English faculty and students will read aloud the entire text of Charlotte Bront毛鈥檚
novel 鈥淛ane Eyre鈥� between 9 a.m. and midnight Saturday, Sept. 29, in Reynolds Hall
at 蜜桃传媒. Community members are invited to come by, listen and enjoy light refreshments
provided throughout the day.
This event anticipates the college鈥檚 upcoming theatrical production of 鈥淛ane Eyre,鈥� Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 19-20 and 26-27, at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Actors in the play will join in the reading.
鈥淲e鈥檝e forgotten the pleasure of reading together,鈥� says English professor Cheri Larsen Hoeckley, who is coordinating the event. 鈥淚t was a very common 19th-century practice.鈥� She hopes students and community members will enjoy this event. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a different way to have fun that will contribute to life-long learning,鈥� she says.
This 1847 British novel tells the tale of strong-minded Jane, an orphan who must lock away her exuberance and passion to become a lowly governess in Mr. Rochester鈥檚 mansion, where she discovers a dark secret.
鈥淛ane Eyre鈥� is a relevant text today, Larsen Hoeckley believes. 鈥淏ront毛 has much to say about how we live together as men and women and how the emotional, vocational and spiritual parts of our lives weave together. And she has much to say about justice and mercy.鈥�
For more information about the marathon reading, contact the English department at (805) 565-6079. For information about the theatrical production of 鈥淛ane Eyre,鈥� contact Beth Lemons in the theatre department at (805) 565-7040 or blemons@westmont.edu.