A young Captain Wentworth proposed to Anne eight years ago and while Anne truly loved him, her friends, family and close confidants all told her that A young Captain Wentworth proposed to Anne eight years ago and while Anne truly loved him, her friends, family and close confidants all told her that marrying a man with no money or social standing was not a good choice.
And so she declined the proposal. Anne Elliot had a chance at true love and happiness but she threw it away.
Now at 27, Anne is considered a spinster. And one without fortune as well. Her father and elder sister have overspent the family money and they need to rent out the family home to help their finances.
An Admiral and his wife take up residency, and soon Anne realizes that Captain Wentworth is the brother of the Admiral's wife.
But when Anne runs into the Captain, it is as if he doesn't know her. But Anne cannot hide that her love for the Captain has not dulled over the years...and soon she begins to hope for a second chance.
Overall thoughts - this was quite a good book, though I think Pride & Prejudice will always be my favorite.
I love the snappy wit and the exaggerated characters just too much...but at the same time, it was rather interesting to get a more mature novel from Austen.
The story itself was interesting but there were times I found my mind straying. I did quite like how Anne and the Captain played off of each other and fit together as a couple....more
Long story short, this is YET ANOTHER literary cookbook for my collection and I'm no where near stopping. Bury me in my books for all I care.
This is aLong story short, this is YET ANOTHER literary cookbook for my collection and I'm no where near stopping. Bury me in my books for all I care.
This is a gorgeous little hardcover about tea-themed recipes from Jane Austen's era.
Many of them were taken directly from her letters or books, and then modernized slightly (after all, the cooking methods of her time are a littttttle different from those available in the 2000s).
There's a lot of little cakes and buns and delicacies to go along with meals or to be eaten as snacks. I loved the full-color pictures of the dishes - very aesthetically pleasing with the way it was laid out!
I do wish there was a bit more recipes to the book - it's a handy little pocketbook but I would've wanted more in terms of depth and breadth.
It all started with Adam and the mysterious American woman.
The woman was lost, wandering the hills of Chawton, a small English village, and w
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It all started with Adam and the mysterious American woman.
The woman was lost, wandering the hills of Chawton, a small English village, and when she found Adam, she asked to be taken to the graveyard.
At first Adam was puzzled but then again, the second world war just ended...but then the American clarifies. She wants to see Jane Austen.
Chawton was the last home and eternal resting place of the famous author (who died a hundred and fifty years ago).
And bringing the woman to the graveyard, Adam turns to leave but not before she insists that he must read Austen's work. Little does she know, she sparks a lifelong love of literature in him.
Years later, Adam finds himself joining with a group of people - the lonely Dr. Grey, the young widow Adeline, a Hollywood actress and more - in an attempt to preserve what's left of the Austen estate. They form the Jane Austen Society.
But so many powerful people only look at Austen's life and legacy as dollar signs - will they be able to preserve anything at all?
I came into this book with pretty high expectations - after all, this book is centered on THE Jane Austen (one of my absolute favorite authors) - and those expectations were definitely met.
I loved learning about Austen's life and how themes of her famous books kept weaving in and out of the story.
--A quick note to historical fans, this one was a more loosey-goosey historical fiction in the sense that there is a real Jane Austen Society that formed in the 1940s but the people who created it are not the subject of this story. (You can learn a little about it here)
That being said, I rather enjoyed it. The historical atmosphere of the book was fabulous - and while I'm not an expert in the era, it definitely felt like I was transported post WWII era England.
I also really liked how the story focused so heavily on character development. I enjoyed watching all of the people interact and grow.
Overall, I loved this book!
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review...more
IT’S A TRUTH universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood...the first thing they want to do is clean it up.
Z
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IT’S A TRUTH universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood...the first thing they want to do is clean it up.
Zuri Benitez, along with her wild and crazy family, have lived in Brooklyn all her life.
Sure her neighborhood is a little run down, a little worn...but it's her home. And nothing would ever change it.
We’re not gonna throw away the past as if it meant nothing. See? That’s what happens to whole neighborhoods. We built something, it was messy, but we’re not gonna throw it away.
Then the Darcy family moves in next door.
Sure the teenage sons are kinda cute but ugh. They're so rich and nice. They suck.
Meanwhile Janae, Zuri's older sister, is starting to fall for one of the Darcy brothers...and Zuri (who wouldn't admit it, even to herself) kinda sees something in Darius (if only he wasn't such a stuck-up rich guy).
But as Warren, Darius's old friend, comes to town, everything Zuri thought she knew is thrown out the window.
Will close off her heart to the world? Or should she open herself for change?
Ehh.
Ehhhhh.
