Emma by Jane Austen

Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

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I've always thought that Emma has such a lighthearted feel as compared to Austen's other novels, and I suspect it is because of Emma herself. While I never connected with Emma the way I connected with Elizabeth Bennett or Elinor Dashwood, I have always liked her as a character. She's like the effervescent, albeit shallow, friend who is fun to be around and who everyone can't help but indulge. Her main mission is entertainment, and you can't help but to fall in line with whatever scheme she is planning.

Nevertheless, I can never quite take Emma seriously, at least for most of the book. For the most part her antics are well-meaning and harmless, but she is a rather spoiled and selfish individual. She does make quite a mess when she decides to meddle in Harriet's love life. While Emma's actions were never intended to cause harm, they do speak to her rather self-centered nature. On the surface, Emma appears to be trying to secure Harriet a superior match, but she completely ignores the realities of Harriet's social status and position. Her driving motivaI tion is less about her friend's happiness and more about how the match will gratify her, and in the end it only results in disaster.

Emma is not altogether irredeemable, however. Mr. Knightley, another one of my favorite literary leading men, serves as the perfect counterbalance to Emma. While having a partner who loves and accepts you for who you are is certainly important, I've always thought that the right person would also push you to be the best version of yourself. I think that is what Mr. Knightly does for Emma. He sees her for what she is and draws attention to her failures, not to shame her, but to encourage her to do and be better. And I think under his influence, Emma is better at the end of the novel than she is at the beginning.

I am never disappointed when I pick up Emma. I find the novel to be highly entertaining and several readings of it have not diminished my love for it. I love it just as much now, as I did the first time I read it. It's sense of frivolity makes it a great novel to start with for readers who are new to Austen, or a great book to return to when in need of a break from reality.   

2016 Reading Challenge: A book at least 100 years older than you

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The first of Jane Austen's published novels, Sense and Sensibility portrays the life and loves of two starkly different sisters: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.

The elder Elinor is the epitome of prudence, discretion, and self-control: Marianne embodies emotion, openness, and enthusiasm. This contrast results in their attraction to men of vastly different character - and sparks family and societal dramas that are played out around the sisters' romantic attachments.

Secrets, betrayals, and confessions soon complicate the lives of the Dashwoods, whose goal is nothing less than the achievement of perfect happiness. Beyond the polar differences between the two sisters' characters lies the universal dilemma of balancing what we owe to other human beings against our own needs.

In the pages of this novel, Austen - the most insightful and, at the same time, the most entertaining of novelists - demonstrates her gift for irony. As with many of the greatest works of literature, the resolution of this one is ambiguous: It is for the reader to decide whether sense and sensibility have truly merged - if life and love can really coexist.

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Sense and Sensibility is my second favorite Austen novel. I have always felt a kinship with sensible Elinor. Of all the Austen heroines, she is the one I feel is most similar to myself. I have always admired her steadfastness, practicality, and stoic manner. I never could quite understand why Marianne was the beloved one of the two sisters. To me, she has always appeared indulgent, flighty, and overly dramatic. 

The sisters represent the polar opposites, which is what makes this the perfect choice for my reading challenge. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sense and sensibility as follows:

Sense (noun):

a. capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response : intelligence
b : sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality;also : agreement with or satisfaction of such power 

Sensibility (noun):

a. peculiar susceptibility to a pleasurable or painful impression (as from praise or a slight) —often used in plural
b. awareness of and responsiveness toward something (as emotion in another)

Sensible people are governed by logic. They rely on their heads, their reason. They are willing to sacrifice their own desires in favor of practicality. Where as people who rely on their sensibilities are motivated by their emotions, and are not afraid to respond with unrestrained emotion, positive or negative, in any given situation. Both have their pros and cons, and the message I always got from this novel is the importance of finding the balance between the two. Elinor is often mistaken as being unemotional or detached; Marianne is so easily overcome by any emotion, good or bad, that she appears almost bi-polar.

