Jane Eyre: An Autobiography

Orphaned, unloved, and punished for having a spirit, Jane Eyre survives a cruel aunt and a brutal charity school to become a governess at Thornfield Hall. Her employer there is the abrupt, magnetic Mr. Rochester, and something laughs in the corridors at night. Jane narrates her own story with a directness that still startles. Poor and plain she may be, but she will not be condescended to, and she will not trade her self-respect for anything, not even love.

Brontë's novel scandalized 1847 and reads today like the birth of the modern first-person heroine. It's a Gothic romance and a mystery and a declaration of independence all at once, and since the whole book is Jane speaking directly to you ("Reader, I..."), hearing it told aloud is exactly how it wants to be received.

At roughly 180,800 words, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography runs about 20 hours at 1x narration speed. That figure is an estimate based on a typical narration pace. The exact length depends on the voice and the playback speed you choose.

Jane Eyre: An Autobiography is in the public domain, so the complete text is free on Project Gutenberg and LoudReader has the entire Project Gutenberg catalog built in. To listen:

1. Download LoudReader for Mac or iPhone (free, no account).
2. Search for “Jane Eyre: An Autobiography” in the built-in catalog and add it to your library.
3. Press play. A natural offline voice reads the book while each word highlights on screen, and your place is saved between sessions.

LoudReader reads with natural offline voices, so the whole book works on a plane or underground. It is fully on-device and private, your library never leaves your device. Listening is unlimited on the free tier.