72. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I've always thought that Jane Eyre is a Cinderella story - with the twist that Jane is not beautiful. She is good though and that eventually wins out in the end with a sense of the bittersweet. I am always left wishing that I could transport Jane into a modern world where she wouldn't be judged quite so much on appearance and status in society. It's a gothic novel and would have probably been frowned upon as trash in its day but it's also engaging! I taught an abridged version to my year 9 class in England and they loved it. As do I.