What do you think?
Rate this book
Jane Austen: Four Novels
No library's complete without the classics! This new, enhanced leather-bound edition collects some of the most popular works of beloved author Jane Austen.
Jane Austen's stories of clever women, elusive love, and social mores have struck a chord with millions of fans who consider her work compelling, heartwarming, and essential. Adapted time and time again for screen and stage, these enduring classics remain as enjoyable as ever, the perfect addition to every home library.
This revised, elegant edition collects Austen's acclaimed novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. New readers will be enchanted once they open the genuine leather cover, see the specially designed end papers, and read these brilliant stories, while readers familiar with Austen's genius will enjoy the introduction from an acclaimed Austen scholar that provides background and context for the works they've always loved.
Just like Jane Austen's memorable characters, readers will fall in love--with this remarkable keepsake!
Jane Austen's stories of clever women, elusive love, and social mores have struck a chord with millions of fans who consider her work compelling, heartwarming, and essential. Adapted time and time again for screen and stage, these enduring classics remain as enjoyable as ever, the perfect addition to every home library.
This revised, elegant edition collects Austen's acclaimed novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. New readers will be enchanted once they open the genuine leather cover, see the specially designed end papers, and read these brilliant stories, while readers familiar with Austen's genius will enjoy the introduction from an acclaimed Austen scholar that provides background and context for the works they've always loved.
Just like Jane Austen's memorable characters, readers will fall in love--with this remarkable keepsake!
808 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1983
177 people are currently reading
672 people want to read
About the author
Jane Austen
3,820 books74.3k followersJane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.
The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.
The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 2, 2020
This omnibus was a mere 99 cents from Amazon and provides hours of reading and/or rereading as the case may be. Just nice to have available on the Kindle when tired of rifling through reviews of books available.
January 12, 2018
Pride and Prejudice
5 out of 5 stars
Review coming whenever I re-read it and can give a coherent account of why I loved it. :P
Sense and Sensibility
4 out of 5 stars
[Some spoilers may be contained. Mostly copied from my original review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...]
Well this was one of those books that was hard to rate. I dilly-dallied between giving it three and four stars for a while, but ultimately decided on four since what I did like significantly outweighed the parts I didn’t care so much for. (And while these latter bits do take up a good portion of the review, they didn’t bother me so much while I was busy reading.)
First, the good stuff. I just really love Austen’s archaic writing style. It’s so lovely to go back to a time when things seemed simpler. (Admittedly, however, I am glad no one’s bent on marrying me off to someone just because they’re rich!) And, although the mile-long sentences can be a lot for some people to get through, I love them, because some passages were just so funny. Austen possessed a very sharp understanding of human nature, and brought her characters to life in a way that made me laugh, because humanity never really changes. (One of my favorite examples of this was of a mother-in-law being bothered that her son-in-law thought all babies looked the same, despite having a brand-new one of his own. She, of course, could tell exactly where the child’s nose came from.)
I also liked the fact, that, unlike Pride and Prejudice, the theme of marrying rich wasn’t so thoroughly accepted by authority figures. Sure, they could, but it wasn’t necessary. Mrs. Dashwood placed her girls’ happiness above riches, and I loved that. So did their motherly guardian of much of the book, Mrs. Jennings. It was refreshing! [mini rant about marrying rich over]
As for characters, Elinor was a very level-headed young woman with a truly admirable moral compass, which balanced out her anything-but-level-headed sister Marianne. Marianne was the romantic. And while I usually really love romantic characters, hers was carried out to the extreme, and ultimately did more harm for her than good.
There also several plot twists that took me completely by surprise! I can think of two that really shocked me, and made me put the book down to stare at nothing for several seconds while I tried to process What. Just. Happened. Dun dun dunnn. I love a good plot twist. :P
Buuut now we come to the stuff that I wasn’t so keen on. The romance wasn’t as well paced as in Pride and Prejudice (this is the only other reference for Austen I have, so bear with me.) I liked Willoughby and Marianne’s while it lasted *pauses to glare at the former* but of course it didn’t, and we were left scrambling at the end of the book to marry both Elinor and Marianne Dashwood to somebody. (Elinor’s primary suitor had been placed out of reach early on by discovering another girl had a claim on him first.) Again, I have a problem with this, because at the end, the aforementioned Girl decided she would break off the engagement of four years to marry this man’s brother, therefore freeing This Man to marry Elinor. Just—what?? It seemed much too convenient, and really didn’t add up for me, neither did Elinor’s apparently always having loved This Man with a strength I didn’t gather she had in the time before she knew he was taken, and furthermore, that He reciprocated it.
Also, Marianne moped for a very long time after her heart was broken. I understand that would be a difficult thing, but she almost killed herself by it when not eating, sleeping, or really possessing a will to live gave her a violent fever. Overkill much?
And they tried to explain away a Certain Man’s scoundrel-ness, but ultimately, the best I could do was feel a little sorry for him. He brought it all upon himself, and while he felt the loss of everything very keenly, he was not repentant.
As for other objectionable content, there was mention of a couple instances of sex outside of wedlock, but only in a very veiled, unapproving sort of way.
*scrolls up* *realizes the less-than-favorable stuff takes up about as much space as the favorable stuff and I rated it four stars* Honestly, I really did enjoy this book, and will be returning for more Jane Austen in the future. I just have a lot of articulate thoughts on the stuff I didn’t like so much. xD Really, these things were not big deals for me as I was reading, I just felt they needed to be mentioned in my review for anyone that might be interested. It was a good book, and while I ultimately ended up preferring Pride and Prejudice, this one was a lovely read too.
Emma
4 out of 5 stars
Emma is a very solid four-star read for me. Austen has a way of bringing you right into the world of her characters, and making you care about little, everyday happenings, as well as the bigger, not-so-everyday stuff… like getting married. (I mean ‘cause you know it’s going to happen, being Jane Austen and all.) :P
Previously, I’ve read two other Austen novels: Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. I find them to be a pleasant variation from the typical “save the world,” type things I usually read, and going back in time to the eighteen hundreds is another plus. (I kinda sorta love that time period, *cough*.) The problem with having read two Jane Austen books before, however, is the fact that by round three, they begin to become a little predictable—there always seems to be a Mr. Collins, Wickham, and Darcy, to use Pride and Prejudice terms. (I won’t say more than that for fear of spoilers, but I saw who the main character, Emma, would end up with almost from the very beginning.)
Speaking of Emma, at the start of the book she was quite the “nonsensical girl,” as Mr. Knightley once put it, almost to the point of being irritating. However, by the end she had grown a lot, as a character, and as a person. I thought that it was a refreshing arc, because Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice already had a good head of sense on her shoulders, as did Elinor from Sense and Sensibility, but Emma was more relatable because she wasn’t perfect. (Also, she had declared that she would never marry—an extraordinary thing, given the time period and the fact that she’s in a Jane Austen novel. While I don’t think either extreme of the Marry-or-not-to-Marry spectrum is good—after all, we should be after what God wants in our lives—she wasn’t so bent on upholding that declaration that couldn’t be persuaded otherwise.)
As for the other characters—Mrs. E was infuriating, Mr. Knightley by far my favorite male character, Harriet quiet and sweet, Mr. Woodhouse funny and endearing despite his obsession with health, Mr. and Mrs. Weston just the sort of lovely people you want to associate with, and Miss Bates… holy cow, that woman could talk—just to name a few.
The reason I didn’t give it four stars despite the super-satisfying ending that gave you time to enjoy it before dropping you back into the real world again, was the fact that it did drag a little at times (although that might just be my attention span to blame there), and everyone lived Happily Ever After™. I know it’s Jane Austen, but I felt like the end of Harriet’s subplot was just a little thrown in, so you wouldn’t feel too bad about Emma’s turning out all right in spite of everything.
