'I am no bird and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will' Having endured humiliation and loneliness in the home of her heartless Aunt Reed and the harsh regime of Lowood; a charity boarding school; the orphaned Jane Eyre survives her childhood unbroken in spirit and integrity. When she takes up a post as a governess at Thornfield Hall; she also finds love with her employer; the dark and sardonic Mr Rochester. But her discovery of Rochester's terrible secret forces Jane to follow her moral convictions; even if it means giving up her chance of happiness. Although many were shocked by its depiction of a woman's bold and passionate search for independence and love on her own terms; Jane Eyre was an immediate success when it appeared in 1847 and remains one of the most popular of all English novels. In his introduction; Michael Mason discusses the literary critical history of Jane Eyer. This edition includes suggestions for further reading; notes and a new chronology. 'The masterwork of a great genius' WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY Edited with an introduction and notes by MICHAEL MASON