Jane Austen indulges us with a glimpse into life in the 1700’s. An unhurried picturesque time full of formality and measurably sensible people. A time in which love is romanticized and subsequent to position and wealth, a time in which a favorable marriage means the difference between prosperity and ruin. Fortuitously for us Austen gives our heroines love and wealth. Devilishly delightful read for all those hopeless romantics at heart waiting for that ONE BIG LOVE. Definitely a complete must have book of Austen’s work.

No me arrepiento para nada de haber comprado este libro. Le dediqué medio año de mi vida y no podría estar más satisfecha. Pasé de que me guste Jane Austen a sentirme fan de Jane Austen.
Ahora me arrepiento de no haber hecho una reseña libro por libro, para anotar cosas sobre cada novela. Sin embargo, puedo decir que agregué Northanger Abbey y Persuasion a mis novelas favoritas. Creo que en estas dos Austen lleva su uso de la ironía los niveles más divertidos y agradables para mí.
Jane Austen es feminista, si no te diste cuenta, mejor volvé a nacer.

Sense And Sensibility - 23/12/2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4stars
I really liked reading this book.

Pride and Prejudice - 28/12/2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3stars
I thought this one was harder to get through that S&S

I've spent a semester getting through this massive volume (for a class, I should say), and I figure I'll do mini-reviews for each novel rather than anything similarly massive. So let's give it a whirl.

Sense and Sensibility: This is actually the only Austen novel I've read on multiple occasions, so I have a bit more familiarity with it than any of the other five. This is, in my humble opinion, a fairly dark novel for Austen. Marianne's melodrama is of course frequently mocked, but Elinor's resignation and the story of the Elizas present really bleak insights into Austen's imagination. S&S is perhaps the least laught-out-loud funny of Austen's oeuvre, but the relationship between Elinor and Marianne is one of the most fascinating (and eroticized) female-female interactions among all of her novels. Willoughby, despite his profligate nature, is really hot--especially in Emma Thompson's film adaptation, so that alone should make you want to read/see this! No, but seriously, S&S is strangely close to my heart, perhaps because of that strong sisterly bond, and the female-centered communities of the novel.

Pride and Prejudice: What can I say about P&P that hasn't been said before? It's my favorite Austen novel, with my favorite heroine (Elizabeth) and hero (Darcy), along with a wonderful supporting cast (the Bennets, Mr. Bingley, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Collins, Charlotte Lucas). The humor is all there, the emotion rings true, the characters are all complex and imaginable while you're reading. Quite simply one of the very best novels of English literary history.

Mansfield Park: I won't belabor this part, because "MP" is really truly my least favorite among the novels. The writing is good, the plot is complex, but Fanny Price is absolutely insufferable. If this book had been about Mary Crawford, I might have enjoyed it. The Crawfords are fabulous characters, and there are fascinating questions of subversion in the novel--but this is also the most evident text in which Austen deliberately upholds the status quo, even after suggesting alternatives to it (through the Crawfords, Mr. Yates, even Fanny's brief challenge to the slave trade). Sir Thomas Bertram is Patriarch Supreme, and he ensures that conservatism wins in the end. This is a bit of an unpopular opinion, but for a legitimately good adaptation of this novel, see Patricia Rozema's 1999 film version--it's absolutely wonderful. A real feminist update, and it even features Miss Honey from "Matilda" as Mary Crawford!

Emma: After P&P, this is my second-favorite Austen novel. Emma may be self-centered and manipulative, but she's one of Austen's only flawed characters that we genuinely sympathize with. And I think she's a quite welcome change between the passive, troubled heroines (Catherine, Fanny, Anne, Elinor) and the more vivacious ones (Elizabeth, Marianne)--she's a joy to read. This is also one of the very funniest of Austen's works--I found myself chuckling or openly guffawing almost constantly while reading. Great cast of characters--Emma herself, of course, along with Mr. Woodhouse, Jane Fairfax, the Bates (ha!), and arguably the gayest character--Frank Churchill-in her body of work. Furthermore, I think the resolutions presented here are the most developed and mature of her career--because she actually takes the time to allow them to develop, rather than simply tying everything up neatly in the final pages. Emma is a really lovely novel, and of course, if you didn't know that Clueless is a modernized adaptation of it, now's your chance to rewatch it with that in mind.