Those are my only complaints, however. Although Pride and Prejudice still reigns as my favorite Jane Austen novel to date, this one’s a close second, and is definitely worth the read!
Northanger Abbey
4 out of 5 stars
This book is glorious, simply put. For a large chunk of it I had to wonder why it seems to be one of the lesser-known Jane Austen novels. The chosen heroine, Catherine Morland, grew up a tomboy, is bookish, rather naïve, and a hopeless romantic—her Love Interest is even more well-read than she is—and Austen fearlessly breaks the fourth wall on a regular basis. In short, I was thoroughly prepared to give it five stars and challenge Pride and Prejudice as the reigning champion of my favorite Jane Austen novel, except for the end, which just wasn’t satisfying.
But before I get into that, let me just talk about Catherine a little more. She was a tomboy until age fifteen, (when she settled down somewhat), loves to read, fangirls before it was a thing, views life through the colorful lens that reading gives it, is, admittedly, a little oblivious from time to time, always wants to think the best of people, and is infatuated old architecture. She’s like Anne Shirley meets Jane Bennet meets me. *awkward laughter* Also, she never fell for anyone but the Right One. (Can I get a hallelujah?? Amen.)
Northanger Abbey seems to be a little more condensed than most Jane Austen novels, as well, and therefore moves quicker without introducing a Collins or Wickham, (although there was one guy that was kind of a jerk, but could’ve been worse, I s’pose), and kept me interested throughout. The character that disgusted me the most in this book was not a scoundrel of a man at all, in fact—it was a certain scoundrel of a young lady who dared to call herself Catherine’s friend. *glares* A close second was Mr. Love Interest’s father, when he showed his true colors.
As for the rest of the book, it was glorious, like I mentioned. Catherine gets herself into a truly awkward scrape when snooping where she shouldn’t (think reader death-by-second-hand-embarrassment type situation), but experiences grace unlooked-for. This tames her wild imagination somewhat, and makes her a steadier person altogether.
The only reason I didn’t give it five whole stars, as mentioned above, is because of the ending. It was sudden (a reoccurring problem I’ve noticed with Jane Austen in general), and because of this, the moment when Catherine’s Mr. Right confesses his feelings is skimmed over and summarized in a few paragraphs. There wasn’t one line of dialogue. That eliminated the payoff, and left me feeling rather cheated, since the rest of it was so enjoyable. *whispers* Authors, don’t do that. There’s a time and place for summarizing conversations, but the moment of payoff isn’t it.
All things considered, however, Northanger Abbey was a fitting end to this collection of Jane Austen novels, and definitely worth a read, if you like reading about characters that like reading. (I know I do!)
5 out of 5 stars
Review coming whenever I re-read it and can give a coherent account of why I loved it. :P
Sense and Sensibility
4 out of 5 stars
[Some spoilers may be contained. Mostly copied from my original review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...]
Well this was one of those books that was hard to rate. I dilly-dallied between giving it three and four stars for a while, but ultimately decided on four since what I did like significantly outweighed the parts I didn’t care so much for. (And while these latter bits do take up a good portion of the review, they didn’t bother me so much while I was busy reading.)
First, the good stuff. I just really love Austen’s archaic writing style. It’s so lovely to go back to a time when things seemed simpler. (Admittedly, however, I am glad no one’s bent on marrying me off to someone just because they’re rich!) And, although the mile-long sentences can be a lot for some people to get through, I love them, because some passages were just so funny. Austen possessed a very sharp understanding of human nature, and brought her characters to life in a way that made me laugh, because humanity never really changes. (One of my favorite examples of this was of a mother-in-law being bothered that her son-in-law thought all babies looked the same, despite having a brand-new one of his own. She, of course, could tell exactly where the child’s nose came from.)
I also liked the fact, that, unlike Pride and Prejudice, the theme of marrying rich wasn’t so thoroughly accepted by authority figures. Sure, they could, but it wasn’t necessary. Mrs. Dashwood placed her girls’ happiness above riches, and I loved that. So did their motherly guardian of much of the book, Mrs. Jennings. It was refreshing! [mini rant about marrying rich over]
As for characters, Elinor was a very level-headed young woman with a truly admirable moral compass, which balanced out her anything-but-level-headed sister Marianne. Marianne was the romantic. And while I usually really love romantic characters, hers was carried out to the extreme, and ultimately did more harm for her than good.
There also several plot twists that took me completely by surprise! I can think of two that really shocked me, and made me put the book down to stare at nothing for several seconds while I tried to process What. Just. Happened. Dun dun dunnn. I love a good plot twist. :P
Buuut now we come to the stuff that I wasn’t so keen on. The romance wasn’t as well paced as in Pride and Prejudice (this is the only other reference for Austen I have, so bear with me.) I liked Willoughby and Marianne’s while it lasted *pauses to glare at the former* but of course it didn’t, and we were left scrambling at the end of the book to marry both Elinor and Marianne Dashwood to somebody. (Elinor’s primary suitor had been placed out of reach early on by discovering another girl had a claim on him first.) Again, I have a problem with this, because at the end, the aforementioned Girl decided she would break off the engagement of four years to marry this man’s brother, therefore freeing This Man to marry Elinor. Just—what?? It seemed much too convenient, and really didn’t add up for me, neither did Elinor’s apparently always having loved This Man with a strength I didn’t gather she had in the time before she knew he was taken, and furthermore, that He reciprocated it.
Also, Marianne moped for a very long time after her heart was broken. I understand that would be a difficult thing, but she almost killed herself by it when not eating, sleeping, or really possessing a will to live gave her a violent fever. Overkill much?
And they tried to explain away a Certain Man’s scoundrel-ness, but ultimately, the best I could do was feel a little sorry for him. He brought it all upon himself, and while he felt the loss of everything very keenly, he was not repentant.
As for other objectionable content, there was mention of a couple instances of sex outside of wedlock, but only in a very veiled, unapproving sort of way.
*scrolls up* *realizes the less-than-favorable stuff takes up about as much space as the favorable stuff and I rated it four stars* Honestly, I really did enjoy this book, and will be returning for more Jane Austen in the future. I just have a lot of articulate thoughts on the stuff I didn’t like so much. xD Really, these things were not big deals for me as I was reading, I just felt they needed to be mentioned in my review for anyone that might be interested. It was a good book, and while I ultimately ended up preferring Pride and Prejudice, this one was a lovely read too.
Emma
4 out of 5 stars
Emma is a very solid four-star read for me. Austen has a way of bringing you right into the world of her characters, and making you care about little, everyday happenings, as well as the bigger, not-so-everyday stuff… like getting married. (I mean ‘cause you know it’s going to happen, being Jane Austen and all.) :P
Previously, I’ve read two other Austen novels: Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. I find them to be a pleasant variation from the typical “save the world,” type things I usually read, and going back in time to the eighteen hundreds is another plus. (I kinda sorta love that time period, *cough*.) The problem with having read two Jane Austen books before, however, is the fact that by round three, they begin to become a little predictable—there always seems to be a Mr. Collins, Wickham, and Darcy, to use Pride and Prejudice terms. (I won’t say more than that for fear of spoilers, but I saw who the main character, Emma, would end up with almost from the very beginning.)
Speaking of Emma, at the start of the book she was quite the “nonsensical girl,” as Mr. Knightley once put it, almost to the point of being irritating. However, by the end she had grown a lot, as a character, and as a person. I thought that it was a refreshing arc, because Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice already had a good head of sense on her shoulders, as did Elinor from Sense and Sensibility, but Emma was more relatable because she wasn’t perfect. (Also, she had declared that she would never marry—an extraordinary thing, given the time period and the fact that she’s in a Jane Austen novel. While I don’t think either extreme of the Marry-or-not-to-Marry spectrum is good—after all, we should be after what God wants in our lives—she wasn’t so bent on upholding that declaration that couldn’t be persuaded otherwise.)
