Book Review - Persuasion

Persuasion

Jane Austen

249 Pages
7 Stars


My third Jane Austen read.

The very wealthy but foolish Sir Walter has two daughters Elizabeth and Anne. Anne is 27 (practically an old maid right?) and unmarried. At 19 Anne was engaged to Wentworth - a man of the army - her family talked her out of marrying for love in favour of marrying for "connection". But when it came to marrying for connection at 22 Anne refused the offer. The Walter family's finances are in a bad state so Elizabeth and Walter go to Bath, Anne who dislikes Bath goes to Upper-Cross and later Lime with a group of her friends (which includes several younger unmarried eligible ladies). Meeting up with lots of marriage worthy men along the way, including Wentworth - who has now climbed the ladder to Captain - the old flames is rekindled between the two.

This was my favourite so far. I loved the characters, the key difference was the overall higher quality that I found in this novel;  Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (which had wonderful characters as well) had a host of unlikable/foolish/irritating background characters and even the main characters had moments where I was unimpressed. Yes Sir Walter and Mary kind of fell into this pattern as well but it was much less which I appreciate. I loved Anne she was a happy medium between everything I have admired in Austen's other female leads. I would still choose Mr Darcy over Wentworth but he still gets credit for being amazing too. I would recommend this as the first Austen people should read, if you like this you will like her other works and it is just a little bit shorter as well.

Book Review - Jane Austen: The Complete Novels

I have been meaning to read Austen's novels for years and I did start a few of them on several occasions but just couldn't get into them, not because they weren't interesting I just wasn't in the right headspace (which came from my age as well I think).

Pride and Prejudice
5.5 Stars

Sense and Sensibility
5 Stars

Northanger Abby 
4.5 Stars

Emma
TBR
Stars

Mansfield Park
TBR
Stars

Persuasion 
7 Stars

Book Review - Northanger Abby

Northanger Abby

Jane Austen 

4.5 Stars
Classic / Romance

Catherine is the heroine of her own tale. Living as much in her mind as in the real world. We readers fallow her, from her beginnings as a girl of little social status to a woman of standing and regard. As a bookworm it there is always a thrill in reading about other readers!
I did not love this book as much as the other Austen's I have read because the majority of the characters where unpleasant. Isabella was horrible, Henry's father greedy, Henry himself was teasing, sarcastic and mean although well intentioned, Elinor was the exception (a pleasant and comforting character). I found Catherine to be worth and unworthy of everything that befell her. I love the simplicity and it has a very real feeling but couldn't help wanting something more.

Book Review - Pride and Prejeduce

Pride and Prejeduce

Jane Austen

7 Stars

Classic/Romance / 

My second Jane Austen, I have gotten my hands on the complete collection which is 6 of her novels. I will publish a separate full review of that book at a later date. 

Meet the Bennet sisters (all 5 of them) and their foolish mother and sarcastic father. Moving into their neighborhood come men of wealth, of good humour, of manners and perhaps one man to contain all three virtues.  We are left to question if ;  Jane find love with Bingly? If the hatred of Mr. Darcy for Liz and of Elizabeth for Mr.Darcy cannot be overlooked? 

Pride is not a virtue worth displaying &Prejudice can blind even the wises of us...we are all flawed in one way or another. 

This is my favourite so far and I can't wait to watch the movie. Mr Darcy is totally worthy of every fan girl (myself included). Elizabeth's character was phenomenal watching her grow and change in a very low key but dynamic manner. The endings are so perfect, so satisfying in a way that most modern novels are not. These are the novels that established so many stereotypes and tropes. I think these books will grow on me as time passes because of there simplicity and how easy it is to relate to them. Worth rereading every few years (especially because they are such quick reads) If these were not so hard to read (because of style and syntax) they would have a higher rating

Book Review - Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility 

Jane Austen

 7 stars

Classic/Drama/

I am getting back into classics again slowly and have got myself a collection of Jane Austen Ebooks and Audiobooks. Classics of any kind are not my
favourites, they are slower reads and are challenging in two ways - a welcome way and a frustrating way - I also cannot yet gage which ones I am going to enjoy and which are a waste of my time . One of my favourite classic qualities is you can reread them over and over again, while with most new novels (even if they are amazing) I find one read is enough.

So onto my feelings on this specific novel; this is my first Austen and I went into it blind. I got about a third of the way through and had to go back and restart from the beginning as I got most of the characters confused, I ended up looking over about a half dozen summaries to get a grasp on the plot and who was who before I could really get into it. I enjoyed the writing style with all its details and focus on personality and dialogue as much as anything. Fantastic characters and there was so much to relate to, I kept thinking "this person I know is so much like (Eleanor/MaryAnne/Charlotte)" such a universal feel is incredible and I can understand the praise Austen has been given. While it is not my new favourite book it was still wonderful and I can't wait to try out another of Austen's books soon