Category: Classic
Challenges: 2010 Challenge (Charity)
Synopsis: From BookDepository (because I can’t really write one myself without being scathing) “Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.”
My Thoughts: This book took me almost a month to read. No because I found it difficult but because I found it boring. I found the main character to be just very annoying. Not to mention her father who I found to be a complete idiot. I’m all for being careful about ones health but he just turned into a caricature of himself. It was not pleasant. And the way Harriet was just dumped? Awful! I really wish I had stopped reading this book after a few chapters but I had got some sort of idea that I had to finish it.
The one semi-enjoyable aspect of this book was to find the different aspects of the book used in the movie Clueless. Being able to find the corresponding characters and events did help me keep reading, but I don’t recommend the book for that purpose. Stay far far away from this one.
Emma is my fourth Austen and so far it is the one I like the least, and I haven’t loved any of them really. I liked the social commentary in Northanger Abbey. I liked the final third of Mansfield Park but I was close to giving up on that one too. Pride and Prejudice just left me a bit meh. I think I have to admit that, in the words of loliesmith: “I may have to accept that I'm bonnet intolerant”
I purchased my copy from Myrorna the Charity shop run by The Salvation Army here in Sweden.
Purchase Emma from BookDepository.co.uk
Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.
Posts
7 comments:
This is the only Jane Austen that I haven't read yet and I'm really putting it off! I totally compared the most recent Emma production (with Romola Garai) with Clueless when I watched Clueless recently. :) It actually made Clueless more fun.
Okay, I not entirely enjoyed Emma because yes, she really is annoying. But it's quite fun to read classic since I never read one before ;p Great review ;p
I want to reread Emma someday, because I never quite understood why it is a favourite of so many Austen lovers. My personal favourite Austen is Persuasion: it is one of her shortest, so maybe give that a try before giving up on her? But I do understand that Austen can be a bit much for some readers.
I enjoyed Sense and Sensibility by Austen, but Emma....ugh....it was awful. I hated her. I also don't understand why people like this book! :P
I do have to say that Austen is not among my favorite classic authors. I think she's too girly for me or something so I guess in the overall scheme of things, don't pay attention to my opinion on her because I don't think she is necessarily my style. I much prefer reading Alexandre Dumas or something like that to Jane Austen.
I think a lot of people dislike Emma. Even Austen herself said she had created a character no one could love but herself. I haven't read it in a long time, but I have a feeling if I reread it now, I might not like Mr. Knightley quite so much as I did the first time through.
My favorite Austen is Persuasion- I think she is at the epitome of ironic humor there, but I understand if you don't like the bonnet brigade!
I liked Emma. But it could have been Persuasion... oh well. I do love the movie Clueless. :)
Emma was fun for me, but I read it when I was much younger :)
Have you heard of the Parasol Protectorate books?
They might break u of the "bonnet" dislike :)
Post a Comment