As for the other characters—Mrs. E was infuriating, Mr. Knightley by far my favorite male character, Harriet quiet and sweet, Mr. Woodhouse funny and endearing despite his obsession with health, Mr. and Mrs. Weston just the sort of lovely people you want to associate with, and Miss Bates… holy cow, that woman could talk—just to name a few.
The reason I didn’t give it four stars despite the super-satisfying ending that gave you time to enjoy it before dropping you back into the real world again, was the fact that it did drag a little at times (although that might just be my attention span to blame there), and everyone lived Happily Ever After™. I know it’s Jane Austen, but I felt like the end of Harriet’s subplot was just a little thrown in, so you wouldn’t feel too bad about Emma’s turning out all right in spite of everything.
Those are my only complaints, however. Although Pride and Prejudice still reigns as my favorite Jane Austen novel to date, this one’s a close second, and is definitely worth the read!
Northanger Abbey
4 out of 5 stars
This book is glorious, simply put. For a large chunk of it I had to wonder why it seems to be one of the lesser-known Jane Austen novels. The chosen heroine, Catherine Morland, grew up a tomboy, is bookish, rather naïve, and a hopeless romantic—her Love Interest is even more well-read than she is—and Austen fearlessly breaks the fourth wall on a regular basis. In short, I was thoroughly prepared to give it five stars and challenge Pride and Prejudice as the reigning champion of my favorite Jane Austen novel, except for the end, which just wasn’t satisfying.
But before I get into that, let me just talk about Catherine a little more. She was a tomboy until age fifteen, (when she settled down somewhat), loves to read, fangirls before it was a thing, views life through the colorful lens that reading gives it, is, admittedly, a little oblivious from time to time, always wants to think the best of people, and is infatuated old architecture. She’s like Anne Shirley meets Jane Bennet meets me. *awkward laughter* Also, she never fell for anyone but the Right One. (Can I get a hallelujah?? Amen.)
Northanger Abbey seems to be a little more condensed than most Jane Austen novels, as well, and therefore moves quicker without introducing a Collins or Wickham, (although there was one guy that was kind of a jerk, but could’ve been worse, I s’pose), and kept me interested throughout. The character that disgusted me the most in this book was not a scoundrel of a man at all, in fact—it was a certain scoundrel of a young lady who dared to call herself Catherine’s friend. *glares* A close second was Mr. Love Interest’s father, when he showed his true colors.
As for the rest of the book, it was glorious, like I mentioned. Catherine gets herself into a truly awkward scrape when snooping where she shouldn’t (think reader death-by-second-hand-embarrassment type situation), but experiences grace unlooked-for. This tames her wild imagination somewhat, and makes her a steadier person altogether.
The only reason I didn’t give it five whole stars, as mentioned above, is because of the ending. It was sudden (a reoccurring problem I’ve noticed with Jane Austen in general), and because of this, the moment when Catherine’s Mr. Right confesses his feelings is skimmed over and summarized in a few paragraphs. There wasn’t one line of dialogue. That eliminated the payoff, and left me feeling rather cheated, since the rest of it was so enjoyable. *whispers* Authors, don’t do that. There’s a time and place for summarizing conversations, but the moment of payoff isn’t it.
All things considered, however, Northanger Abbey was a fitting end to this collection of Jane Austen novels, and definitely worth a read, if you like reading about characters that like reading. (I know I do!)
February 25, 2021
Stolz und Vorurteil: Ich habe es total geliebt. Vor allem in der zweiten Hälfte bzw. am Ende wurde es ziemlich, ziemlich süß! Es ist jetzt mein zweitliebster Klassiker.
May 14, 2018
I usually rate bind-ups/omnibuses 5*; as a whole - in regards to the physicality of it - it's very nice. This edition includes Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey.
Sense and Sensibility:
[3.5/5] This is my second Austen read, after Pride and Prejudice. It was all right; I thought it was quite forgettable, and the ending felt too rushed. You can clearly see the contrast between the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one thought to represent sense and the other sensibility. How they react to their respective problems reflects some of their qualities/characteristics.
Pride and Prejudice:
[4/5] This was my first Austen read going back a few years to when I was in high school. This was the book I chose to dip my toe into as an introduction to the classics genre. After reading it, I was less than impressed (though I didn't dislike it), especially since I knew this book was very beloved. I read it again a couple of years later in this edition and discovered more merit in it the second time around, though I still didn't love the book. Romances aren't my favorite, but this book has a lot more going for it than romantic elements. I learned to appreciate the characters more, as well as understand the social climate of that time period. I don't really need to praise this book more - millions of others have already done it. I want to briefly add that the more distance I get from it, the more I'm itching to reread it. The interaction between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is fascinating, as is the slow changing of their minds. Once again, one character embodies Pride, and the other Prejudice, but neither is wholly one or the other.
Emma:
[4.5/5] I stopped reading this halfway through the book and never came back to it till about a year and a half later (at which point I had forgotten too much to not start over from the beginning). I surprisingly really enjoyed this book, despite having put it down in the first place due to its slow pace and its lack of anything happening. I still find the second volume (out of three) to be the dullest, but the first volume and the last one are fantastic. I really like protagonist, Emma (duh!), and how she matures by the end of the book. This book contests Pride and Prejudice as being the best Austen novel (in my opinion, of course). Again, another great look into the social atmosphere of nineteenth century England.
Northanger Abbey:
[3/5] It was hard to get through, and not just because I had a lot of schoolwork in the way. I found myself drifting toward other books to read because I was so disinterested in the plot-line. I found the small section of parody too unevenly inserted into the bigger scope of the story, which mainly just had to do with the day-to-day life of Catherine, and the adventures she'd gone on. Again, like Sense and Sensibility, there was a terribly rushed ending in which she got married (not a spoiler - everybody gets married by the end of Austen novels, right?).
All in all, of the four novels I've read by her, I'm evenly split on whether I like them or not. I'm willing to read another one of her works (Persuasion, perhaps), but I'm far from being an Austen fan.
Sense and Sensibility:
[3.5/5] This is my second Austen read, after Pride and Prejudice. It was all right; I thought it was quite forgettable, and the ending felt too rushed. You can clearly see the contrast between the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one thought to represent sense and the other sensibility. How they react to their respective problems reflects some of their qualities/characteristics.
Pride and Prejudice:
[4/5] This was my first Austen read going back a few years to when I was in high school. This was the book I chose to dip my toe into as an introduction to the classics genre. After reading it, I was less than impressed (though I didn't dislike it), especially since I knew this book was very beloved. I read it again a couple of years later in this edition and discovered more merit in it the second time around, though I still didn't love the book. Romances aren't my favorite, but this book has a lot more going for it than romantic elements. I learned to appreciate the characters more, as well as understand the social climate of that time period. I don't really need to praise this book more - millions of others have already done it. I want to briefly add that the more distance I get from it, the more I'm itching to reread it. The interaction between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is fascinating, as is the slow changing of their minds. Once again, one character embodies Pride, and the other Prejudice, but neither is wholly one or the other.
Emma:
[4.5/5] I stopped reading this halfway through the book and never came back to it till about a year and a half later (at which point I had forgotten too much to not start over from the beginning). I surprisingly really enjoyed this book, despite having put it down in the first place due to its slow pace and its lack of anything happening. I still find the second volume (out of three) to be the dullest, but the first volume and the last one are fantastic. I really like protagonist, Emma (duh!), and how she matures by the end of the book. This book contests Pride and Prejudice as being the best Austen novel (in my opinion, of course). Again, another great look into the social atmosphere of nineteenth century England.
