Jean Rhys (Author of Wide Sargasso Sea)
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Jean Rhys

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Jean Rhys


Born
in Roseau or Grand Bay, British Leeward Islands (now Dominica)
August 24, 1890

Died
May 14, 1979

Genre
Fiction


Jean Rhys, CBE (born Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams; 24 August 1890–14 May 1979) was a British novelist who was born and grew up in the Caribbean island of Dominica. From the age of 16, she mainly resided in England, where she was sent for her education. She is best known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), written as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.

She moved to England at the age of 16 years in 1906 and worked unsuccessfully as a chorus girl. In the 1920s, she relocated to Europe, travelled as a Bohemian artist, and took up residence sporadically in Paris. During this period, Rhys, familiar with modern art and literature, lived near poverty and acquired the alcoholism that persisted throughout the rest of her life. Her experie ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.64 · 118,774 ratings · 10,956 reviews · 64 distinct works • Similar authors
Wide Sargasso Sea
3.59 avg rating — 93,194 ratings — published 1966 — 203 editions
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Good Morning, Midnight
by
3.87 avg rating — 10,676 ratings — published 1939 — 77 editions
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Voyage in the Dark
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3.78 avg rating — 5,349 ratings — published 1934 — 40 editions
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After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie
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3.89 avg rating — 2,540 ratings — published 1930 — 49 editions
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Quartet
3.69 avg rating — 2,408 ratings — published 1928 — 52 editions
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Smile Please: An Unfinished...
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3.98 avg rating — 962 ratings — published 1979 — 28 editions
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Till September Petronella
3.40 avg rating — 770 ratings — published 2018
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The Collected Short Stories...
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4.04 avg rating — 530 ratings — published 1987 — 15 editions
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Sleep It Off Lady: Stories
4.10 avg rating — 451 ratings — published 1976 — 18 editions
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Tigers are Better-Looking: ...
3.95 avg rating — 351 ratings — published 1968 — 18 editions
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More books by Jean Rhys…
Quotes by Jean Rhys  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“I like shape very much. A novel has to have shape, and life doesn't have any. ”
― Jean Rhys, Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography
tags: life, novels
278 likes
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“You can pretend for a long time, but one day it all falls away and you are alone. We are alone in the most beautiful place in the world...”
― Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea
229 likes
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“Today I must be very careful, today I have left my armor at home.”
― Jean Rhys, Good Morning, Midnight
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Polls

June 2019 New School Poll

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, 171 pages, 1966
 
  89 votes, 31.9%

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, 240 pages, 1902
 
  66 votes, 23.7%

On the Beach by Nevil Shute, 296 pages, 1957
 
  43 votes, 15.4%

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart, 342 pages, 1958
 
  33 votes, 11.8%

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, 236 pages, 1922
 
  33 votes, 11.8%

Omensetter's Luck by William H. Gass, 315 pages, 1966
 
  15 votes, 5.4%

279 total votes
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