Our book club's Jane Eyre fight got so heated we had to pause for a week

We were at the part where Rochester keeps Bertha locked up, and Sarah from my group in Madison just couldn't get past it, saying it made the whole romance awful... but then Mike argued it was a product of its time and we should judge the book by its own rules. It got so tense our host actually called for a break until next month. Has your group ever had a debate that just stopped the whole meeting?

4 comments

4 Comments

jordan_miller921mo ago

Product of its time" is such a weak argument, isn't it?

jordan5111mo ago

Yeah, it's a total cop-out. Right there with you, @jordan_miller92.

kevin_lane1mo ago

My grandpa still has a VHS tape of a 1994 comedy special he thinks is hilarious. I tried watching it last year and cringed at half the jokes. It's a perfect example of that phrase, even if it's a cop-out.

wood.jana9d ago

Honestly, that book club fight sounds amazing. Sarah has a point, but Mike isn't totally wrong either. The real problem is when people use "product of its time" to shut down all criticism. It's okay to love a book and still admit parts of it are messed up.