Northanger Abbey:
[3/5] It was hard to get through, and not just because I had a lot of schoolwork in the way. I found myself drifting toward other books to read because I was so disinterested in the plot-line. I found the small section of parody too unevenly inserted into the bigger scope of the story, which mainly just had to do with the day-to-day life of Catherine, and the adventures she'd gone on. Again, like Sense and Sensibility, there was a terribly rushed ending in which she got married (not a spoiler - everybody gets married by the end of Austen novels, right?).
All in all, of the four novels I've read by her, I'm evenly split on whether I like them or not. I'm willing to read another one of her works (Persuasion, perhaps), but I'm far from being an Austen fan.
January 16, 2025
This was my first Jane Austen novel and I am 24-years-old.
I feel that I deserve to be punished for that statement, but it is true nonetheless.
I went into Pride and Prejudice completely blind. Unlike most people, I’d never seen the movies or even read a summary of the book. I knew they existed, sure, and I’d heard of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, but I didn’t have any idea what to expect going into it.
The truth? It was very difficult to understand initially. The way they wrote and spoke in those times took a lot of getting used to and there were numerous paragraphs that required several rereads to comprehend what they were trying to say.
But, in the end, I loved it. I love Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I love Jane and Mr. Bingley. I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t figure out how they were ever supposed to get together as obstacle after obstacle was thrown in their way, but I loved that, too! I understand why Jane Austen is a legend and why everyone loves her.
I’ll be reading her other novels, too.
And, really, I think that’s all there is to say on the matter.
I feel that I deserve to be punished for that statement, but it is true nonetheless.
I went into Pride and Prejudice completely blind. Unlike most people, I’d never seen the movies or even read a summary of the book. I knew they existed, sure, and I’d heard of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, but I didn’t have any idea what to expect going into it.
The truth? It was very difficult to understand initially. The way they wrote and spoke in those times took a lot of getting used to and there were numerous paragraphs that required several rereads to comprehend what they were trying to say.
But, in the end, I loved it. I love Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I love Jane and Mr. Bingley. I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t figure out how they were ever supposed to get together as obstacle after obstacle was thrown in their way, but I loved that, too! I understand why Jane Austen is a legend and why everyone loves her.
I’ll be reading her other novels, too.
And, really, I think that’s all there is to say on the matter.
August 12, 2021
Pride And Prejudice
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." So the writer states right in the beginning.
That is because while this is assumed to be a romance it is really a very astute picture of society that transcends time and geography and social boundaries and cultures, and applies universally to any place where there are young women at an age ripe to marry without dowries to bring out grooms out of the woods swarming. This is all the more so when the young women in question are not about to while away time with pretense of careers and attempts at education while the men they school and party with are getting ready, or any other subterfuges of societies they belong to.
Marriage is the beginning of the life they are going to lead with homemaking and child rearing and building of social fabric and of future as their occupation, since time immemorial. It can be said to be the most important occupation in the world, and yet few societies make a provision of how the young women can go about securing their life in it, with few structures and storngholds and little if any security.
Jane Austen writes extensively about this in various settings in her works, and offers much light to guide people - not only young women but men and women of all ages - with good counsel. This is her most popular work and most famous one, and with good reason.
It seems like a romance and at some level it is but only after normal intelligent and prudent women - young and old - use decorum and wise counsel added to commonsense. This like other books by the author is about how to live well and safe and be good and decent, sensible and honourable, prudent and not blinded by illusions, and find love and romance and marriage as well.
Often people of a bit less comprehension are likely to make the mistake of a common sort, where they conclude "Elizabeth married Darcy not out of love, but for his money". She - the writer - herself makes a joke of the sort, somewhere along towards the end, but it is clearly a joke for all that. Elizabeth might not have been sighing and fainting with passionate abandon at first sight, but that is because unlike figures of trashy pulp she is a person with a mind and other concerns as well, and for a normal young woman passion does not necessarily come as the blinding flash at first sight any more than it does for - say - a writer or a poet or an artist or a scientist. Which does not reduce the final outcome of a certainty when it does come. Elizabeth married for her conviction of love, respect and rectitude, not for money.
If that were to be true she would not have refused him, or indeed even been off hand, and not fawning or manipulative, even before with all his standoffish behaviour.
But she behaved normally, and refused him with a growing wrath when he proposed - it was not his money, but to begin with the truth of his letter, and then the regard his household had for him, the people who knew him the most, and subsequently his more than civil behaviour towards her relatives who were only middle class, and his obvious attempts to have his sister know her and have her for a friend - these wer the successive steps that changed her more and more.
The final clinching one was of course his taking all the trouble to make amends to the grievous injury caused to her family by his silence, about someone he should have and did not warn people about, and keeping not only silent about it - the efforts he made to make sure about making amends to the injury caused by his reticence - but making sure her uncle would not tell anyone either.
In between was his aunt arriving haughtily to obtain a reassuarance from her to the effect that she would not marry him - which not only made her stubborn but made the three concerned (the two and the aunt) realise that she might be considering it seriously, although his offer had not been left on the table indefinitely.
So if anyone out there still thinks Elizabeth married him for his money - I suppose you did not read the story, really.
............
............
Sense and Sensibility
This one gives the clash of values characteristic of the writer, with wealth and temptation and opportunity versus rectitude and character and propriety as well as prudence playing the major part. How love itself must give way to rectitude and character is the chief theme, with the obvious lesson that giving way to temptation for now might close the door to happiness, love and future in fact.
............
............
Mansfield Park
The writer of the universally popular Pride And Prejudice explores another angle of the conflicts of dealing with life as it is dealt out - wealth and relative status, temptation and opportunities, family and relationships, extended family and relatives, and love that never might be attained. Above all are rectitude and character and values, to be never lost whatever the temptation.
............
............
Emma
Perhaps arguably the second most popular of the writer's works vying with Mansfield Park for the title, this one again explores values and conflicts from another angle, with growth of character and perception, and temptation to meddle in social affairs, as the chief theme.
It is more serious than it looks, as is usual with a good deal of her work, where the seemingly most superficial and romantic turns out to be most serious and worthy of note.
More people than would care to acknowledge or admit even to themselves do meddle in affairs of others, especially those of heart, with a fond illusion that they can do good to others and provide their happiness for them. But lacking in perception and maturity and judgement and discrimination they often spoil more than they would like to admit, often ruining lives.
Couples that might change the world with their love are torn asunder by a disapproving bunch of relatives or even religious heads with their "concern" for the "soul" of the one who might bring wonderious gifts but is not one of them (hence the gifts of course), and the miracle that would have been the families and souls generated with such love are nipped in the bud. Of course, it is only the couple that knows the tremendous love and the pain and suffering of being torn asunder, while others merely go about congratulating one another for having averted an unsuitable match with an outsider.
Of course, meddling is not limited to that - couples that could have changed the course of the universe with their love and their gifts combined often get torn apart by meddling others who delude themselves that they were acting in good faith for the betterment of society, and if it is clear they were tormenting a woman or a daughter, well that is what they are for - so they can learn to do the same to others in turn, if so lucky, and so goes the chain. Jackals manage to devour the marriage and the love and even the children on all but physical level.
Meanwhile gifts of heaven go squandered into dust because the couples are either too weak to hold on to each other and to their heavenly gift of creation of a new world, or even worse, because one gets turned against another and hurts until the one hurt is no more, which is when the survivor might realise if lucky of what has been lost, even though it might be too late. Often such realisation awaits death of the one who hurt the other one into death.
None of this happened in Emma - she was lucky, to have good counsel and love guarding her, and her weakness of character of meddling with others nipped in bud and her mistakes of perception corrected by someone wiser and stern about serious faults. She was lucky indeed.
............
............
Northanger Abbey
The not so well to do young woman is taken to a resort by comparatively well to do relatives and is invited by the master of the Northanger Abbey, the father of the young and eligible gentleman who has a mutual attracted to her and courting her, to stay with him and his family, under the impression the she is going to inherit the relatives' money.
