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Wide Sargasso Sea

By Jean Rhys
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, delving into the life of Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress in Jamaica. The novel explores themes of identity, cultural conflict, and the impact of colonialism. It traces Antoinette's troubled relationships and descent into madness, offering a richly atmospheric and haunting narrative that reimagines the background of Brontë's iconic "madwoman in the attic".
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're interested in a reimagining of classic literature that explores themes of identity, colonialism, and mental health. Set in a lush Caribbean backdrop, it provides a poignant prequel to the story of the "madwoman in the attic" from Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, shedding light on her tragic past and complex character.

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Wide Sargasso Sea

Born into the oppressive, colonialist society of 1930s Jamaica, white Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent beauty and sensuality. After their marriage, however, disturbing rumours begin to circulate which poison her husband against her.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Jean Rhys's late, literary masterpiece Wide Sargasso Sea was inspired by Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and is set in the lush, beguiling landscape of Jamaica in the 1830s.

Born into an oppressive, colonialist society, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent sensuality and beauty. After their marriage, the rumours begin, poisoning her husband against her.

Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is driven towards madness.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is a poignant and haunting prequel to Jane Eyre, exploring themes of identity, colonialism, and madness. Reviews praise Rhys's lyrical prose and rich imagery, which vividly bring to life the Caribbean setting. Readers often appreciate how the novel delves into the protagonist's complex mind, offering a profound insight into the untold story of Bertha Mason.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141182858

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 March 2000

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Andrea Ashworth

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 147g

Pages: 192

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Featured Fiction General Fiction Jean Rhys Literary Fiction New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Jean Rhys was born in Dominica in 1894. After arriving in England aged sixteen, she became a chorus girl and drifted between different jobs before moving to Paris, where she started to write in the late 1920s. She published a story collection and four novels, after which she disappeared from view and lived reclusively for many years. In 1966 she made a sensational comeback with her masterpiece, Wide Sargasso Sea, written in difficult circumstances over a long period. Rhys died in 1979.

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