#2, #38, #40, In which we take on Ms. Austen

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”

I wish that I could tell you that I've spent so much time away from my blog because I was taking on Watership Down, but sadly I abandoned that project for more amusing reads like...The Hunger Games series (dazzling).

The only reading I accomplished that I can cross off my list is that I finished my annual reading of Pride and Prejudice, finished my third reading of Persuasion, and watched the BBC version of Emma.  Now, don't be alarmed, I have in fact read Emma, but it is not my favorite, and why torture myself?

Pride and Prejudice still hasn't gotten old for m even though I read it every year.  Elizabeth and Darcy are perfection.  With this book, and all of Austen's works, I just wish we could get a glimps at their life after marriage and I would love to get some of the book written from Darcy's point of view.  Alas, this was not Austen's plan.  Some people really don't get this book, or any of Austen's other works, and the language does take some getting used to.  It's helpful to have some knowledge about the English upper-classes so that you know a little bit about titles and Regency manners before diving right in.

Some people criticize Austen for being too domestic.  It's true, most her books are set in a small town with only a few neighbors, the main character normally gets one trip to a bigger city like London or Bath, and the biggest highlight is a ball.  That being said, I find that the conversation really drives the book.  My favorite thing is often what isn't said, the slight brush of a hand, or a look across a room.  It's almost Victorian, but I've always loved the pull between what you can do and what you want to do in Austen's world.

Persuasion is Austen's last novel and the more times I read it, the more I think that it's my favorite.  This novel is also not as famous as Auten's others because the main character is a little past her prime.  However, she's intelligent and extremely loyal.  She's also one of the more genuinely kind characters. 

Since it isn't a book anyone really mentions in school or makes a mini-series out of, here's a synopsis:

Boy meets girl, boy proposes to girl, girl rejects boy because she's persuaded by a family friend that he has no prospects (money or landed title), boy goes to sea to make his fortune, boy comes back 8 years later (loaded), boy might marry another and far younger girl (heartless),Lyme, head injury, lots of good poetry, Bath, evil money-grubbing cousin, amazing letter of declaration, and then boy and girl are married 8.5 years after the first proposal.

Basically, it all boils down to that that one amazing, handwritten letter.

Emma is not, and probably never will be, my favorite character.  She's rich, very conceited, and often a little clueless even though she thinks she's number one in the class.  Don't believe me?  The movie Clueless is based entirely on this book.  There are a lot of broken hearts in this one and most of them are because of Emma butting into things.  She frustrates me. 

The only shinning star about this book, is that it has one of the great male leads: Mr. Knightley. He's full of sense, very practical, 16 years older than Emma and treats her like his little sister...until he falls in love with her.  In the movie versions, Mr. Knightley is never portrayed so much older and I thank you for that movie makers.

So to sum up:

Darcy and Elizabeth=Perfection,

Nothing beats a really good letter,

and...

Emma is stupid until Mr, Knightley knocks some sense into her...and sometimes you really wish that he, literally, would knock some sense into her.