The character of this father, the rich owner of the home that is the title, unfolds, and there are confusion, test of virtue and character, and separations and misunderstandings.
The young man however has excellent character and fortunately realises what is what, and love triumphs even without money.
............
............
Persuasion
The most gentle love story from Austen repertoire, with the usual cache of gentle women and men following a normal course of life for their day while falling into easy traps of faults or follies and realising their mistakes and generally rising above, with their counterpart of men and women of small follies or serious faults of character providing examples of how not to be or behave.
Someone (name escapes me, having read this long ago, two decades or more) had once pointed out that in Austen nothing happens page after page and yet one reads it with great interest, and to that one might only add, time after time again and again with the interest not diminished at all. And the most interesting are those of her tales that have the gentlest of stories, characters, et al.
............
............
Lady Susan
If one never knew anyone of this sort, one would think the character is entirely invented. At that it is not that uncommon to come across men who deal with their own children, especially daughters, this cruelly or worse, but they are excused or even pressured to be this cruel and admired for it in various cultures (not excepting west or US for that matter) while women are usually this cruel with children of other women, say a lover's wife or a sister in law. But the character therefore is entirely possible, especially in an era when a woman could only obtain wealth and consequence by marriages her own and her relatives'; and the only area she could use her mind however sharp was in fields related to intrigues of social sort, marriages, love affaires, and so on, especially gossip and vile gossip about other women. This unfortunately is what far too many women and even men use their minds for, even now, for sport and not for want of subjects that could use the sharp minds. Sometimes it is the heart of such a gossiper and mud thrower that is at fault seriously in that destroying another person is the pleasure, and use of mind and other facilities is merely a means.
Lady Susan comes as a surprise therefore not because of the subject but the author who chose to write it, since Jane Austen usually is as clear as a sunny day in desert about virtues and vices, and condemning not only the latter but even faults of character that might seem only human today but do lead to follies or tragedies even today often enough unquestionably.
Here Austen chooses the letter form prevalent in her time, and avoids commentary, except in letters of another character, giving equal voice to two opposite characters as it were. The story ends well as all Austen tales do to reward virtue, protect innocent and punish vice or folly only in measure.
A window as always to her time, and informative in that as well.
Feb 05, 2016.
............
December 31, 2020.
............
............
Watsons
One wishes she had had time to write it up as she did others; here is an outline written in her green years.
............
............
Sanditon (1817)
............
............
Austen is delightful as ever, in her way of quite succinctly judging characters she writes about.
"Upon the whole, Mr. Parker was evidently an amiable family man, fond of wife, children, brothers and sisters, and generally kind-hearted; liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please; of a sanguine turn of mind, with more imagination than judgement. And Mrs. Parker was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet-tempered woman, the properest wife in the world for a man of strong understanding but not of a capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own husband sometimes needed; and so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless."
What with Mr. Parker promoting Sandition with a faith in sea air and bathing as remedy for every ailment, and necessary to health, on one hand - and his siblings swearing their ill heath is too far gone for them to visit, the latter being quite hilarious, this is already promising entertainment and more, right at the beginning.
Later, it's the young Sir Edward Denham, handsome, and flattering in his attentions to the visitor Miss Charlotte Haywood, who is subject of the author's scrutiny.
"Charlotte’s first glance told her that Sir Edward’s air was that of a lover. There could be no doubt of his devotion to Clara. How Clara received it was less obvious, but she was inclined to think not very favourably; for though sitting thus apart with him (which probably she might not have been able to prevent, her air was calm and grave."
Austen is clear about her contempt for a modicum of behaviour slightly reminiscent of Mary Bennett from her most famous work, Pride And Prejudice.
"He surprised her by quitting Clara immediately on their all joining and agreeing to walk, and by addressing his attentions entirely to herself. Stationing himself close by her, he seemed to mean to detach her as much as possible from the rest of the party and to give her the whole of his conversation. He began, in a tone of great taste and feeling, to talk of the sea and the sea shore; and ran with energy through all the usual phrases employed in praise of their sublimity and descriptive of the undescribable emotions they excite in the mind of sensibility. The terrific grandeur of the ocean in a storm, its glass surface in a calm, its gulls and its samphire and the deep fathoms of its abysses, its quick vicissitudes, its direful deceptions, its mariners tempting it in sunshine and overwhelmed by the sudden tempest—all were eagerly and fluently touched; rather commonplace perhaps, but doing very well from the lips of a handsome Sir Edward, and she could not but think him a man of feeling, till he began to stagger her by the number of his quotations and the bewilderment of some of his sentences.
And she has Charlotte bequeathed with intelligence and common sense of Elizabeth Bennett, rather than the self absorption of Emma.
"His choosing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side; but why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible. He seemed very sentimental, very full of some feeling or other, and very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words, had not a very clear brain, she presumed, and talked a good deal by rote. ... "
Charlotte chooses to stay with Lady Denham on the Terrace, as asked by her, instead of going with others to library.
"Nobody could live happier together than us—and he was a very honourable man, quite the gentleman of ancient family. And when he died, I gave Sir Edward his gold watch.” She said this with a look at her companion which implied its right to produce a great impression; and seeing no rapturous astonishment in Charlotte’s countenance, added quickly, “He did not bequeath it to his nephew, my dear. It was no bequest. It was not in the will. He only told me, and that but once, that he should wish his nephew to have his watch; but it need not have been binding if l had not chose it.”
"“Very kind indeed! Very handsome!” said Charlotte, absolutely forced to affect admiration.
"“Yes, my dear, and it is not the only kind thing I have done by him. I have been a very liberal friend to Sir Edward. And poor young man, he needs it bad enough. For though I am only the dowager, my dear, and he is the heir, things do not stand between us in the way they commonly do between those two parties. Not a shilling do I receive from the Denham estate. Sir Edward has no payments to make me. He doesn’t stand uppermost, believe me. It is I that help him.”
"“Indeed! He is a very fine young man, particularly elegant in his address.” This was said chiefly for the sake of saying something, but Charlotte directly saw that it was laying her open to suspicion by Lady Denham’s giving a shrewd glance at her and replying,
"“Yes, yes, he is very well to look at. And it is to be hoped that some lady of large fortune will think so, for Sir Edward must marry for money. He and I often talk that matter over. A handsome young fellow like him will go smirking and smiling about and paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for money. And Sir Edward is a very steady young man in the main and has got very good notions.”"
............
Austen writes candidly about - whether consciously aware, and deliberately writing, or simply taking them as facts of life - arranged marriage and caste systems of England in particular, Europe in general; things that since have been, falsely, identified exclusively with India, in line with Macaulay policy to break spirit of India.
"“Sir Edward Denham,” said Charlotte, “with such personal advantages may be almost sure of getting a woman of fortune, if he chooses it.”
"This glorious sentiment seemed quite to remove suspicion. “Aye my dear, that’s very sensibly said,” cried Lady Denham. “And if we could but get a young heiress to Sanditon! But heiresses are monstrous scarce! I do not think we have had an heiress here—or even a Co. since Sanditon has been a public place. Families come after families but, as far as I can learn, it is not one in a hundred of them that have any real property, landed or funded. An income perhaps, but no property. Clergymen maybe, or lawyers from town, or half-pay officers, or widows with only a jointure. And what good can such people do anybody? Except just as they take our empty houses and, between ourselves, I think they are great fools for not staying at home. Now if we could get a young heiress to be sent here for her health—and if she was ordered to drink asses’ milk I could supply her—and, as soon as she got well, have her fall in love with Sir Edward!”"
............