Northanger Abbey: Features much of Austen's always-wonderful wit, but I think it's pretty self-evident that this is a first novel, and if you've read the juvenilia, I think you'll recognize much of that exuberant naivete bleeding over into "Northanger." While the humor was all there, my issue with the novel was that I had little sympathy for any of the characters. Catherine, as the opening line suggests, is not much of a heroine--she's bumbling, easily manipulated, excitable, and simply not complex enough for me to truly identify with her. Henry Tilney is, well, kind of a douchebag. A classic example of the "Educating Jane" theme that frequently runs through her novels, because Henry (perhaps like many Austen heroes) becomes a father figure for Catherine. I found that pretty infuriating. Strangely enough, though, I think "Northanger" is possibly Austen's most (I use this term loosely) 'postmodern' texts, because of the novel's challenge to so-termed master narratives, particularly of the Gothic. So I found that pretty fascinating. On the whole, though, this is right with "Mansfield Park" as my least favorite Austen novel.

Persuasion: Wonderful novel. Austen's most mature work, and one of the most heartfelt, particularly because you can feel Austen's own regrets coming through Anne Elliot. Not only that, but there's a sense of the past here, a sense of the characters having histories and interiorities--which doesn't necessarily ring true for her other novels. Of course, I do find myself wondering what it might have been had she survived to continue working on it (it's finished, but not heavily revised), because there are moments where it feels slightly unpolished. Anne Elliot is almost like a much more grown up, and far more fascinating, Fanny Price--quiet, with regrets and a lot of sensitivity, but Anne is genuinely a memorable character. This is a tale, first, of unrequited love and the pain that comes with it--but, as with any Austen novel, there's a happy ending. It's the journey to that end that makes this such a worthwhile novel.

Lady Susan: Oops! Haven't read this one. But I need this compendium off of my currently reading shelf! I promise I'll read Lady Susan at some point!

I love the creativity and sentiment Jane Austin's books bring to my imagination. I would like to think I to would have made bold and wise decisions. But, comparing much of her stories to the world we live in today, I would have been foolish, stuck and unhappy. I value a little more "Sense and Sensibility", and although many principles and practices are outdated some are trully never out of fashion.

I am a fan of Jan Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and decided to read the whole collection of her books. I just finished book one, Sense and Sensibility.

The Dashwood sisters and their mother are a wonderful example of family unity. It was an eye opener to all things good and proper. The story was well told from Elinor Dashwood's loving perspective. I would of like to see the ending not wrap up into a happy ending so quickly. The end flew buy very quickly to the rest of the book. But, still a very enjoyable read.

⭒ 3.5 ⭒
The rating goes for the entire book.

Generally, I enjoyed this whole-long experience and I admit, Jane Austen is brilliantly a pioneer author.
The book includes seven of her eminent works:
- Sense & Sensibility
- Pride & Prejudice
- Mansfield Park
- Emma
- Northanger Abbey
- Persuasion
- Lady Susan

And here's the novels I liked the most:
- Pride & Prejudice: I honestly had read it years ago and it was an instant and solid lovable novel to me. I always had issues with Classics and reading this book made a huge difference that played a huge role in adding Classics into my booklist.
- Northanger Abbey: the 2nd best! I admit, I admired this one and will always do.
- Persuasion: to be frank, this novel hasn't got my full admiration, but I liked some of it anyway.

As for the other works, they weren't appealing to my taste and I had problems to get into them. I wished that I could like them but I couldn't. However, now I can observe the actuality of the Classic literature through Austen's pen.

I'm finally done!!! I LOVE Jane Austen and I LOVE this collection, but this was so long that I think I may never read again in my entire life!

Or at least not until after I've had a really long nap...

My goal for the summer was to re-read Jane Austen's novels in their entirety. And I'm happy to say, I'm finished. It's been some time since I sat down to read any of her novels. I've probably watched the movies more than I've actually sat down to read them. I know many people do an annual reading of her works. I'm not sure I could do that - but would instead place them into the "read these books at different times of your life" category.

