Re: Books: 2nd Edition
Posted: Aug 28, 2018 5:07 pm
220Christian, the Austen books I've read are Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. (I've read parts of Sense and Sensibility and someday I'd like to read the whole thing.) I would say that Persuasion was the most emotional and also the least enjoyable of them. LOL.
I probably shouldn't have made it sound like I think Austen having an unemotional prose style was a bad thing. It fit in with the message she was trying to convey which was that being overemotional leads to trouble. That's a good message and not one that's popular nowadays if, indeed, it ever was. So kudos to her. In a way, the fact that she's still has a fanbase actually gives me hope for society.
I feel Jane Austen's strengths were humor, character development and psychological insight. I think that's why Persuasion, which was more about emotions, was my least favorite thing I've read of hers. (And from what I've read, Mansfield Park which is more melodramatic and Dickensian, is kind of a you love it or you hate it deal.) She was great at writing about real life and I'm not that interested in reading about real life. (Why should I be when I could go out and experience it for myself anytime?) That's why she's not a favorite of mine though I can certainly understand why she would be someone else's.
Maybe it's telling that her favorite work of mine is Love and Friendship which is a silly parody with no attempt to be realistic. She wrote it when she was a teenager and it's available to read online. Check it out if you haven't read it.
P.S.
I love me some Victor Hugo though I admit I skim parts. I've only read his most famous books, Les Miserables and Notre Dame de Paris. Sometime it might be nice to read his others. Did he actually write any others?
I probably shouldn't have made it sound like I think Austen having an unemotional prose style was a bad thing. It fit in with the message she was trying to convey which was that being overemotional leads to trouble. That's a good message and not one that's popular nowadays if, indeed, it ever was. So kudos to her. In a way, the fact that she's still has a fanbase actually gives me hope for society.
I feel Jane Austen's strengths were humor, character development and psychological insight. I think that's why Persuasion, which was more about emotions, was my least favorite thing I've read of hers. (And from what I've read, Mansfield Park which is more melodramatic and Dickensian, is kind of a you love it or you hate it deal.) She was great at writing about real life and I'm not that interested in reading about real life. (Why should I be when I could go out and experience it for myself anytime?) That's why she's not a favorite of mine though I can certainly understand why she would be someone else's.
Maybe it's telling that her favorite work of mine is Love and Friendship which is a silly parody with no attempt to be realistic. She wrote it when she was a teenager and it's available to read online. Check it out if you haven't read it.
P.S.
I love me some Victor Hugo though I admit I skim parts. I've only read his most famous books, Les Miserables and Notre Dame de Paris. Sometime it might be nice to read his others. Did he actually write any others?