Oh. Em. SQUEE!!! (Yes, that is a very juvenile expression. No, I don’t care what you think)

Once again, I haven’t finished reading the book I’m going to review. Then again, I didn’t actually get the book until yesterday, so… y’know. I promise I will review it by the end of the week.

But I didn’t really want to do a book review today, anyway, because there are two other things on my mind.

Subject Number One:

IT’S MY LAST DAY AT WORK!!!

Ahem. Sorry about that. I can’t help it. I am probably a tad bit more excited than my soon-to-be-ex manager would like me to be about this. I mean… it might hurt her feelings a little that I’m nearly bouncing in my seat right now. Because I am so happy to be almost done with work.

But seriously. One more shift, and I will be free to focus entirely on writing. In five and a half hours, I will no longer be employed at a job that had the tendency to depress me with its monotony and very little need to think at all. I’ll no longer have to work evenings, nor wait for my day to begin at three in the afternoon.

I feel so much lighter knowing that… this is the end!

I do want to say that my manager and coworkers and the customers have nothing to do with my dislike of work. I can’t really explain why it affects me so much, this job, I just know that it depressed me, it set me on edge, it bored me to tears- literally-, and no job is worth it if it’s the core of my emotional outbursts at my family.

So farewell, my dear workplace. I’ll miss the coworkers, but not the emotional turmoil.

And I’ll be free to finish writing Sweet Ireland Air, and- as my good friend and editor Katie said- finally make Rhys and Chevy  “do the dirty.  Only, not really.  More like, ‘share intense emotional connection through steamy glances/gazes that result in her imagining his abs.'”

Hehehehe.

Subject Number Two:

So I already have Mr. Rochester on my Imaginary Man-Slaves list, and I’d used this picture as it was the most like the Mr. Rochester in my head (from the book), but I hadn’t ever actually watched this version of the movie. At least, I don’t think I have.

And OH EM SQUEE!!!

I’m sorry. I can’t help it. Toby Stephens is hands down the best Mr. Rochester I have ever seen. And I’ve watched a lot of Jane Eyres.

He so perfectly fits the Mr. Rochester that I have always imagined from reading the book- which I plan to gush over review one of these days- that as I was watching the movie last night, I kept internally squeeing over how perfect he is. I mean… major sigh here. He’s got just the right amount of sharpness, humor, turmoil, and tragedy. He’s perfectly unhandsome in a ruggedly good-looking way (is that possible? and yes, I know unhandsome is not a word.)

Also, this version of Jane Eyre has a scene in it that I now consider to be the most romantic scene ever. (insert sucker-for-sappy-tragic-characters-and-romance smile here.) It isn’t an obviously romantic moment- you know, like kissing, proposals, holding hands, that sort of thing. It’s way better than that. It’s the omsquee-they’re-falling-in-love! moment. And it’s perfect.

My two peeves with the movie are the same peeves I have with almost every Jane Eyre I’ve seen. One, they all seem to skip over Jane’s life in Lowood like it’s not really that important, and to me it’s SO IMPORTANT. Come on, it’s part of what’s made Jane Eyre Jane Eyre.

And secondly, they always make Blanche blonde and blue-eyed. And Blanche is not blonde or blue-eyed. I quote “Tall, fine bust, sloping shoulders; long, graceful neck; raven black hair; eyes large and black…”

Come on, people. Make her the raven-haired beauty she should be!

But it’s more annoying when they make Mr. Rochester blond. Because he most DEFINITELY is not a blond. Mr. Rochester is dark and grim. Not blond. Blergh.

Back to the squee at hand. I highly recommend the Jane Eyre I’m gushing over, especially if you like darker, more subtle, character-driven romances. I have yet to get to the second half of the movie- it’s a five-hour-long miniseries- but I’m going to hopefully finish it tonight.

By the way, speaking of Mr. Rochester, please save yourself the annoyance and never, ever watch Wide Sargasso Sea. It’s a prequel to Jane Eyre, and it COMPLETELY ruins Mr. Rochester’s character. It basically goes and says that he’s kind of a selfish- not rough and commanding, but abusive and self-centered- young man who drove his wife mad, and his wife was an innocent. Which is not true.

He was tricked into that marriage and never allowed to see her alone until after the wedding.  And he most certainly would NOT do all of the things that he did in that stupid movie. I mean, maybe his wife WAS sort of innocent once… but he was not the way the movie portrays him.

Plus, there were a few fast-forward-please scenes, which was annoying.

In short, I refuse to associate that abomination with Mr. Rochester or Jane Eyre at all. Totally different person. Shame on whoever wrote the book (yes, there is one. No, I will not read it.) for taking the best romantic hero of all time and turning him into a stupid, selfish, abusive, vengeful brat who commits adultery to get back at his wife for a supposed poisoning that wasn’t a poisoning.

Darn them.

I think I’m done ranting. I have to leave for work (did I mention it’s my LAST DAY!!!???) in twenty minutes.

Bye!

Mara

Outfit:

So MitziBlitz over on Chictopia is doing an Alphabet Color Challenge, and it looked like so much fun I had to join. Today is my first day- A for Ash (gray, the skirt and shoes) and I rather love this look. The skirt is actually a halter-top dress that I have only worn once or twice. I have high hopes that this challenge will help me remix my wardrobe in creative ways, seeing as it’s day one and I’ve already creatively utilized a dress as a skirt.

Yes. Stripes on stripes. I feel very French. Although I’m wondering why stripes tend to be associated with French style. Hmmm.

Did I mention that I’m really excited today is my last day at work? Because I am.

Also, I would like for my birthday my own Mr. Rochester. Please? You have approximately 2-1/2 months to acquire one for me.

Kthx.

Bye.