My review of Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier

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 opening line from Jane Eyre as a springboard for their own flights of imagination.
 
Product Details

• ISBN: 9780062447098
• ISBN 10: 0062447092
• Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
• On Sale: 03/22/2016

Who would have thought that the words, Reader, I Married Him from a chapter of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre would take such a prolific turn during this day and age.  For instance, twenty-one authors including Tracy Chevalier, Susan Hill and Audrey Niffeneger, provide their versions of what happened to that married couple after their wedding day. Was it happily ever after? 

It is not surprizing that when reading a short story collection such as this, some stories will uplift you, some stories will depress you, and some will just leave you speechless. As the reader, you will enjoy some of the stories and you will not enjoy some of the stories. You will immediately be drawn into them and their writing style will grab you or not grab you. Basically, it's hard to review a collection because every story is different, and varied in theme, time, place even location and subject matter.  One story was so graphically sexual I thought I was reading a fan fic from a chat room!  Not my cup of tea.

So, dear reader, I leave it in your hands whether to read these stories. For myself, I appreciate the creativity and imagination but give me the original any day!  

Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier is published today in the United States. You can purchase it on, Amazon US

Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier is not published in the United Kingdom until April 7, 2016. You can pre-order it, Amazon UK

Thank you to Harper Collins for my digital reading copy.