I am supposed to finish Part II by today so hopefully I will finish it by tomorrow if not today. Still have a few chapters to go.
I have never read Jane Austen's books and I really thought I would not enjoy them but having now read Pride and Prejudice earlier in the year and now Emma they really are great fun.
I won't review Emma as it has been done by too many people that know more about her than I do over the past 200 years but I do have thoughts on the book.
It was slow to get started but listening to the audio book from Audible.com and also reading along with my lovely Penguin Cloth classic hardcover I am able to focus on the print while hearing the English accents. The narrator is great fun and very entertaining as she reads the Bates ladies. Especially the younger one that talks so fast. She is also very good with the male voices. All of the voices are quite different from one another and it does anchor the characters in my mind.
The Knightley's were confusing at first but I have them sorted now now. Emma is most annoying with all of her meddling and matchmaking that usually blows up in her face. Of course her station in life is so much better than most of the other characters and she doesn't let you forget it. and I enjoy watching her flaunt her attitude over everyone.
I enjoy the day to day activities and feel as though I am following her around the area as it is described so well. I am currently at the part in the book before Chapter II ends as she really does struggle with Jane Fairfax and the pianoforte. I am looking forward to seeing how everyone ends up. I am more attached to the characters than I thought possible and I find myself thinking of them as I travel down the road on my motorbike into town to do my Christmas shopping. My life is certainly different to theirs.
This is the first read-a-long I have participated in and it is great to follow along on the Twitter Feed, #Emma200th. Though I find I need to keep up for if I read the feed and am too far behind the tweets turn into spoilers. Part III should begin about Monday and I do hope to have it finished by the next weekend.
There is also the Classic Club spin number to begin reading just after Christmas. I have set aside the week between Christmas and New Year's to read this book. It is a vintage Penguin, about New South Wales 200 years ago. I am a bit apprehensive about it as I think I could be very dry but I will give it a shot and see how I go. It is called Notes and Sketches of New South Wales (Penguin Colonial Series)
Written in 1844 originally, published by Penguin in 1973.
It is hard to believe that 2015 is so close to an end and 2016 about to begin. I am really looking forward to the New Year and I hope everyone else is too.
Advice for this week: Breathe. The running around for Christmas is exhausting, remembering all of the little things that need to be done. Write it all on a list and plan at least an hour a day to sit with a coffee, tea or glass of wine and read to calm the mind. I find it is really lovely to slip into Jane Austen's world after running around in mine.
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| Merry Christmas from Australia |
i enjoyed reading the russians but i've tried austen numerous times and felt ovrwhelmed. your post mades me realize that i might be able to do it after all. think i'll give her another try.... tx.
ReplyDeleteI must say I had to read Emma for a book group a few years ago and could not do it. I think listening to the audio book along with the text brings it to life and I do love hearing the English accents and various characters voices. If I get lost in the book, I don't get lost in their voices.
DeleteWe are almost in exactly the same place! I had hoped to finish Vikume 3 today, but it looks like it may be tomorrow. I love that you're listening to t on audio while reading along in your beautiful hardcover. What a brilliant idea! It must make the characters live and breathe all the more. And I find your observations quite astute. Others may have posted intellectual thoughts, but I far prefer our reader's gut reactions. Not that we're not intellectual, of course. I vascular between liking Emma and not. For one thing, I have to remember she's quite young, and I was probably that foolish once, too. ;). I am anxious to see how she resolves things with Jane Fairfax, whom I once read is the other heroine of the novel. And, Tom of Wuthering Expectatikns noted that it is considered a mystery as well. Who knew? Loved reading your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI am not great at reviews bc I do not take notes while I read. I like to dive in and pretend I am time travelling. This has been a lot more fun than I thought but I am sure it is the audio "singalong" that helps me enjoy it just that tiny bit more. It has been fun and thank you for hosting it. I'm looking forward to the next read a long by some blogger. Wonder what it will be.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're enjoying your first readalong. I confess that I've become a bit of a readlong junkie this year. They're much more do-able than the year long challenges that I fail to complete.
ReplyDeleteAlso glad you're embracing Jane Austen finally :-)
I know what you mean re the challenges. I lose interest before I finish while the read along finish and I feel I have achieved something. Yes, I am glad I finally clicked with the Austen. I look forward to more reading of her. Have a great Christmas and Happy blogging in the new year.🌲🌲🌲
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