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Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!
Did you know World Poetry Day is right around the corner? In 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization declared March 21st as World Poetry Day. The main purpose of this day is to support linguistic diversity through poetry and to allow a way for endangered languages to endure through their communities. It is also meant to encourage the oral tradition of poetry as a rich and vibrant art form within society.
Admittedly, I am not a poetry person and have often avoided reading poetry for pleasure, so you may take today’s recommendations with a large grain of salt. However, if you pass, then you will miss out on some of the most imaginative poetry that perfectly encapsulates the essence of a beloved classic.
The Jane and Bertha in Me by Rita Maria Martinez
Through nearly two dozen poems, The Jane and Bertha in Me is a witty and haunting revisionist homage of Jane Eyre from Thornfield Hall to the world of tattoos.
What I enjoyed most about The Jane and Bertha in Me is how accessible it makes poetry. I didn’t feel like I needed a degree in poetry to truly understand the words on the page. After reading Martinez’s vivid interpretation and reimagination of not only the major players of Jane Eyre, but Charlotte Brontë herself, I feel like poetry is not the untouchable medium I presumed it to be.
I most appreciated the poems with a modern interpretation of Jane Eyre because it reminded me of the timeless nature of the story. I also loved how these poems center the experiences of women in a way that delves beyond the surface level of Bertha as the “wild madwoman,” and Jane as the “good girl.” Martinez shows there is more than one side to both women. There is righteous rage simmering within Jane through “Jane Addresses Edward” and “Letter to Edward” just like “Letter to Bertha” shows the delicate (and possibly forgotten) beauty within Bertha.
The Jane and Bertha in Me is the perfect book to read if Jane Eyre is one of your favorite books because these poems will provide a unique experience of the story. However, you don’t need to be a Brontëite to enjoy these poems.
Until next time bookish friends,
Katisha
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