It always amazes me how these novels still resonate today. For a female novelist of her time, Jane Austen was an incredibly smart, witty, and sarcastic personality. Her dry humor and observational skills are incredible.

Her novels introduce us to a variety of characters, from the strong willed (Elizabeth Bennet) to the weakling (Fanny Price)women to the men we want to be with (Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy) to the ones we could do without (Willoughby, anyone?). And you can't forget the comic foils, most often seen in the matron role of the book. We all know who we want to be, who we're cheering for, who we despise,and who we feel sorry for. There's a character for every person.

I love these books for their relatablity. Their sense of hope, and their quoteability. I, personally, will be adopting the following for the coming year "It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at 29 than she was 10 years before."

I don't know when my next Jane Austen reading will take place. But I look forward to seeing where I am, how I've changed, and if my favorites will be altered, compared to where I am today. I guess we'll just wait and see, and hope for the best.

Jane Austin is one of my all time favorite authors. I have adored every single novel of hers!! Even though she is a classical author, her books are in no way stuffy or hard reads. She questions such topical themes as her titles suggest "pride and prejudice" and "sense and sensibility" with such wonderful humor and such passionate and extravagant characters. Her novels are always fun to read, hard to put down, and leave you wanting more. I'd recommend ANY Jane Austin book (though they are undoubtedly romantic and girly so perhaps not a favorite for guys.)

Sense and Sensibility **

This to me feels like a proto-Pride and Prejudice, showing flashes of the genius for sly wit and sardonic character observations that P&P is renowned for but not the same skill with plot and pacing and a surprisingly anaemic set of romantic interests for the young sisters. It reminds me of reading early Shakespeare; it shows promise of what is to come later but on its own it doesn't justify the author's reputation.

Pride and Prejudice ****
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mansfield Park **
This is allegedly Austen's least popular work and Pride & Prejudice must surely be the most popular. Why? Comparison may be instructive.

P&P's romantic heroes are a dashing, rich, titled, educated and intelligent man and a pretty (but not the most beautiful), educated, intelligent woman who knows here own mind and insists on being appreciated for that mind. Mansfield Park's romantic heroes are a stick-in-the-mud boring but kind and principled second son likely to be comfortably off but not set to inherit the Estate and a timid, shy, submissive, boring girl who at least grows enough spine to not accept a loveless marriage to a morally defective but rich suitor.

The tone of P&P is one of wit, sardonic humour and sly social observation. There is little of this in Mansfield Park. It is replaced with a preachy moralising.

That's probably enough right there. I just don't think modern readers are nearly as receptive to the ideals presented by Fanny and Edmund as compared to those of Lizzy Bennet and Darcy and similarly, wit goes over better than sermons these days.

I struggled with much of the first 4/5ths, at times finding it hard to differentiate all the characters, especially the two Misses Bertram and to establish the connections between them all - especially so in the amateur theatrical week which proves crucial to all that comes later. Eventually I found myself intrigued as to how it was all going to resolve, making the final (sensational) fifth much more interesting.

Emma ***
By just a few pages, the longest Austen novel is a stodge sandwich: 150p of very heavy going where nothing appears to be happening and any concept of advancing plot is lost is bracketed on either side by 50p of lively stuff. That makes for 2/5ths of real fun, compared to just 1/5th of Mansfield Park.

The trademark Austen humour is present in abundence, helping one get through the sagging middle section. Unlike the other Austen novels I've read, the humourous pokes are not restricted to secondary characters; Emma gets it from the start and throughout - she's a flawed character for sure and one has to see the funny side or really not like her. Of course, she learns her lessons by the end and is suitably remorseful for her failings. Contrastingly, Mr. Knightley is really held up as the Ideal Man and his lack of flaws make him somewhat annoying. I thought for a long while his given name was Gary Stu. Turns out it's George.

I love how Jane Austen effortlessly writes dialogue. Some of my friends had trouble reading Pride & Prejudice when it was chosen for our book club, but in the course of my life I have read it more times than any other book and appreciate the mind she had for dialogue and how all of her books contain such meaningful dialogue, with so much conveyed between the lines.