Which Edition

Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre

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Cover of Jane Eyre, translated by Penguin (Davies)
Best for most

Penguin (Davies) · 2006

For most readers the Penguin Classics edition is the right Jane Eyre — a clean, readable text with Stevie Davies's helpful introduction and notes, at a paperback price. Enough apparatus to orient you, not so much it crowds the novel. This is where I'd start.

Cover of Jane Eyre, translated by Norton Critical (4th ed.)
Best for students

Norton Critical (4th ed.) · 2016

The Norton Critical Edition is the student's Jane Eyre — the text plus Brontë's letters and juvenilia, criticism, and essays on the film adaptations. Denser than you need for pleasure; ideal for study.

Cover of Jane Eyre, translated by Oxford World's Classics
Most annotated

Oxford World's Classics · 2000

Oxford World's Classics offers the scholarly middle — a strong introduction and fuller explanatory notes than Penguin (over 400 of them), in a sturdy edition. A good choice if you want more annotation as you read.

Charlotte BrontëJane Eyretr. Free (public domain)
Free

Free (public domain) · 1847

Jane Eyre is public domain and free everywhere. Free and complete — fine for a re-read, though a few notes help with the Victorian references the print editions supply.

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