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Tracy Chevalier
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Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre Kindle Edition

by Tracy Chevalier (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 407 ratings
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This collection of original stories by today’s finest women writers takes inspiration from the famous line in Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel, Jane Eyre.

A fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her books featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today. And who could forget one of literatures’ best-known lines: “Reader, I married him” from her classic novel Jane Eyre?

Part of a remarkable family that produced three acclaimed female writers at a time in 19th-century Britain when few women wrote, and fewer were published, Brontë has become a great source of inspiration to writers, especially women, ever since. Now in Reader, I Married Him, twenty of today’s most celebrated women authors have spun original stories, using the famous line from Jane Eyre as a springboard for their own flights of imagination.

Reader, I Married Him will feature stories by:

Tracy Chevalier

Tessa Hadley

Sarah Hall

Helen Dunmore

Kirsty Gunn

Joanna Briscoe

Jane Gardam

Emma Donoghue

Susan Hill

Francine Prose

Elif Shafak

Evie Wyld

Patricia Park

Salley Vickers

Nadifa Mohamed

Esther Freud

Linda Grant

Lionel Shriver

Audrey Niffenegger         

Namwali Serpell

Elizabeth McCracken

Unique, inventive, and poignant, the stories in Reader, I Married Him pay homage to the literary genius of Charlotte Brontë, and demonstrate once again that her extraordinary vision continues to inspire readers and writers.

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  1. Print length
    307 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    William Morrow Paperbacks
  5. Publication date
    March 22, 2016
  6. File size
    1244 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Narrator Laura Kirman is given the daunting task of making each story distinct and just as full of emotion as the one before it, and she performs admirably...Kirman's talent means that every story is given its due, thus honoring not only the stories but their source as well.

-- "AudioFile"

Exemplary...written by some of today's best female writers.

-- "Chicago Tribune"

More than a homage to Charlotte Bronte, [these] stories provide fascinating takes on the inexhaustible subject of love.

-- "New York Times Book Review"

A clever idea well-executed; a treat for fans of short fiction and for Bronte's many ardent fans.

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A beguiling picture of women and men and desire, in which everyone is searching, like Jane, for happiness.

-- "Globe and Mail (Toronto)"

From the Back Cover

This collection of original stories by today’s finest woman writers takes inspiration from the famous line in Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel, Jane Eyre

A fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her books featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today. And who could forget one of literature’s best-known lines: “Reader, I married him” from her classic novel Jane Eyre?

Part of a remarkable family that produced three acclaimed female writers at a time in nineteenth-century Britain when few women wrote, and fewer were published, Brontë has become a great source of inspiration to writers, especially women, ever since. Now, in Reader, I Married Him, twenty of today’s most celebrated woman authors have spun original stories using Jane Eyre as a springboard.

Reader, I Married Him features stories by:

Tracy Chevalier, Tessa Hadley, Helen Dunmore, Kirsty Gunn, Joanna Briscoe, Jane Gardam, Emma Donoghue, Susan Hill, Francine Prose, Elif Shafak, Evie Wyld, Patricia Park, Salley Vickers, Nadifa Mohamed, Esther Freud, Linda Grant, Sarah Hall, Lionel Shriver, Audrey Niffenegger, Namwali Serpell, Elizabeth McCracken

Unique, inventive, and poignant, the stories in Reader, I Married Him pay homage to the literary genius of Charlotte Brontë, and demonstrate once again that her extraordinary vision continues to inspire readers and writers.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B011ITBWNA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (March 22, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1244 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 307 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 407 ratings

About the author

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Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier

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Tracy is the author of 10 novels, including the international bestseller GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, which has sold over 5 million copies and been made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. American by birth, British by geography, she lives in London with her husband and son. Her latest novel, A SINGLE THREAD, tells the story of an English woman between the Wars who forges an independent life in Winchester. Tracy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has honorary doctorates from her alma maters Oberlin College and the University of East Anglia. Her website www.tchevalier.com will tell you more about her and her books.

Photo: Nina Subin

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
407 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Patsy Chastang
5.0 out of 5 stars An Adorable Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
Jane Eyre, I've read this book and watched numerous movies. So when I saw this I had to read it. 'Readers, I married him', this is one of the famous quotes from Jane Eyre.

I have never read a book like this before, each author writes one chapter using this quote from Jane Eyre. This was adorable, written by some of the authors that I didn't know but each chapter was a well written complete story.

This is an excellent way to find other good authors. My favorite chapter was 'The Orphan Exchange' each chapter was very unique, there were 21 authors that wrote a chapter, writing in their own style, using their imagination, talent and their love for writing to entertain us. I was amazed when I found this book. Thanks to all the authors that gave their time to write these chapters. I found each chapter charming, some sad, loving, and unique. I recommend this book to everyone, enjoy.
3 people found this helpful
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Avid Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars Reader, The're Fooling Us
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
I'm a huge Jane Eyre fan and bought this collection on the basis that it was "inspired" by that novel. Well... not so much. While there were a few stories recognizably inspired by Jane Eyre, most were simply about some aspect of being or getting married. Had I known that ahead of time, I probably wouldn't have bought the collection. There are some quite good stories here, a couple of excellent stories, and sadly, some real duds. If you're looking for an overall decent collection of short stories, then you'll probably enjoy the book. If you're looking for a collection of Jane Eyre inspired stories, look further.
15 people found this helpful
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larry maupin
4.0 out of 5 stars Jane Revisited
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
Most of the stories in this volume are amusing and enjoyable, though not very serious. In one, Rochester is a dog. In another, Grace Poole claims that Rochester "took advantage" of her when she first came to Thornfield Hall as a young woman. A couple of the stories present Jane in an unfavorable light. One even suggests that she deliberately caused the accident in which Rochester was injured while riding his horse. But yet another gives us a sweet glimpse of what Adele might have been like as a grown woman.