Of course, there is also Edward Ferrars to consider. As much as I wanted to hate him for it, I have always admired his loyalty and unwillingness to give into the pressures of others. He was a fool to make a promise to Lucy at such a young age, but I have always admired how he refused to break his promise to her, despite the pressure of his family and even to the detriment of his own heart. On the other hand, I always feel an urge to rage at him to forget honor and marry the woman he really loves. Edward is no Mr. Darcy, but he is definitely up there on the list of my favorite leading men.

Even though I have read this book numerous times, I loved it just as much as I did all the other times I read it. Like a pair of comfortable slippers, it was easy to slip into this world created by Austen and lose myself in the language and characters of this novel. This one will never get old for me, and I foresee many more rereadings.

2015 Reading Challenge: A book with antonyms in the title

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater

Mr. Darcy is my ultimate book boyfriend. No one holds a candle to him in my heart, but his inner thoughts have always proven illusive, as Jane Austen never made us privy to them in Pride and Prejudice. When I came across this novel, I jumped at the chance to step inside my literary crush's head. My expectations might have been too high, however. I was left rather disappointed by this one.

The Darcy in my head far out paced the Darcy of this book. I found Slater's Darcy rather dull, with the many of his entries consisting of detailed descriptions of what he ate that day. There was an attempt to add some spice with mentions of Darcy's trysts with chambermaids and his attempt to help Bingley get over Jane by setting him up with a kept woman. While not unfathomable, I didn't like the idea of some of my most beloved characters acting in such a manner. It is hardly consistent with the idealized version (complete with pedestal) that I have in my head.

After Darcy's first failed proposal, the novel did pick up a little steam for me, but not enough to make this a worthwhile read. While not the worst I've ever read, I cannot say that you will be missing anything if you don't pick this one up. 

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match by Marilyn Brant

Beth Ann Bennet is a single mother who isn't looking for love. She is finishing up her degree in social work and is using Lady Catherine's Love Match website to help her complete a sociology paper on sex-role stereotypes, which is why her profile states that she is a 22-year-old child psychology major named Charlotte Lucas.

Dr. William Darcy isn't looking for love either. He's looking to fund his new medical clinic to help single mothers, and to do that he has to win a bet he made with his wealthy cousin, Bingley McNamara. Will needs to find a woman, take her on at least 5 dates, and introduce her to his cousin by his birthday.

When Beth Ann meets Will she never expected to develop feelings for him, nor did Will expect to fall for Beth Ann. However after discovering Will's prejudices against social workers and dating single mothers, Beth Ann can't bring herself to tell the Will the truth behind her true identity. When their secrets are finally revealed, Will is left questioning everything he believed before he met Beth Ann and wondering if maybe his own prejudices are keeping him from his own happily ever after.

This was a fun little Austen inspired story. Those who go into it expecting a straightforward retelling of Pride and Prejudice will be disappointed, but the spirit of the story is there. What I liked most about this story is that there is a role reversal with Beth Ann (Elizabeth) and Will (Darcy). While Elizabeth is the one who must overcome her prejudices in the original, in this retelling it is Will (Darcy) who must face and overcomes his prejudices. The story switches perspectives which allows the reader glimpses into both characters' heads, something I always wish for when I reread P&P. It is a very quick read and the story at times moved almost too fast, glazing over events, which left it with a rushed, underdeveloped feeling at times. True to Austen, there is a happy ending and I found myself not at all unsatisfied having spent my afternoon with this book.

Jane Austen: A Life by Carol Shields and Jane Austen by Marghanita Laski

I picked both of these books up because they were on the recommended reading list for the Jane Austen Summer Camp that I will be attending at the end of July. I have never attended anything like this before and I have to say that I am very excited. As much as I love Jane Austen's novels, I must confess that I have never felt the compulsion to learn more about the authoress herself until recently. I prefered to just get wrapped up in the stories she so beautifully penned.

Both of these books are easy to read and have a somewhat conversational tone to them. The Laski book has over a hundred black and white illustrations that accompany the narrative, which were nice, but didn't really add anything in my opinion. Both books offer similar insights into Jane's life and are fairly straightforward tellings of her life. I find it intriguing that as much as we know about Jane, there is still so much we don't know. I would love to know, as would many other Austinites, what was contained in the correspondence destroyed by her sister, Cassandra. Alas, we shall never know... 