And again, as the two parties unite -
"Sir Edward, approaching Charlotte, said, “You may perceive what has been our occupation. My sister wanted my counsel in the selection of some books. We have many leisure hours and read a great deal. I am no indiscriminate novel reader. The mere trash of the common circulating library I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile emanations which detail nothing but discordant principles incapable of amalgamation, ....
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." So the writer states right in the beginning.
That is because while this is assumed to be a romance it is really a very astute picture of society that transcends time and geography and social boundaries and cultures, and applies universally to any place where there are young women at an age ripe to marry without dowries to bring out grooms out of the woods swarming. This is all the more so when the young women in question are not about to while away time with pretense of careers and attempts at education while the men they school and party with are getting ready, or any other subterfuges of societies they belong to.
Marriage is the beginning of the life they are going to lead with homemaking and child rearing and building of social fabric and of future as their occupation, since time immemorial. It can be said to be the most important occupation in the world, and yet few societies make a provision of how the young women can go about securing their life in it, with few structures and storngholds and little if any security.
Jane Austen writes extensively about this in various settings in her works, and offers much light to guide people - not only young women but men and women of all ages - with good counsel. This is her most popular work and most famous one, and with good reason.
It seems like a romance and at some level it is but only after normal intelligent and prudent women - young and old - use decorum and wise counsel added to commonsense. This like other books by the author is about how to live well and safe and be good and decent, sensible and honourable, prudent and not blinded by illusions, and find love and romance and marriage as well.
Often people of a bit less comprehension are likely to make the mistake of a common sort, where they conclude "Elizabeth married Darcy not out of love, but for his money". She - the writer - herself makes a joke of the sort, somewhere along towards the end, but it is clearly a joke for all that. Elizabeth might not have been sighing and fainting with passionate abandon at first sight, but that is because unlike figures of trashy pulp she is a person with a mind and other concerns as well, and for a normal young woman passion does not necessarily come as the blinding flash at first sight any more than it does for - say - a writer or a poet or an artist or a scientist. Which does not reduce the final outcome of a certainty when it does come. Elizabeth married for her conviction of love, respect and rectitude, not for money.
If that were to be true she would not have refused him, or indeed even been off hand, and not fawning or manipulative, even before with all his standoffish behaviour.
But she behaved normally, and refused him with a growing wrath when he proposed - it was not his money, but to begin with the truth of his letter, and then the regard his household had for him, the people who knew him the most, and subsequently his more than civil behaviour towards her relatives who were only middle class, and his obvious attempts to have his sister know her and have her for a friend - these wer the successive steps that changed her more and more.
The final clinching one was of course his taking all the trouble to make amends to the grievous injury caused to her family by his silence, about someone he should have and did not warn people about, and keeping not only silent about it - the efforts he made to make sure about making amends to the injury caused by his reticence - but making sure her uncle would not tell anyone either.
In between was his aunt arriving haughtily to obtain a reassuarance from her to the effect that she would not marry him - which not only made her stubborn but made the three concerned (the two and the aunt) realise that she might be considering it seriously, although his offer had not been left on the table indefinitely.
So if anyone out there still thinks Elizabeth married him for his money - I suppose you did not read the story, really.
............
............
Sense and Sensibility
This one gives the clash of values characteristic of the writer, with wealth and temptation and opportunity versus rectitude and character and propriety as well as prudence playing the major part. How love itself must give way to rectitude and character is the chief theme, with the obvious lesson that giving way to temptation for now might close the door to happiness, love and future in fact.
............
............
Mansfield Park
The writer of the universally popular Pride And Prejudice explores another angle of the conflicts of dealing with life as it is dealt out - wealth and relative status, temptation and opportunities, family and relationships, extended family and relatives, and love that never might be attained. Above all are rectitude and character and values, to be never lost whatever the temptation.
............
............
Emma
Perhaps arguably the second most popular of the writer's works vying with Mansfield Park for the title, this one again explores values and conflicts from another angle, with growth of character and perception, and temptation to meddle in social affairs, as the chief theme.
It is more serious than it looks, as is usual with a good deal of her work, where the seemingly most superficial and romantic turns out to be most serious and worthy of note.
More people than would care to acknowledge or admit even to themselves do meddle in affairs of others, especially those of heart, with a fond illusion that they can do good to others and provide their happiness for them. But lacking in perception and maturity and judgement and discrimination they often spoil more than they would like to admit, often ruining lives.
Couples that might change the world with their love are torn asunder by a disapproving bunch of relatives or even religious heads with their "concern" for the "soul" of the one who might bring wonderious gifts but is not one of them (hence the gifts of course), and the miracle that would have been the families and souls generated with such love are nipped in the bud. Of course, it is only the couple that knows the tremendous love and the pain and suffering of being torn asunder, while others merely go about congratulating one another for having averted an unsuitable match with an outsider.
Of course, meddling is not limited to that - couples that could have changed the course of the universe with their love and their gifts combined often get torn apart by meddling others who delude themselves that they were acting in good faith for the betterment of society, and if it is clear they were tormenting a woman or a daughter, well that is what they are for - so they can learn to do the same to others in turn, if so lucky, and so goes the chain. Jackals manage to devour the marriage and the love and even the children on all but physical level.
Meanwhile gifts of heaven go squandered into dust because the couples are either too weak to hold on to each other and to their heavenly gift of creation of a new world, or even worse, because one gets turned against another and hurts until the one hurt is no more, which is when the survivor might realise if lucky of what has been lost, even though it might be too late. Often such realisation awaits death of the one who hurt the other one into death.
None of this happened in Emma - she was lucky, to have good counsel and love guarding her, and her weakness of character of meddling with others nipped in bud and her mistakes of perception corrected by someone wiser and stern about serious faults. She was lucky indeed.
............
............
Northanger Abbey
The not so well to do young woman is taken to a resort by comparatively well to do relatives and is invited by the master of the Northanger Abbey, the father of the young and eligible gentleman who has a mutual attracted to her and courting her, to stay with him and his family, under the impression the she is going to inherit the relatives' money.
The character of this father, the rich owner of the home that is the title, unfolds, and there are confusion, test of virtue and character, and separations and misunderstandings.
The young man however has excellent character and fortunately realises what is what, and love triumphs even without money.
............
............
Persuasion
The most gentle love story from Austen repertoire, with the usual cache of gentle women and men following a normal course of life for their day while falling into easy traps of faults or follies and realising their mistakes and generally rising above, with their counterpart of men and women of small follies or serious faults of character providing examples of how not to be or behave.
Someone (name escapes me, having read this long ago, two decades or more) had once pointed out that in Austen nothing happens page after page and yet one reads it with great interest, and to that one might only add, time after time again and again with the interest not diminished at all. And the most interesting are those of her tales that have the gentlest of stories, characters, et al.
............
............
Lady Susan
If one never knew anyone of this sort, one would think the character is entirely invented. At that it is not that uncommon to come across men who deal with their own children, especially daughters, this cruelly or worse, but they are excused or even pressured to be this cruel and admired for it in various cultures (not excepting west or US for that matter) while women are usually this cruel with children of other women, say a lover's wife or a sister in law. But the character therefore is entirely possible, especially in an era when a woman could only obtain wealth and consequence by marriages her own and her relatives'; and the only area she could use her mind however sharp was in fields related to intrigues of social sort, marriages, love affaires, and so on, especially gossip and vile gossip about other women. This unfortunately is what far too many women and even men use their minds for, even now, for sport and not for want of subjects that could use the sharp minds. Sometimes it is the heart of such a gossiper and mud thrower that is at fault seriously in that destroying another person is the pleasure, and use of mind and other facilities is merely a means.
Lady Susan comes as a surprise therefore not because of the subject but the author who chose to write it, since Jane Austen usually is as clear as a sunny day in desert about virtues and vices, and condemning not only the latter but even faults of character that might seem only human today but do lead to follies or tragedies even today often enough unquestionably.
