The Film and Jean Rhys' Novel

I have recently read Jean Rhys' novel, and there are a number of important differences between the text of the novel and the film. The novel is divided up into three parts. In Part One Antoinette tells the story of her early life. This section of the novel was pretty much dispensed with in the film. Part Two is Rochester's account of his early married life with Antoinette, including a short section in which Antoinette resumes the narrative. Part 2 is filmed quite faithfully in the dramatisation, although some changes were made. Aunt Cora and Christophine are a lot older in the book than in the TV movie. Antoinette's line to Rochester, "The doctors will say what you tell them to say", is spoken by Christophine in the novel. Although Rochester believes Antoinette to have drugged his glass of wine in the novel, in the book he does not write "poison" on Antoinette's dressing table mirror like he does in the film. Also, the film is a lot more linear in its narrative development than the book. In the novel, Section 2 opens with the journey to the honeymoon home, and events such as Rochester's fever and Antoinette's second thoughts about the marriage are told in flashback. Part 3 of the novel is set in Thornfield Hall; Grace Poole and Antoinette take up the narrative. The TV film presents a condensed version of Part 3. The movie opens at Thornfield Hall, whereas the novel begins with Antoinette's story of her childhood and adolescence.