Now, I understand why people like the book as well as is cultural significance. However, it really bothered me as I read it--and I mean Twilight series level of bothering me. If you haven't read it and do not want events spoiled, or if you liked the book and cannot handle criticism of it, you might want to stop now.
First of all, I feel that Edward Rochester (from Jane Eyre) and Edward Cullen (from Twilight) were basically the same sort of character. Both fall in love with significantly younger woman (from whose points of view the stories are told) and play games with their affections. Both of them are hiding a dark past, and both threaten with physical violence (something which seems to arouse both Jane and Bella). Somehow, despite their secrets and violence, both of these men are utterly loyal and in love with the narrators of their stories, willing to sacrifice fortune and the company of others of their "kind" to do so.
Meanwhile, the female protagonists are tremendously weak. Both find themselves in almost hypnotic-like trances when faced with people in power--including not only their love interests mentioned earlier but also other men who are interested in them. Both consider themselves plain looking and clumsy. Both are represented as physically weak. For Pete's sake, Jane was going to die of starvation after only three days without full meals, and on two of the days she had at least a little bit of food.
What really bothered me is the overall situation between Jane and Mr. Rochester (Jane doesn't seem to call him Edward even after they are married, often referring to him as "master"). Here you have a man who is twice her age and is already married, but who falls desperately in love with the young woman. The author justifies this by saying that his wife is crazy and then creates a situation where not only does he manage to be rid of this wife in a blameless way, but becomes dependant on young Jane for physical as well as mental health. It reads like the fantasy of any teenage girl who falls in love with a married man.
If there's one thing going for this novel, it's this: it made me better appreciate Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.