Here Austen chooses the letter form prevalent in her time, and avoids commentary, except in letters of another character, giving equal voice to two opposite characters as it were. The story ends well as all Austen tales do to reward virtue, protect innocent and punish vice or folly only in measure.
A window as always to her time, and informative in that as well.
Feb 05, 2016.
............
December 31, 2020.
............
............
Watsons
One wishes she had had time to write it up as she did others; here is an outline written in her green years.
............
............
Sanditon (1817)
............
............
Austen is delightful as ever, in her way of quite succinctly judging characters she writes about.
"Upon the whole, Mr. Parker was evidently an amiable family man, fond of wife, children, brothers and sisters, and generally kind-hearted; liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please; of a sanguine turn of mind, with more imagination than judgement. And Mrs. Parker was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet-tempered woman, the properest wife in the world for a man of strong understanding but not of a capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own husband sometimes needed; and so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless."
What with Mr. Parker promoting Sandition with a faith in sea air and bathing as remedy for every ailment, and necessary to health, on one hand - and his siblings swearing their ill heath is too far gone for them to visit, the latter being quite hilarious, this is already promising entertainment and more, right at the beginning.
Later, it's the young Sir Edward Denham, handsome, and flattering in his attentions to the visitor Miss Charlotte Haywood, who is subject of the author's scrutiny.
"Charlotte’s first glance told her that Sir Edward’s air was that of a lover. There could be no doubt of his devotion to Clara. How Clara received it was less obvious, but she was inclined to think not very favourably; for though sitting thus apart with him (which probably she might not have been able to prevent, her air was calm and grave."
Austen is clear about her contempt for a modicum of behaviour slightly reminiscent of Mary Bennett from her most famous work, Pride And Prejudice.
"He surprised her by quitting Clara immediately on their all joining and agreeing to walk, and by addressing his attentions entirely to herself. Stationing himself close by her, he seemed to mean to detach her as much as possible from the rest of the party and to give her the whole of his conversation. He began, in a tone of great taste and feeling, to talk of the sea and the sea shore; and ran with energy through all the usual phrases employed in praise of their sublimity and descriptive of the undescribable emotions they excite in the mind of sensibility. The terrific grandeur of the ocean in a storm, its glass surface in a calm, its gulls and its samphire and the deep fathoms of its abysses, its quick vicissitudes, its direful deceptions, its mariners tempting it in sunshine and overwhelmed by the sudden tempest—all were eagerly and fluently touched; rather commonplace perhaps, but doing very well from the lips of a handsome Sir Edward, and she could not but think him a man of feeling, till he began to stagger her by the number of his quotations and the bewilderment of some of his sentences.
And she has Charlotte bequeathed with intelligence and common sense of Elizabeth Bennett, rather than the self absorption of Emma.
"His choosing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side; but why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible. He seemed very sentimental, very full of some feeling or other, and very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words, had not a very clear brain, she presumed, and talked a good deal by rote. ... "
Charlotte chooses to stay with Lady Denham on the Terrace, as asked by her, instead of going with others to library.
"Nobody could live happier together than us—and he was a very honourable man, quite the gentleman of ancient family. And when he died, I gave Sir Edward his gold watch.” She said this with a look at her companion which implied its right to produce a great impression; and seeing no rapturous astonishment in Charlotte’s countenance, added quickly, “He did not bequeath it to his nephew, my dear. It was no bequest. It was not in the will. He only told me, and that but once, that he should wish his nephew to have his watch; but it need not have been binding if l had not chose it.”
"“Very kind indeed! Very handsome!” said Charlotte, absolutely forced to affect admiration.
"“Yes, my dear, and it is not the only kind thing I have done by him. I have been a very liberal friend to Sir Edward. And poor young man, he needs it bad enough. For though I am only the dowager, my dear, and he is the heir, things do not stand between us in the way they commonly do between those two parties. Not a shilling do I receive from the Denham estate. Sir Edward has no payments to make me. He doesn’t stand uppermost, believe me. It is I that help him.”
"“Indeed! He is a very fine young man, particularly elegant in his address.” This was said chiefly for the sake of saying something, but Charlotte directly saw that it was laying her open to suspicion by Lady Denham’s giving a shrewd glance at her and replying,
"“Yes, yes, he is very well to look at. And it is to be hoped that some lady of large fortune will think so, for Sir Edward must marry for money. He and I often talk that matter over. A handsome young fellow like him will go smirking and smiling about and paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for money. And Sir Edward is a very steady young man in the main and has got very good notions.”"
............
Austen writes candidly about - whether consciously aware, and deliberately writing, or simply taking them as facts of life - arranged marriage and caste systems of England in particular, Europe in general; things that since have been, falsely, identified exclusively with India, in line with Macaulay policy to break spirit of India.
"“Sir Edward Denham,” said Charlotte, “with such personal advantages may be almost sure of getting a woman of fortune, if he chooses it.”
"This glorious sentiment seemed quite to remove suspicion. “Aye my dear, that’s very sensibly said,” cried Lady Denham. “And if we could but get a young heiress to Sanditon! But heiresses are monstrous scarce! I do not think we have had an heiress here—or even a Co. since Sanditon has been a public place. Families come after families but, as far as I can learn, it is not one in a hundred of them that have any real property, landed or funded. An income perhaps, but no property. Clergymen maybe, or lawyers from town, or half-pay officers, or widows with only a jointure. And what good can such people do anybody? Except just as they take our empty houses and, between ourselves, I think they are great fools for not staying at home. Now if we could get a young heiress to be sent here for her health—and if she was ordered to drink asses’ milk I could supply her—and, as soon as she got well, have her fall in love with Sir Edward!”"
............
And again, as the two parties unite -
"Sir Edward, approaching Charlotte, said, “You may perceive what has been our occupation. My sister wanted my counsel in the selection of some books. We have many leisure hours and read a great deal. I am no indiscriminate novel reader. The mere trash of the common circulating library I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile emanations which detail nothing but discordant principles incapable of amalgamation, ....
December 6, 2023
I've read this collection of 4 novels several times but I don't recall writing a review.
Jane Austen is the leading writer of English romance novels -- you can ask an English teacher if you have any doubts. She might not have invented the genre but she certainly became the leading author of them in her period, the "Regency" period of the early 1800's, although she also wrote in the previous reign of George III. The 4 novels in this collection, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey, display her abilities across the moderate range in which she worked. She uses humor, satire, and subtle characterization to illustrate these well-crafted tales in which, "when a man reaches the age of thirty with an adequate fortune, he must be in search of a wife." Miss Austen's characters generally are upper crust in the sense they don't earn their own living but seek to augment their fortunes by marrying someone better off than themselves. They live in an elegant, vanished world where servants wait on them in spacious, lavishly furnished country houses -- you can see what they looked like by watching "Downton Abbey" -- and they wear the elaborate fashions of the period.
There's a good reason why Miss Austen's books are considered classics. They are all very worth reading, not just once but over and over again. Not to say they are all equally good, you will surely develop your favorites as you work your way through this collection, and there are other novels by her that are equally worthy of your attention. Considering their relatively simple plots they are amazingly absorbing and continue to engage the interest of readers two centuries after they were written. When I was young they were believed to be women's literature, and as a result I was middle aged before I actually read them. That was my loss. Miss Austen may be enjoyed by readers of all ages and either sex. She does not write pornographic sex scenes nor does she use bad language -- her father was a clergyman. Yet this self-disciplined author manages to tell tales that are totally believable and filled with interest for readers of every stripe. Every literate person should read at least some of them.
