Jane Austen Reviews

Archive for November, 2009

The Importance of Being Emma – Juliet Archer

I bought this book based on the review in the Jane Austen Regency World magazine – they were very favourable. Just by looking at the cover I should have known better.

Mark Knightley – handsome, clever, rich – is used to women falling at his feet. Except Emma Woodhouse, who’s like part of the family – and the furniture. When their relationship changes dramatically, is it an ending or a new beginning?
Emma’s grown into a stunningly attractive young woman, full of ideas for modernising her family business. Then Mark gets involved and the sparks begin to fly. It’s just like the old days, except that now he’s seeing her through totally new eyes.
While Mark struggles to keep his feelings in check, Emma remains immune to the Knightley charm. She’s never forgotten that embarrassing moment when he discovered her teenage crush on him. He’s still pouring scorn on all her projects, especially her beautifully orchestrated campaign to find Mr Right for her ditzy PA. And finally, when the mysterious Flynn Churchill – the man of her dreams – turns up, how could she have eyes for anyone else?
With its clueless heroine and entertaining plot, this modern re-telling of Jane Austen’s “Emma” stays true to the original, while giving fresh insights into the mind of its thoroughly updated and irresistible hero.
This novel started off so promisingly – The Woodhouses run ‘Hartfield Foods’ and the Knightley’s ‘Donwell Organics’, Miss Bates is a PA and Jane Fairfax ends up on a work placement at Hartfield Foods’. Flynne Churchill is a brash celebrity chief who lives in Australia (with his Aunt Stella).
However, my Mr Knightley would never say ‘you get wet and I get hard’! Mr Woodhouse, Batty (Miss Bates) and  Gusty (Mrs Elton) were brilliant and worked well in this new setting. My main problem with this novel was Emma and Mr Knightley – Emma was aware way too early ofher feelings for him and I thought Mr Knightley was repellant. Also, it’s a brave person who adds characters to Austen (Tamara – Mr Knightley’s lover), George Knightley (Mr Knightley’s father – just to be a bit confusing she’s named Mr Knightley Mark and his father George) and Saffron (Mr Knightley’s step-mother).
If you’re an Austen fan, I would recommed giving this one a miss. 

November 30th, 2009 | Contemporary Authors, Dreadful | 1 Comment »

The Absentee – Maria Edgeworth

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel – it’s very readable (unlike some of Fanny Burney’s work).

Here’s what’s on the back …

Maria Edgeworth’s sparkling satire about the Anglo-Irish family of an absentee landlord is also a landmark novel of morality and social realism.

The Absenteecentres around Lord and Lady Clonbrony, a couple more concerned with London society than their duties and responsibilities to those who live and work on their Irish estates. Recognising this negligence, their son Lord Colambre goes incognito to Ireland to observe the situation and trace the origins of his beloved cousin Grace. To put matters straight he finds a solution that will bring prosperity and contentment to every level of society, including his own family.

Although the time period and the phraseology is very similar to Austen, this novel lacks the sparkling wit and is very didactic – I occasionally felt I was being beaten over the head with the message.

But it is worth reading for the social history. Also I think it’s a good thing to read things Austen read and to realise how extraordinarliy talented she was (i.e in comparison with the predecessors).

November 23rd, 2009 | Contemporary Authors, Everything Austen Challenge | No Comments »

The Absentee – Maria Edgeworth

 I’ve had this book in my ‘to be read’ pile for quite some time. I thought the Everything Austen Challenge would be a good opportunity to force me to read it.

At the moment I’m about a third of the way through and I have to admit that I like it. Edgeworth has none of Austen’s wit, but her phraseology is eerily similar. I will write a proper review later.

November 16th, 2009 | Contemporary Authors, Everything Austen Challenge | No Comments »