Reader, I Married Him is an anthology of short stories inspired by one of literature’s best-known lines, from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I approached a number of contemporary women writers and asked them to use Jane Eyre’s famous declaration as a springboard for a story. The results? Stories about Jane from the points of view of different characters in the book. A futuristic Jane Eyre. A Gothic story of marriage on the moors. A woman who tames surly teenagers by telling them the Jane Eyre story. A hungover student who tries to charm a woman with his flawed Jane Eyre knowledge. And lots of marriages: tricky, disastrous, hilarious. There are also two weddings and a couple of proposals.
Inspiration
2016 was the bicentenary of the novelist Charlotte Brontë. I was a creative partner with the Brontë Parsonage in northern England to design ways to celebrate her. This included an exhibition at the parsonage, a program of talks, and this anthology.
Reviews
The 21 stories in this exemplary collection are written by some of today's best female writers. Each story is different, each features a love story that evokes the longings, loneliness and literary legacy of Jane Eyre. —Chicago Tribune
Tracy Chevalier is well placed to curate this sparkling collection. The 21 tales — each specially commissioned from critically acclaimed female writers — demonstrate a wealth of talent. Through it all, weddings and marriage feature heavily. Not quite the happily ever after Brontë rewarded her “ever together” couple — but all the more interesting for it. —Independent
Chevalier has assembled a starry line-up of writers. This collection is stormy, romantic, strong — the Full Brontë. —Sunday Times (London)
These stories will enrich and complicate any future readings of Jane Eyre, as the best fan fiction should. If Brontë was going to drop in on any of the celebrations for her bicentenary, I can't help but think she would get a kick out of this collection. —Guardian
More than a homage to Charlotte Brontë, these stories provide fascinating takes on the inexhaustible subject of love. —New York Times
