The Other Side of the Attic: Reimagining Jane Eyre in Wide Sargasso Sea

This July, our book club journeys into the lush and disorienting world of Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea. In this acclaimed prequel to Jane Eyre, Rhys gives voice to Bertha Mason—the so-called “madwoman in the attic”—revealing her backstory as Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress in post-emancipation Jamaica.

Set against a backdrop of colonial unrest and cultural dislocation, the novel explores themes of identity, madness, and the erasure of women's voices. As Antoinette’s life spirals under the weight of displacement and a controlling marriage, Rhys compels us to reconsider the boundaries of classic narratives and who gets to tell the story.

We’ll connect this with our ongoing theme of alternate perspectives on classic works—like our discussion of James, the retelling of Huckleberry Finn. But Wide Sargasso Sea stands entirely on its own, with a voice and vision as bold as any in the canon. Come ready for a rich conversation over dinner about empire, gender, and the legacy of storytelling.