Jane by April Linder

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my favorite literary stories. It's not very often that you come across a great modern day adaption of a tale you already know and love. I found Jane a year ago, right before I graduated college, and it quickly became a favorite on my book shelf. 

In this adaption, Rochester is a recovering rock star, and Jane is a nanny on the road to self discovery and the freedom to do what she believes she can. The novel is told in Jane's point of view as she is hired to work for Nico Rathburn, a rock star that even Jane has heard of, due to her brother's love of rock music. With the many rumors and countless People articles about Nico's road to success, mysterious fall out and his upcoming album, Jane must find who the real person is behind the mask. As she adjusts to the new enviornment, and meets Maddy, Nico's daughter, she expects to barely see the celebrity, even on his own grounds, but he has other plans, and Jane soon finds herself in a completely different world than she has ever lived in. To find who she is, and even the true Nico Rathburn, Jane goes on a journey, both intellectual and spiritual to find where she belongs and how much she should listen to her own heart.

I recommend this novel to anyone who loves Jane Eyre, Rock Stars and Star Crossed Romance. Jane's voice is refreshing yet it stays true to the original and Nico Rathburn is an enigmatic character. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book is an interesting read. Nick, the narrator seems almost omniscient at times, knowing events that would seem private instead of public. He is the only character in the book that doesn't live in an illusion, and he accepts reality in his own way. Gatsby lives in a world of his own, going on about his house and his accomplishments in life as though they were all he cared about. He does care for Daisy, and when anything involves her, he becomes more human and less of the mysterious persona he created. All the talk about Gatsby builds up and people judge him based on the stories they have heard and what they expect him to be after seeing the mansion he resides in. Each party that Gatsby holds, encourages more rumors that build the mystery around him. Daisy is also a person who lives in a fantasy world. She doesn't believe in consequences, and she refuses to accept brutal reality. Nick admires Daisy and describes her fondly, but once he discovers her flaws, he learns that she isn't what she seems. Nick himself is an observer, and he analyzes the motivation behind what people do and say. This book seems focused on illusions. The illusions we create for others, and ourselves. There is also a lot of vanity, especially in the topics of conversation, and even Nick seems vain in a few conversations. Even though Nick never becomes part of the fantasy that his friends get swept up in, he still does his best to preserve it. He decides to leave town, but keeps the memory of Gatsby, and the events that took place when people were careless.