Jane Austen is the leading writer of English romance novels -- you can ask an English teacher if you have any doubts. She might not have invented the genre but she certainly became the leading author of them in her period, the "Regency" period of the early 1800's, although she also wrote in the previous reign of George III. The 4 novels in this collection, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey, display her abilities across the moderate range in which she worked. She uses humor, satire, and subtle characterization to illustrate these well-crafted tales in which, "when a man reaches the age of thirty with an adequate fortune, he must be in search of a wife." Miss Austen's characters generally are upper crust in the sense they don't earn their own living but seek to augment their fortunes by marrying someone better off than themselves. They live in an elegant, vanished world where servants wait on them in spacious, lavishly furnished country houses -- you can see what they looked like by watching "Downton Abbey" -- and they wear the elaborate fashions of the period.
There's a good reason why Miss Austen's books are considered classics. They are all very worth reading, not just once but over and over again. Not to say they are all equally good, you will surely develop your favorites as you work your way through this collection, and there are other novels by her that are equally worthy of your attention. Considering their relatively simple plots they are amazingly absorbing and continue to engage the interest of readers two centuries after they were written. When I was young they were believed to be women's literature, and as a result I was middle aged before I actually read them. That was my loss. Miss Austen may be enjoyed by readers of all ages and either sex. She does not write pornographic sex scenes nor does she use bad language -- her father was a clergyman. Yet this self-disciplined author manages to tell tales that are totally believable and filled with interest for readers of every stripe. Every literate person should read at least some of them.
August 9, 2021
I forgot how much humor Austen can pack in her writing. Emma dragged for me a bit because of the comparative lack of humor and general lack of development, but Pride and Prejudice held up better than I expected. Sense and Sensibility gets a tad too moralistic, and Northanger Abbey feels like two separate novels between Bath and the abbey. Overall, though, Austen's characters are charming and her societal commentary quick where it doesn't uphold class division.
The physical book is also gorgeous, especially the gold designs against the green on the back. A better quality ribbon and endsheets that looked less like glorified scrapbook paper would have appreciated. But the gilded edges are ever so fancy and the text, though tiny, has a sophisticated font. Both the book and its contents were delightful and made me feel like a proper lady.
The physical book is also gorgeous, especially the gold designs against the green on the back. A better quality ribbon and endsheets that looked less like glorified scrapbook paper would have appreciated. But the gilded edges are ever so fancy and the text, though tiny, has a sophisticated font. Both the book and its contents were delightful and made me feel like a proper lady.
November 8, 2020
It's so funny!! Just like the film, I got intrigued reading the novel as it has been in my shelf for years. Finally I got a chance to read it in 12 days. I loved everything about the story and the society in this is very sociable and amiable.
This version also has a good writing style that's easy to read for me.
This version also has a good writing style that's easy to read for me.
June 25, 2018
Great collection, if you haven't read books by this author pick this up. Many movies and tv shows have been made from Jane Austen stories, but reading the books takes the tales to another level.
Read
December 8, 2021Did not like it
April 29, 2015
Jane Austen. Her name is practically synonymous with classic, understated romance, as well as comedies of manners with a subtle, sly sense of humor -- and the omnibus "Jane Austen - Four Novels" brings together four of her most enduring novels (although admittedly the overall list is rather small) -- filled with lovably flawed heroines, beautiful formal prose, and some rather unconventional love stories.
"Pride and Prejudice" become a problem when Elizabeth Bennett takes a dislike to the handsome, aloof Mr. Darcy -- and her prejudice against him builds after he sabotages her sister's love match, and the charming Wickham drops some shocking claims about Darcy's nastiness. But the facts are very different -- and when scandal hits the Bennett family, Darcy may be their only hope.
And "Sense and Sensibility" clash when the two very different Dashwood sisters, smart Elinor and romantic Marianne, both fall in love -- one with a man she can't have, and the other with a guy who may be horribly unsuitable. And "Northanger Abbey" is a fitting location for Austen's spoof on gothic romances, in which the hyperimaginative Catherine Moreland is taken under the wing of the Tilney family, and especially handsome Henry -- and learns a lesson about the difference between fantasy and reality.
"Emma" is a frothy romantic comedy about a rich, somewhat spoiled young lady who tries to arrange the lives of people around her so that everyone is happy. The problem is, life isn't that simple -- and neither is love.
The omnibus collection displays the range and depth of Austen's writing skill beautifully; though each story is very unique they're laced together by common themes. Each story is a love story, tempered with some clever commentary on the society of Austen's day (example: entailment, which plays a part in several plots), and a biting, sharp-edged wit (the mockery of the toadying Mr. Collins and the foul Eltons).
And despite the formal stuffiness of the time, Austen painted her stories vividly --each one has powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"), as well as deliciously witty dialogue ("I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine"). But she also weaves in some intensely romantic moments as well.
Austen also had an interesting range of heroines -- quiet ones, melodramatic ones, intelligent ones, mildly spoiled ones who think they know best. But each one has a major character flaw that must be overcome before she can find true love and happiness And she has an equally fascinating range of love interests: the quiet shy Colonel Brandon, the sexy and clever Henry Tilney, the blunt Mr. Knightley, and especially the smart, sexy Mr. Darcy (who has a flaw of his own to overcome alongside Lizzie).
"Jane Austen's - Four Novels" draws together her best round of novels, and let readers explore the mannered society and obstacle-filled love lives of her heroines.
"Pride and Prejudice" become a problem when Elizabeth Bennett takes a dislike to the handsome, aloof Mr. Darcy -- and her prejudice against him builds after he sabotages her sister's love match, and the charming Wickham drops some shocking claims about Darcy's nastiness. But the facts are very different -- and when scandal hits the Bennett family, Darcy may be their only hope.
And "Sense and Sensibility" clash when the two very different Dashwood sisters, smart Elinor and romantic Marianne, both fall in love -- one with a man she can't have, and the other with a guy who may be horribly unsuitable. And "Northanger Abbey" is a fitting location for Austen's spoof on gothic romances, in which the hyperimaginative Catherine Moreland is taken under the wing of the Tilney family, and especially handsome Henry -- and learns a lesson about the difference between fantasy and reality.
"Emma" is a frothy romantic comedy about a rich, somewhat spoiled young lady who tries to arrange the lives of people around her so that everyone is happy. The problem is, life isn't that simple -- and neither is love.
The omnibus collection displays the range and depth of Austen's writing skill beautifully; though each story is very unique they're laced together by common themes. Each story is a love story, tempered with some clever commentary on the society of Austen's day (example: entailment, which plays a part in several plots), and a biting, sharp-edged wit (the mockery of the toadying Mr. Collins and the foul Eltons).
And despite the formal stuffiness of the time, Austen painted her stories vividly --each one has powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"), as well as deliciously witty dialogue ("I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine"). But she also weaves in some intensely romantic moments as well.
Austen also had an interesting range of heroines -- quiet ones, melodramatic ones, intelligent ones, mildly spoiled ones who think they know best. But each one has a major character flaw that must be overcome before she can find true love and happiness And she has an equally fascinating range of love interests: the quiet shy Colonel Brandon, the sexy and clever Henry Tilney, the blunt Mr. Knightley, and especially the smart, sexy Mr. Darcy (who has a flaw of his own to overcome alongside Lizzie).
"Jane Austen's - Four Novels" draws together her best round of novels, and let readers explore the mannered society and obstacle-filled love lives of her heroines.
June 13, 2014
Love Jane Austen's writing! I know some people find it hard to read, but I found it easier, or about the same, to read as to other authors of the age. Although, if you asked me what Northanger Abbey was about, I would say, "I don't know."
Read
October 11, 2008Wasn't one of her best books but it was still enjoyable.
June 1, 2013
Love Jane Austen, love the beautiful binding of this collection.
April 2, 2014
This book changed me and my thoughts of love and life.
August 12, 2014
I would prefer to immerse myself into a Jane Austin book than a bath any day!
February 3, 2016
It's a really nice edition very handy to have all her books in one volume! Well made and very attractive!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews