Author: Jane Austen
Publisher: Barnes and Noble
Genre: Classic, Historical Romance, Fiction,
Source: Own
My Review:
I know that a lot of people love Jane Austen. I wanted to be one of them. I am not one of them.
One of my biggest pet peeves with stories is if there is a ton of description and it outweighs the dialogue. This story is very description driven which made it difficult for me to get into it and difficult for me to finish. It does not mean it wasn't a good story, it just means it wasn't for me.
I like Elinor and love that she has a load of common sense to make up for the fact that her mother and sister do not. I also love what we see of Margaret as she seems to be a precocious young lady and so much fun. I like Brandon and Edward (although he should have been honest with Elinor from the start). Marianne struck me as whiny and immature, and completely self-centered. It is hard to recover from that.
So, Jane Austen fans...which book is your favorite? Which one should I try to help me enjoy her work more? Or, am I destined to dislike her books forever?
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Unfairly deprived of
their family inheritance by the grasping Mrs John Dashwood and her
husband, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and their mother find themselves
in greatly reduced circumstances.
Compelled to leave Norland
in Sussex for Barton Cottage in Devonshire, the two sisters are soon
accepted into their new society. Marianne, whose sweet radiance and open
nature charm the roguish John Willoughby, is soon deeply in love.
Elinor, whose disposition is more cautious and considered, who carefully
conceals her emotions, is suffering the loss of Edward Ferrars whom she
has left behind.
Despite their very different personalities,
both sisters experience great sorrows in their affairs of the heart:
Marianne demonstrably wretched and Elinor allowing no one to see her
private heartache. It is, however, the qualities common to them both -
discernment, constancy and integrity in the face of the fecklessness of
others - that allow them entry into a new life of peace and contentment.
S&S is not one of my favorites, but Persusion is. I loved the book and the BBC adaptation featuring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. If you never pick up another Austen, I still recommend you check out the movie.
ReplyDeleteWe did try to watch Sense and Sensibility a few weeks ago and my teens made us shut it off a ways into it. I own several of Jane Austen's books, but Persuasion is not one of them, but will keep it in mind to try at some point.
DeleteThis one is probably my least favorite Austen novel (though I do love the Emma Thompson movie version of it!). I probably love Pride & Prejudice the most, but I also think Northanger Abby is quite humorous because of the way Austen pokes fun of gothic novels in it, and I love the quietness of Persuasion's love story. I find Emma funny, too. But you're right, there's a lot of description in Austen's books.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure which one to start with, so I just started with the first. I wasn't sure if they needed to be read in order. I have heard good things about Northanger Abby but haven't been able to find a copy yet.
DeleteI find Austen a bit difficult to read because of all the description. I think older books and classics have a lot of description in them because people didn't travel as much or have movies and TV so they needed it? I did like P&P, but you might have the same issues as you did with this book.
ReplyDeleteWendy, it was just soooooo slow. Maybe they all are, I don't know. I read a ton and I don't watch much tv or movies. I am willing to give her another shot or two :) But, I guess I don't have to like classics, LOL!
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