Everybody's Jane: Austen in the Popular Imagination by Juliette Wells

I picked this book up when I was invited to a Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) event by a good friend and fellow Austen enthusiast, at which Juliette Wells was speaking. I have to admit that while I consider myself an Austen fanatic, my interest in all things Austen has never really extended beyond re-reading her novels over and over again. I have felt little compulsion to do any type of scholarly reading or research into Jane Austen herself and/or her novels. Reading her novels has been enough for me and very much akin to the idea of "enchantment" presented by Rita Felski and referenced by Wells.

"Enchantment is characterized by a state of intense involvement, a sense of being so entirely caught up in an aesthetic object that nothing else seems to matter...This sense of immersion seems self-enclosed and self-sustaining, demarcated by a distinct boundary; the transition back to the everyday world feels unwelcome, even intrusive..."

I did find Wells book to be rather interesting, although it did require me to engage in a different reading style, as it is a purely academic and it's been awhile since I have read this type of book. In Everybody's Jane, Wells explores the question - What does Jane Austen mean to you? The focus of her book is the amateur reader, as opposed to the scholar, and the various ways that these readers interact not only with Austen's works, but Austen herself. The title "amateur" in this case does not carry the negative connotations often associated with the word, but instead relates to the original meaning of the word - referring to an admirer or devotee.

Each of the chapters in the book focus on a different aspect of the Austen experience sought after by amateur readers. The first chapter introduces us to the amateur reader and lays out the outline for the rest of the book. Chapter two profiles Alberta H. Burke, an Austen admirer and collector, and her world famous (at least within in the Austen circle) collection that was donated to Goucher College upon her death. Chapter three focuses on how and why amateur readers read Austen today - from enchantment to finding life advice. Literary tourism and how some readers seek a closer connection to Austen by traveling to places connected to her life and works is the subject of Chapter four. Chapter five was one of the more interesting chapters in my opinion and discusses how Austen is depicted in portraits, fiction and films. Chapter six explores how people, particularly Americans, have sought to recreate Austen by infusing her works with elements such as sex, horror/paranormal, and Christian elements. The final chapter addresses how the amateur and scholarly reader come together through organizations such as JASNA.

Juliette's writing style is easy to follow despite the fact that it is an "academic" piece, and I have to say that reading it has definitely piqued my interest in expanding the boundaries of my Austen experience.

Darcy Goes to War by Mary Lydon Simonsen

I should begin by saying that Pride & Prejudice is my favorite book of all time and because of this I have been hesitant to get into the world of Austen inspired fan fiction. Because I love it so much, any change or deviation feels almost sacrilegious to me. It's hard to imagine that anything could live up to the original. My first voyage into Austen fan fiction did not go well, as Death Comes to Pemberley (click here for my review) left a lot to be desired.

When I saw Darcy Goes to War was free on Amazon, I decided to give it a chance after reading the synopsis and getting a thumbs up from my friend over at Books Hug Back, who is an Austen fan fiction connoisseur. I thought perhaps this book would help me get over my own pride and prejudice and general Austen purist snobbery. After all, imitation is supposed to be the highest form of flattery. I was pleasantly surprise by how much I loved this book and Mary Lydon Simonsen has definitely jumped to the top of my new favorite author's list.

In this re-imagining, Elizabeth Bennet and William Darcy are living in England during the Spring of 1944. Britain is in the fourth year of fighting World War II. Elizabeth does her part by driving a lorry and Flight Lieutenant Darcy is a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Their paths cross one night at a local pub and Elizabeth takes an instant disliking to Darcy when he snubs her. Through a series of subsequent meetings, Elizabeth finds her initial impression of Darcy changing, but her guard is up. Falling in love during a war can only lead to one thing - heartbreak. However, Elizabeth and Darcy cannot ignore or fight the feelings they have for one another.

