I came across “The Wife Upstairs” as a suggestion from Overdrive on a Friday evening, and although I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards a thriller, I also cannot resist anything “Jane Eyre” related, so I decided to give it a chance. Fast forward to Sunday evening, and I had devoured it — definitely one of my fastest finishing-a-book times in the past few years, as a mom of young children. But with all the plot twists and turns, I just could not bear to put it down!
It is by no means a perfect book or an enduring classic, but that’s okay — I think it does what it intends to do: entertains in its own right while hearkening back to the original. My favorite bits were the well-known quotes from the classic novel, modified and spiced up with modern curse words — absolutely delightful! I also enjoyed the self-referential bits, as when Jane finds herself “creeping around the upstairs like I’m in a gothic novel or a bad horror movie.”
Three words that describe this book: twisty-turny, Southern gothic, classic-based
You might want to pick this book up if: You are looking for a quick summer read and enjoy thrillers and/or “Jane Eyre,” but don’t hold the classic up on such a pedestal that vulgarized quotes from it will upset you. Other retellings that you might enjoy (I know I did!) are “Jane Steele” by Lyndsay Faye and “Brightly Burning” by Alexa Donne.
-Erin
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
