Jane Austen Ruined My Life (Jane Austen, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Book Type: Paperback
Deborah R. (firthworthy) reviewed on
Helpful Score: 3
I did NOT want to like this book. As soon as I saw it was published by Guidepost and that the author has written a number of books that I consider romance novels, I regretted using a credit to buy this book. But since I love Jane Austen and an empty weekend was at hand, I decided to skim the book before relisting it. And I'm so glad that I did!
The premise was interesting -- that a dotty old lady was slowly revealing previously hidden letters written by Jane Austen that would reveal unknown parts of her love life. I got a little grouchy that the lady was so evasive and kept sending Emma off on wild goose chases, but each of those trips yielded some new insights into JA and also for Emma herself.
I wanted to smack Emma upside the head more than a few times (and like Cher in Moonstruck yell "SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"). I didn't particularly warm to her character. I agree with a reviewer on an Austen blog who said that Emma didn't talk and act like the educated college professor she was. Granted, she was in the midst of a life crisis but she came across as a petulant teenager instead of an adult.
Her whole mantra that reading Jane Austen ruined her life read to me as a cop-out. After all, Mr. Darcy (and particularly Colin Firth's portrayal) lured me into the world of all things Austen. BUT Emma's soul-searching near the end hit so close to home for my marriage that I copied one big paragraph and stuck it in my diary to reread whenever I get a case of the stupids. Once you've read this book you'll know which paragraph I mean.
I agree with other reviewers here that the ending was not totally satisfying to me. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that in the short term Emma probably needed to do that, but I hope in the long term she didn't regret it.
This was a quick easy read. Perhaps you, too, will gain some personal insight to make it worth your while!
The premise was interesting -- that a dotty old lady was slowly revealing previously hidden letters written by Jane Austen that would reveal unknown parts of her love life. I got a little grouchy that the lady was so evasive and kept sending Emma off on wild goose chases, but each of those trips yielded some new insights into JA and also for Emma herself.
I wanted to smack Emma upside the head more than a few times (and like Cher in Moonstruck yell "SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"). I didn't particularly warm to her character. I agree with a reviewer on an Austen blog who said that Emma didn't talk and act like the educated college professor she was. Granted, she was in the midst of a life crisis but she came across as a petulant teenager instead of an adult.
Her whole mantra that reading Jane Austen ruined her life read to me as a cop-out. After all, Mr. Darcy (and particularly Colin Firth's portrayal) lured me into the world of all things Austen. BUT Emma's soul-searching near the end hit so close to home for my marriage that I copied one big paragraph and stuck it in my diary to reread whenever I get a case of the stupids. Once you've read this book you'll know which paragraph I mean.
I agree with other reviewers here that the ending was not totally satisfying to me. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that in the short term Emma probably needed to do that, but I hope in the long term she didn't regret it.
This was a quick easy read. Perhaps you, too, will gain some personal insight to make it worth your while!
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