Anyone who reads classic literature almost always reads at least one novel by Jane Austen. It's a staple for most classic readers and almost any literature or English class. But not everyone absolutely adores her and not everyone absolutely detests her. I would say that I am somewhere in the middle. But I honestly can't say too much about her because I have only read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and a small portion of Emma. All of her major works are on my Classics Club list and will be read at some point within the next 4 years. But that still doesn't change the fact that I can't say too much about her writing.
For me, I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice. I wasn't real impressed with the other two. But I am still holding out that the others will be great and that I will enjoy them. Some may ask why I love Pride and Prejudice especially since it is one that is well known, but a lot of people don't like it. I love it because it is a simple story. It has just enough detail to keep one hooked, but not enough to become too overwhelming or unrealistic. It gives the reader just enough freedom to fill in the blanks without becoming too crazy or too off topic from what the story is about. It is a story that deals with a variety of things in life. Family, friends, love, marriage, rumors, scandals. And it doesn't make them out to be too glamorous or too silly. While the characters themselves may be silly, the stories and experiences aren't.
Jane Austen was a woman who made her written stories come to life. She has a style of writing and storytelling that is easy for me to fall into and forget the outside world. I can sit and read Pride and Prejudice over and over in just a few sittings. Jane Austen learned how to captivate her readers and tell a story that was familiar yet different. Simple yet touching.
I love Jane Austen. I may not be a hardcore fan of hers just yet. But maybe once I've read some of her other novels I will be. Or maybe I will stay in the middle of the road, loving Pride and Prejudice and not loving some of the others. But either way. I am one who appreciates Jane Austen for writing as much as she did and for writing in such a way that I can escape into a simpler, familiar world. Even if it is just for a few short hours or days at a time.
For me, I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice. I wasn't real impressed with the other two. But I am still holding out that the others will be great and that I will enjoy them. Some may ask why I love Pride and Prejudice especially since it is one that is well known, but a lot of people don't like it. I love it because it is a simple story. It has just enough detail to keep one hooked, but not enough to become too overwhelming or unrealistic. It gives the reader just enough freedom to fill in the blanks without becoming too crazy or too off topic from what the story is about. It is a story that deals with a variety of things in life. Family, friends, love, marriage, rumors, scandals. And it doesn't make them out to be too glamorous or too silly. While the characters themselves may be silly, the stories and experiences aren't.
Jane Austen was a woman who made her written stories come to life. She has a style of writing and storytelling that is easy for me to fall into and forget the outside world. I can sit and read Pride and Prejudice over and over in just a few sittings. Jane Austen learned how to captivate her readers and tell a story that was familiar yet different. Simple yet touching.
I love Jane Austen. I may not be a hardcore fan of hers just yet. But maybe once I've read some of her other novels I will be. Or maybe I will stay in the middle of the road, loving Pride and Prejudice and not loving some of the others. But either way. I am one who appreciates Jane Austen for writing as much as she did and for writing in such a way that I can escape into a simpler, familiar world. Even if it is just for a few short hours or days at a time.
Great thoughts! I can definitely understand liking some of her books over others (I think that happens with any author). I didn't enjoy P&P when I first attempted it, but I read it twice more after and fell deeper in love with it each time. I'll finish her complete works this summer - I've only got 2 books left (Emma & Persuasion).
ReplyDeleteAusten is definitely a writer who improves with repeated reads. I think you will find that most of the hardcore fans are those of us who have had multiple reads of one or all of her books :-)
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