Jane Eyre rightly remains high on the list of the most popular English novels, and brought fame to its author, Charlotte Brontd, on its publication in 1847. The story's heroine, Jane, is a plain and plain-speaking orphan whose determination, good nature and spirit see her through a series of personal ordeals from an early age. When she takes up a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, to teach eight-year-old Adele, she is resigned to an uneventful career. But then the moody, charismatic owner of Thornfield, Edward Rochester, makes a rare visit to the Hall and Jane's 'impassioned self-respect and moral conviction' are tested to breaking point.