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Quick answer: If you loved Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye.
Jane Eyre is one of the great novels in English, and it’s still a favorite with students and book clubs. The books below share its gothic houses, dark secrets, brooding heroes and determined heroines. They include Victorian classics, modern gothic novels and clever retellings. Most suit older teens and adults.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre has gripped readers since 1847. Charlotte Brontë’s orphaned heroine survives a cruel childhood, becomes a governess at the mysterious Thornfield Hall and falls in love with her brooding employer, Mr. Rochester, until a shocking secret is revealed. It’s a gothic mystery, a love story and a powerful portrait of a woman who refuses to give up her self-respect. If you loved the atmosphere, the romance or Jane’s independence, these picks fit.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Jane Eyre: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Gothic novel | A haunting first wife |
| Wuthering Heights | Emily Brontë | Classic novel | Wild Brontë passion |
| Wide Sargasso Sea | Jean Rhys | Literary fiction | The other side of the story |
| North and South | Elizabeth Gaskell | Classic novel | Victorian romance |
| The Thirteenth Tale | Diane Setterfield | Gothic mystery | Modern gothic |
| Jane Steele | Lyndsay Faye | Historical fiction | A clever retelling |
| The Tenant of Wildfell Hall | Anne Brontë | Classic novel | The other Brontë |
| Villette | Charlotte Brontë | Classic novel | More Charlotte Brontë |
| The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins | Psychological thriller | Modern retelling |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Gothic horror | Creepy mansions |
| Jamaica Inn | Daphne du Maurier | Gothic novel | Smugglers and secrets |
| Middlemarch | George Eliot | Classic novel | Ambitious heroines |
| The Woman in White | Wilkie Collins | Victorian mystery | Sensation novels |
| Reader, I Married Him | Tracy Chevalier (editor) | Short stories | Writers inspired by Jane |
| The Eyre Affair | Jasper Fforde | Comic fantasy | Playful literary fun |
1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A shy young bride arrives at Manderley and is haunted by the memory of her husband’s first wife. It’s a modern Jane Eyre.
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Heathcliff and Catherine’s destructive love on the Yorkshire moors. It’s darker and stormier than Jane Eyre.
3. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Rhys imagines the life of Bertha Mason, Rochester’s first wife, in Jamaica. It’s short and powerful.
4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
A southern woman and a northern mill owner clash and fall in love.
5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
A biographer is summoned to hear a famous author’s secret history. It’s atmospheric and twisty.
6. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
A Jane Eyre-loving heroine who, unlike Jane, kills the people who wrong her. It’s witty and dark.
7. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
A mysterious widow with a young son hides from her abusive husband. It’s bold and ahead of its time.
8. Villette by Charlotte Brontë
A lonely Englishwoman teaches at a school in a foreign city. It’s quieter but brilliant.
9. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Jane Eyre reimagined as a twisty thriller in an Alabama suburb.
10. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A socialite uncovers horrors at her cousin’s decaying mansion in 1950s Mexico.
11. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
A young woman discovers her uncle’s inn is a smugglers’ den on the Cornish moors.
12. Middlemarch by George Eliot
Dorothea Brooke seeks a meaningful life in a provincial English town.
13. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A drawing teacher uncovers a conspiracy involving a mysterious woman in white.
14. Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (editor)
Twenty-one writers contribute stories inspired by Jane Eyre’s famous line.
15. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
A literary detective enters the pages of Jane Eyre to stop a villain. It’s hilarious.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Jane Eyre
- Want gothic mystery? Rebecca and The Thirteenth Tale.
- Want more Brontës? Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
- Want Bertha’s story? Wide Sargasso Sea.
- Want a modern twist? The Wife Upstairs and Jane Steele.
- Want humor? The Eyre Affair.
- Book club pick? Pair Jane Eyre with Wide Sargasso Sea.
Why Jane Eyre Still Speaks to Readers
Jane Eyre was revolutionary in 1847 because it gave readers a plain, poor, fiercely independent heroine who insists on her own worth. Her famous declaration that she is a free human being with an independent will still resonates. The novel blends gothic mystery, romance and social criticism, which is why it has inspired so many retellings, from Wide Sargasso Sea to The Wife Upstairs. Rereading it as an adult often reveals new layers about class, religion and freedom.
Related: books like Pride and Prejudice and books like Little Women.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after Jane Eyre?
Try Rebecca, Wuthering Heights, Wide Sargasso Sea or North and South.
What is a modern book like Jane Eyre?
The Thirteenth Tale and The Wife Upstairs bring its gothic mood to modern fiction.
What is Wide Sargasso Sea about?
It imagines the life of Bertha Mason, Rochester’s first wife, before she came to England.