Emma
By: Jane Austin
By: Jane Austin
As some of you know, I've been battling with this book for a long while. In fact, if you were wondering why I hadn't posted in so long, look no further than this painfully long read by Jane Austin.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that Emma was poorly written, or a bad book. On the contrary, I found it enjoyable and found myself smiling many times. I was once told that one of the best things about a Jane Austin novel is that you know our heroine will fall in love and get married/live happily ever after, you just aren't sure with whom. And I do wonder if that is what made it such a difficult read for me. From the first pages, I knew that Cher and Josh would end up together, and that Tai would wind up with Travis Birkenstock.
However, not to contradict myself, but I believe my knowledge of the plot made the tale more enjoyable in so many ways. When I recognized a scene, I got giddy, reading those pages with more excitement.
I do wonder, if Emma was written to be a "chapter a night" sort of book, because for myself, most nights I found that more than two chapters was a bit too much. Each chapter is written in an episodic sort of fashion, lacking in the sort of cliffhangers that both drive me crazy and keep me turning the pages.
And I suppose, if I was going to put my feelings toward this book, which for a month I called the bane of my existence, that is what I would say. "A great book for the casual nightly reader." However, if you're like me, and enjoy ripping into a book and letting in consume your life, I might advice placing this one aside until you're ready to put it next to your bed and save it for the end of your evening.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that Emma was poorly written, or a bad book. On the contrary, I found it enjoyable and found myself smiling many times. I was once told that one of the best things about a Jane Austin novel is that you know our heroine will fall in love and get married/live happily ever after, you just aren't sure with whom. And I do wonder if that is what made it such a difficult read for me. From the first pages, I knew that Cher and Josh would end up together, and that Tai would wind up with Travis Birkenstock.
However, not to contradict myself, but I believe my knowledge of the plot made the tale more enjoyable in so many ways. When I recognized a scene, I got giddy, reading those pages with more excitement.
I do wonder, if Emma was written to be a "chapter a night" sort of book, because for myself, most nights I found that more than two chapters was a bit too much. Each chapter is written in an episodic sort of fashion, lacking in the sort of cliffhangers that both drive me crazy and keep me turning the pages.
And I suppose, if I was going to put my feelings toward this book, which for a month I called the bane of my existence, that is what I would say. "A great book for the casual nightly reader." However, if you're like me, and enjoy ripping into a book and letting in consume your life, I might advice placing this one aside until you're ready to put it next to your bed and save it for the end of your evening.
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