It was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, which is always a plus for me.
But I strongly feel that when you write a retelling, I feel like you need to bring something else to the table. And when my greatest takeaway from the book is, oh thank gawd this torture is over...to me it just didn't succeed.
The main reason I pulled away from this book is the relationship drama.
I LOVED all the skillful drama in the original tale...but this version just had drama heaped upon drama. It felt petty and unnecessary.
Looking through the other Goodreads reviews, I'm glad I'm not alone in this assessment.
Zuri just felt annoying to me. She just screeched on and on and was just so mean to Darius.
Which Darius - by the way - was a gosh-dang saint and all I could think about is that he deserved so much better than Zuri.
The relationship between Darius and Zuri felt forced to me - it's like...we know they have to end up together because (hello) Pride and Prejudice retelling...and yet, they never seemed to click in a way that would make them last long-term.
Their personalities clashed again and again, and I just ended up wishing Darius would've dumped her and found someone who fit with him better.
And I feel like there was so much more potential to the book - the author could've used it as parallels for so many situations and really delved into some hard-hitting issues...but anything the author may have tried was just overshadowed by the drama. Again. And Again.
All in all, this retelling just shouldn't have been told.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune...must be in want of a wife.
Lizzy Bennet and her fou
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune...must be in want of a wife.
Lizzy Bennet and her four sisters live with their mom and dad.
Their mom is constantly looking for a way to marry off one of the sisters and their dad seems to find that rather funny.
Soon, two handsome rich men move to town and Mrs. Bennet cannot wait for her girls to get married...only the first meeting does not at all to plan.
At the ball, Mr. Darcy flatly refused to dance with Lizzy, even though she had no partner.
Angry and hurt, Lizzy swears off Mr. Darcy and absolutely refuses him when he comes back.
But then, he does something so kind and thoughtful, that she finds herself changing her mind.
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Lizzy had been so blinded by her first impressions of Mr. Darcy that she did not see the kindness in his heart.
Everyone has heard of Pride and Prejudice...well everyone except for the knee-high monsters in your life.
And it's practically a CRIME that the little ankle biters haven't yet.
Pride and Prejudice is one of my absolute favorite books - I have read it (and reread it) (and rereread it) so many times.
I am absolutely addicted to finding different versions of this book just so I can enjoy it one more time.
And then...I learn that there's a children's version. Sign me the bleep up!
I absolutely adored this board book version of Pride and Prejudice.
It was so fun to see that the original quotes were kept in and they worked surprisingly well.
I would have expected that to make the book dense or a bit unmanageable for a younger audience but they choose simple, direct and fabulous quotes for this book.
Also, I loved all the moving pieces. And if I loved it, your kid would love it too (trust me, I have experience in this area).
The various pull-tabs, wheels and flaps were rather sturdy and were fun to move around to boot. I loved the one where you move the lever and Lizzy's hand wipes at poor, sick Jane's forehead.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the whole experience - this rendition of Pride and Prejudice is simple, elegant and appealing to children of all ages!
This was truly as glorious as I remember. Every time I reread this novelTo summarize: Mistah.Darcy.
*cue the long, sustained high-pitched squealing *
This was truly as glorious as I remember. Every time I reread this novel, I love it more.
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The romance, the high society, the witty banter. Gah. I just adore it all.
"And your defect is to hate everybody." "And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them."
Elizabeth Bennet (second eldest of the five Bennet sisters) is the one with a clear, level head. Jane is the beautiful one, Mary is the look-at-me-I'm-so-pious one, Lydia is the I'm-so-dumb-that-I'm-probably-going-to-get-murdered one and Kitty is the well-she's-just-kinda-there one.
Now, back in the day...there was one, singular goal for all women above the age of 16. GET YOURSELF A MAN before you reach 25 and become a SPINSTER*cue high-society ladies fainting*.
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Mrs. Bennet (their mother) has taken this so completely to heart that she thinks of nothing else. After all,
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy moved into town and immediately Mrs. Bennett set her dasterdly plans in motion (on behalf of her mortified children). She will do whatever necessary to get a rich man to put a ring on it (oh Beyonce, your words are applicable in any century).
"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."
Only, there is a snag in her otherwise flawless plans. Elizabeth is not going to roll over to whatever man is thrust her way. To her mother's ever-living-disappointment, Elizabeth has all the spunk and backbone of a truly glorious woman:
"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."
Truly a great read, no matter the century.
Plus Jane Austen is totally my soul sister.
"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
Audiobook Comments As with most old-timey books, It is far easier for me to listen to them than to read them. I like hearing the odd phrases and ancient unused words much more than struggling through the hard copy. I really enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator did a fab job of characterization.
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