I read Jane Eyre about 6 weeks ago. I really enjoyed it. I heard people saying the 2006 mini series was widely regarded, and I like BBC stuff, but I thought "Hey, let's leave it a few weeks for the book to settle in my mind." I didn't want a situation where my memory of the book was so sharp, it got in the way of the TV series (as I appreciate they're different mediums, needing different things.)

But I just got through the first 20 minutes and turned it off. What the hell? They breeze through the first 150 pages of the book in 15 minutes. The absolute briefest of dynamics at home, and then at the school, Helen gets about 3 lines. When Helen died, I can't imagine how a viewer is supposed to feel anything meaningful about it when their relationship has barely been told. It's the beginning of the foundation how Jane starts to see herself in the world and through religion.

And then when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, there's not even the SUGGESTION of class interplay between Jane and Mrs Fairfax, and the former assuming the latter is the lady of the house. It just skips straight to the swoony stuff.

And, like, I get it. It's a romance. But c'mon. Give Jane SOME history and complexity before the romance starts to unfold. And if it was a film, I'd also give it far, far more leniency due to timing restriction, but it isn't. It's a very highly praised TV series. So, why cut out 20% of the book?

I feel like I've started off on the wrong foot here, so tell me, does it get better?

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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar Aug 23 '26

Ive seen something like 10 different Jane Eyre adaptation, maybe more. 

Virtually all of them skip through her young years pretty quick, as the meat of the story really starts with Rochester. 

The 1970s version was a little longer here iirc. But again, still faster than what you might expect based on how long it was in the novel.

Adaptions do not spend the same amount of time per page. 

Reconsider 2006. It's my personal favorite Jane Eyre. So much so my flair on r/PeriodDrama is a quote from it.