I was instantly sucked into this story and loved every minute of it. There are enough parallels to the original that the characters and story are respected, but this story also managed to be unique in and of itself. Elizabeth retained all of the characteristics that I love about the original - she's witty, independent, and strong-willed. Darcy, who is forever my ultimate literary crush, is just as swoon worthy (albeit less surly) as ever. I loved Simonsen's writing style and it was intriguing to see a modern twist on the story, where forces bigger than just class threaten to pull Lizzy and Darcy apart. The modern setting also allowed for the exploration of new facets of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship and characters that were not possible before (whole lot of sexual tension!), which added a whole new dimension to their relationship. I didn't think it was possible for Darcy to be any sexier, but I was wrong and I totally dug the whole "fly boy" thing.

Darcy Goes to War is well worth the read, both for Austen enthusiasts and those who are not familiar with the original Pride & Prejudice (which if you are not - shame on you! Get thee to a book store stat!!). This book earns a 5 star rating from me and will probably become one of my favorites to re-read.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

What better way to end a year and bring in another one than re-reading my favorite (tied with Jane Eyre) book of all time by my favorite author! Yes, after meeting my goal of reading 75 books I decided to celebrate by reading Pride & Prejudice yet again. I've lost count of the number of times that I have read this book, but I think this makes 10 re-readings.

For those of you not familiar with this book (and shame on you if you are not!), Pride & Prejudice tells the story of the Bennet family, a well-to-do (but by no means wealthy) family with 5 daughters living in an age when their sole concern was securing an advantageous marriage. The Bennet sisters' world is turned upside down when a Mr. Bingley moves into Netherfield Park and is instantly taken with Jane, the eldest Miss Bennet. It is through Mr. Bingley that Elizabeth, the second eldest, meets Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Bingley's very wealthy and prideful friend, and takes a disliking to him. When she learns that Mr. Darcy played a hand in the sufferings of her acquaintance Mr. Wickham and in separating Mr. Bingley from her beloved sister, Elizabeth is determined to dislike him forever. However a series of events, intrigues and misunderstandings soon show that first impressions can be misleading, and Elizabeth soon finds herself desiring a connection with Mr. Darcy that she previously considered most displeasing. Both she and Mr. Darcy must overcome their pride and prejudices in order to find the happiness they both seek.

People always ask me why I re-read this book over and over. There are so many reasons that I could probably write a whole book about how much I love this book, but I will try to keep my admirations in check. First, I love the language. Words and phrases like supercillousness, pedantic, impertubabuly grave, and connubial felicity make my heart and mind sing! Nobody talks like this anymore. We as a society have become so lazy when it comes to language. The fewer letters and syllables we use the better. Words like LOL and OMG now appear in the dictionary! A complete travesty if you ask me. The art of using language (and letter writing) has all but died away. I love that it often takes a character several lines to say one thing rather than a few short words.

Secondly, I love the characters. Elizabeth Bennet is my favorite female literary character and I know that we would be very good friends if she really existed. I love her wit, humor and her ability to put Darcy in his place on numerous occasions. Darcy is my ultimate literary crush. I fell head over heels for him from the first reading. His swoon worthy phrases - "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." - induce sighs in me every time I read them. In my opinion he is perfection personified. Yes he is proud, but he is also generous, loyal and passionate (not to mention rich). If he existed in real life I would not hesitate to snatch him up! Elizabeth and Darcy's love story is amazingly heartwarming and I love watching the events that change their perceptions of each other so drastically unfold.  Even though I know how the story ends, in all of my subsequent re-readings I still find myself so wrapped up in the world created by Austen that I worry over whether or not Elizabeth and Darcy will really end up together.

Jane Austen writes with a fluidity and ease that can sometimes be missing in classics. The story is full of humor, friendship, gossip, and romance. She is by far my favorite author and I have read just about everything of hers that has been published. While I have many Austen favorites - Sense and Sensibility,  Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion - Pride & Prejudice is by far her crowning glory. I don't ever seem to be able to get my fill of it - both literary and even film wise. If you have never read this book, I implore you to pick it up. It is a book that I will continue to love, cherish, and probably re-read a million more times.