Jane Eyre- Charlotte Brontë

I'm not that far into the book but I already really like it. It's a fast read and the story flows along at a good pace. The descriptions of things, rooms and people are so detailed that I can actually imagine them. Even more amazing are the descriptions of Jane's feelings. She describes them in a way that I can personally relate to. I am surprised however about how calm and intuitive Jane is for a 10 year old. She doesn't overreact or throw tantrums, even sometimes when she should like when her cousin beats her up. Jane is a very articulate, straight to the point, and surprisingly good at showing Mrs. Reed her downfalls. "People think you are a good woman, but you are bad, hard-hearted. You are deceitful!"
I can tell just from the beginning that this story is going to be exciting in some way. Jane starts to fight back against all her years of misery. "I resisted all the way:a new thing for me, and a circumstance which greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed to entertain of me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; of rather out of myself, as the French would say." It's always gives the reader a sense of relief when the heroin of the story finally stands up to there abuser, especially when it is in such a truthful and undisturbed way.

Questions
1. What does sotto voce mean (page 8)?
2. If Jane Eyre in uneducated, how is she so knowing at such a young age?

Dracula- Bram Stoker

The book I thought was good over all, but the ending was a little disappointing. The climax wasn't at one definite point. Reading the beginning it seems like the book is going to be filled with action and surprises one right after another. But the beginning is fast and then the book slows down a lot. I think the fact that the whole book is different people's diaries takes away some of the shock and surprise because the characters are writing about it themselves so you can predict how some things are going to turn out. However, having the story told in first person, and from many different people makes it exiting. It's kind of like a murder mystery and you have to figure out how the different stories fit together. But this also makes the story full of dramatic irony. I was just expecting more of an 'awe' factor at the end. I was satisfied with the book until the end.