I have been meaning to read this book since I read Jane Eyre in college. Wide Sargasso Sea is the story of Antoinette - who later becomes Rochester's crazy wife in the attic Bertha - the one who serves as an obstacle to Jane and Rochester's marriage. I love books that incorporate aspects and characters from other books (Ulysses, The Eyre Affair, The Brothers K, Wicked...). I finally picked up a copy of The Wide Sargasso Sea at Powell's during my latest trip to Portland. I found Anotoinette's story very compelling - she is the heiress to a decaying plantation in the West Indies, who is married off to an Englishman (Rochester). The book is written in parts from the perspective of both Antoinette and Rochester - the writing takes some time to get used to and is not a style that I am a particular fan of. But, the book is short, and I did want to see how Antoinette fell into madness. The story itself is simple and relatively interesting - but unless you're a Jane Eyre fan, I don't think I would spend much time on this one.
(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)
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