A short story by Susan Hill from the collection Reader, I Married Him: Stories inspired by Jane Eyre.

In ‘Reader, I Married Him’, an American socialite reflects on her rise through England’s social circles, and a whirlwind romance.

Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Brontë’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.

Reviews

Praise for the full collection, READER, I MARRIED HIM:

‘Dazzling’ DAILY MAIL

‘The success of this book owes much to [Chevalier’s] enthusiasm … it’s quite amazing to see the quality of work on show’ EVENING STANDARD

‘A terrific set of stories by some of our leading novelists, each of whom engages with a chosen aspect of Jane Eyre’ THE NEW STATESMAN

‘A clever idea well-executed; a treat for fans of short fiction and for Brontë's many ardent fans’ KIRKUS REVIEWS

‘Exemplary…written by some of today's best female writers’ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

‘These pieces create a beguiling picture of women and men and desire, in which everyone is searching, like Jane, for happiness and wondering whether marriage is really an answer. The book acts as a prism spreading all kinds of literary and historical refractions, and it’s a reminder that Charlotte Brontë, too, has many sides’ GLOBE AND MAIL

About the author

Susan Hill is the author of sixty books. Titles include I’m the
King of the Castle, The Woman in Black, Strange Meeting,
The Beacon as well as the Simon Serrailler detective series.
The Woman in Black is the basis for the UK’s second-longest-running stage play ever, and a major film starring
Daniel Radcliffe. She has never read Jane Eyre.