What a delight to reread all of Austen’s works together. It was interesting to contrast her heroines as each of them are quite distinctive. It was also interesting to see her growth as a writer and the ways in which she tackled feminine suffering, morality and growth in her heroines.

I was surprised to have loved the one novel I had put off reading for so long because the main character was supposedly so unlikeable, but which given my own early experiences in life, I could well understand and relate too, which was Mansfield Park.

I did enjoy the reading experience of Persuasion a little better the second time around but will never be persuaded as some contend, that this is her best work and best female character.

Northanger Abbey was the only book to remain unchanged in my opinion with the reread. Though I appreciated Austen’s sharp wit the story and heroine did not engage my interest. Also, it rather suffered when read alongside Austen’s other works. It just isn’t the same quality.

Interesting to read Lady Susan who is pretty much amoral and an all round bad bitch. Really resonates with the observation of how Austen wrote of many different types of women as her main characters and it’s a satisfying ending for Lady Susan who is utterly despicable under a beautiful and manipulative facade.

Sense and Sensibility 5*
Pride and Prejudice 5*
Mansfield Park 5*
Persuasion 4*
Northanger Abbey 3.5
Lady Susan 4* (not a fan of epistolary novels, tho this was better than most)
Emma 5*

Love that this book got all of Jane Austen's work. My favorite will always be Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensability.

I only read three of the novels in this book before someone else requested it at the library and I had to return it. I loved reading Pride and Prejudice. As I was reading it, it made me emjoy and appreciate the A&E movie even better. When does that ever happen with a book?

I also read Mansfield Park. I enjoyed this one a lot. It kept me on edge a bit because I wasn't sure what would happen.

I did not enjoy Sense and Sensibility as much. I am not sure why. It was a bit tedious for me.

Probably the most well-read book on my shelves, and I got it new. Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion especially have a certain magic about them that keeps me coming back. By now, I have read the former at least twelve times...
I think that part of what I appreciate so much about them is that they take you on a journey. It would be singularly unsatisfying to skip straight to the resolution, so, in order to enjoy the story anew, I am taken through the entire journey.

edição comprada para ler "lady susan" (as outras novelas foram lidas ao longo dos anos) e também para ter tudo num só volume. o aço austenítico é aquele que é essencialmente não-magnético. esta definição não se aplica claramente aos leitores que, austeníticos como eu, se sentem irresistivelmente atraídos pela obra de jane austen.

When it comes to classics, Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors for reasons too long to share here. Although, on the contrary to the popular opinions, Pride and Prejudice is not my most favourite among all of the seven novels of hers.

Since this is a review of The Complete Novels of Jane Austen with all of her seven books in it, instead of writing my reviews for each of those novels, I'm doing so for my review of the condition of this book as a whole. I'll review each book separately in the future.




First, let me start with the ratings I gave to each novel in this collection as well as my ranks from my most to least favourite one:
1. Sense and Sensibility with ★★★★★
2. Mansfield Park with ★★★★★
3. Pride and Prejudice with ★★★★☆
4. Persuasion with ★★★½
5. Emma with ★★★☆☆
6. Lady Susan with ★★★☆☆
7. Northanger Abbey with ★★☆☆☆


n  What do I think about this book as a whole?n

Size
At the risk of stating the obvious, considering how some people complained about the size of this book upon receiving it, a collection of seven novels is not meant to be the kind of book to carry around. As a book to enjoy within the comfort of one's home? It's perfect!





Leather-bound
It's nice to have seven novels all together in a leather-bound edition. However, the binding is not that strong so if you're not careful, chances are big that you'll break it.





The structure
The biggest flaw to me is the absence of table of content for the chapters of each novel in this book which makes it rather difficult to navigate. There might come a time when one runs out of Post-It notes in the middle of a winter night.





All in all, story wise, it's a collection of Jane Austen's works so of course it's a gem! I highly recommend it!






Picture credit: unsplash.com

My all time FAVORITE stories!

Jane Austin was so brilliant at capturing human nature. Her characters are so colorful and you know someone exactly like each one! I feel like I can relate to each heroine on some level. While women's rights have come a long way, we still encounter some of the same obstacles in our relationships with others today. Every time I revisit these stories, I love them even more.

For those of you who read "The Jane Austin Book Club", don't laugh at me for reviewing the "complete works" OK?! Ha! Ha! I just wanted to let friends know these are GREAT books, until I can spend some time reviewing each one!

My all tme favourites, what more can I say.

An absolute pleasure to read, so detailed in the way people thought, which in all honestly is not much different to the thinking of today. Jane Austen women especially Elizabeth Bennett had the qualities I would admire in any woman today, she would notbe attracted to money alone, she would marry for love.
So too would Anne Elliott.

Everyone should get a chance to read Jane Austen, never dated because the ideas are still pretty much the same, just so much more elegant and beautiful- A World to lose yourself in.

Milestone reached.. I present to you my personal top 5:

1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Persuasion
3. Northanger Abbey
4. Emma
5. Mansfield Park

Amazing! I love, love, love Jane Austen. My favorite is still Pride and Prejudice, but Emma and Sense and Sensibility are close seconds. I'd say my least favorite is Mansfield Park (something about Fanny Price kind of annoys me). I also found Lady Susan interesting because I didn't know anything about it before I read it.

I think I'll try choosing another author next year to read all of his/her novels (maybe Charles Dickens?). I liked watching the evolution of the writing and plot development as I read the novels chronologically.

This is my review of all of Jane Austen’s novels. I’m sure it will earn me the wrath and enmity of Austen fans and fanatics everywhere.

In my opinion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, and Mansfield Park are essentially the same book with different characters and settings to protect the innocent and the not so innocent. Northanger Abbey differs from the other five only in the introduction of the main character’s obsession with Gothic novels.

Lady Susan, on the other hand, is Austen at her snarky, sarcastic best and one of the best examples of an epistolary novel I’ve read. It’s like the proper, British version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

n  Here’s my list of Austen novels, from favourite to least favourite:n

1. Persuasion- My favourite Austen! It is the shortest and the one with the most enduring romance plot. And it is also the one where she attacks society with the most vigour. Not a word is wasted: it is compact and moves quickly.

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”



2. Sense and Sensibility- Two protagonists for the price of one! I didn’t actually know how this one would end, which kept it interesting. The romances are usually quite predictable. Austen also explores ideas of the picturesque and how higher society often pretend to appreciate what they clearly don’t understand. A sharp piece of writing.

“The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”



3. Northanger Abbey- This was my first Austen. And I loved the way she defended the novel and reading throughout. Though she was an advocate of proper reading and not becoming disengaged from reality to the point where you think your life is a gothic romance. A very amusing read!

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”



4. Pride and Prejudice- Austen is not interested in fleeting moments of heat and sexual lust; she portrays true and lasting romantic attachments, relationships that are strong and real. For her, such things transcend class boundaries, wealth and intelligence. And I enjoyed seeing the characters realise this.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”



5. Emma- Austen attacks society again very strongly here, though I think the novel lacked a real plot driver. It was saved in my estimation by a very compelling heroine who knew exactly what she wanted from life and sought after it. Emma isn’t a woman to be walked over.

“I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control. ”



6. Mansfield Park- What can I say? The only Austen I didn’t give five stars. It was just boring with an absent protagonist. I was glad to finish it.

“I was quiet, but I was not blind.”



n  What do you think? Do you agree with my list? I would love to hear other people'sn

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