What a surprise when the book arrived !! First of all, I had expected a graphic novel, not a finely crafted volume. Though soft cover, it looks like a worn vintage volume with hand-cut pages. The back cover has a photograph of Dame Darcy, the illustrator, looking like a heroine in an old melodrama. But the front cover is an absolute hoot! It’s quirky in an Edward Gorey style but with graphic novel overtones. Inside is a reproduction of the 1847 third edition with Dame Darcy’s ink and wash and watercolor illustrations tucked within its pages. Some are small drawings placed occasionally on pages with the text. Others are full page illustrations, with a few in color. Dame Darcy is a noted underground comic artist and her work here reflects not only the Victorian era but adds modern gothic elements.

The Illustrated Jane Eyre is truly a treasure and will most definitely become a collector’s item. The same wonderful story is there, but it is superbly enhanced by Dame Darcy’s drawings. I know it has graced an honored place in my own library.