I think there is room for another volume of these stories, and would like to read it if it is ever published. There is no story dealing with the fortune-telling scene, which would have been an obvious and welcome choice. Also, I did not notice any reference to Jane's time with St. John Rivers and his cousins, which I think was one of the great parts of the novel and would make a natural subject for a story.

I do recommend the book, with only the caveat that a few of the stories are disappointing because they are set in the present time and have only a remote connection, if any, to the novel itself.
8 people found this helpful
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Tricia
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed...
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I had pretty high hopes for this collection considering Jane Eyre is my favorite book and Tracy Chevalier has always impressed me with her historical fiction. It has been on my "to read" list for far too long. Sadly, I found myself disappointed. There were a couple good stories in the beginning that hooked me in, but then the rest of them I could barely pay attention to (I listened to the audio version), with one or two more good ones sprinkled in. I can't quite put my finger on what the problem was, other than they just didn't catch my interest.

One that sticks with me is from the perspective of Grace Poole, and another from the perspective of Mr. Rochester. Maybe I was expecting more like that - taking the known story and exploring it deeper vs. these other love stories that grabbed the phrase "Reader, I married him" or just were general love stories in some way.

The book doesn't try to sell itself as other perspectives of the Jane Eyre saga solely, so it's not like that's solely what I expected and it's not that I am against any love story that isn't Jane Eyre's. I just didn't really enjoy these stories, in particular.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Short Stories of Love and/or Marriage
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very intriguing collection of short stories based on a line from the book, Jane Eyre. No two stories are alike. Each author presents a unique perspective on the subject. Some involve marriage in all its myriad incarnations, while others simply document human partnerships and all the pitfalls therein. Some are deep and dark, like a Bronte novel, others are more hopeful. Some are just curious and delightful. Short stories have always been one of my favorite reads. Especially for airplanes, doctor's appointments, etc., where you are likely to be interrupted often. It's the kind of book you can pick up and put down, one short tale at a time, and not lose the storyline, or feel resentful of the interruption. Kudos Ms Chevalier!
One person found this helpful
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BJ
3.0 out of 5 stars Strange bundle of short stories
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2020
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The famous line where Bronte includes us by telling us in Jane's voice that she married Mr. Rochester is used as a basis for a group of short stories. Some were lovely and either on point or modernization of the original. I liked them. I strangely enough liked the one where Jane finds her first love from the orphanage in a dystopian future.

The one where Rochester comes to understand the depth of what he did to his first wife when it is too late to do anything about it was my favorite. A mentally fragile wife whose post partum depression leaves her unable to form a connection with her baby slips into real mental illness when she finds the baby died while in care. Rochester's world weary passive aggressive feeling toward Jane actually seem more in line with my interpretation of him.

There were several stories that had no place with the theme of the book and were badly written filler.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars RA
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
Most of these stories were perfect miniatures of literary fiction. Behind the Mountain was as subtle as a lost story of Katherine Mansfield. Reader, She Married Me had elements of Wide Sargasso Sea, with the first Mrs Rochester suffering postnatal depression. Dorset Gap was a sweet story, in a good 'bookish' way. Despite the botanic inaccuracy of sycamore seeds being in "pods", The Self Seeding Sycamore was a story that really grew on me: a pithy piece of fine grained quality. Not all these marital relationships were heterosexual: The Orphan Exchange was a fantastic contemporary twist on Jane Eyre - war torn from its very pages.
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Cliente Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Lettura piacevole e leggera
Reviewed in Italy on February 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
Ho comprato questo libro per preparare un esame. Devo dire che la maggior parte dei racconti sono piacevoli e originali.
Lo consiglio a tutte/i coloro che hanno amato il capolavoro di Charlotte Brönte, Jane Eyre.
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Cliente Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Lettura piacevole e leggera
Reviewed in Italy on February 2, 2021
Ho comprato questo libro per preparare un esame. Devo dire che la maggior parte dei racconti sono piacevoli e originali.
Lo consiglio a tutte/i coloro che hanno amato il capolavoro di Charlotte Brönte, Jane Eyre.
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One person found this helpful
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Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars Just started it
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2019
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Great
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Sara N. Rodrigues
5.0 out of 5 stars Charlotte Brontë
Reviewed in Brazil on July 2, 2019
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Um bom livro sobre a vida da autora.
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Katia Hüntemann
3.0 out of 5 stars Demasiadas notas de texto
Reviewed in Spain on December 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
Demasiados comentarios. Otros de Tracey Chevalier no están así.
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