Happy Sister's Day!

Today is national Sister's Day (I know, a holiday for sisters? They think of everything don't they?)... Anyway, to celebrate this day Scholastic put together a list of favorite literary sisters, which you can check out here. This list includes the much loved March sisters (Little Women), Bennet sisters (Pride & Prejudice), Dashwood sisters (Sense & Sensibility) and of course Beezus and Ramona to name a few.

It's a good list, but I can think of at least three more sets of sisters that did not make this list, but I believe should have. They are: The Ray sisters (Julia, Betsy and Margaret) from the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace, the Ingalls sisters (Mary, Laura, Carrie and Grace) from the Little House on the Prairie series, and of more recent literary fame: the Penderwick sisters (Rosalind, Skye, Jane and Batty) from The Penderwick series by Janne Birdsall.

Who would you list as your favorite literary sisters?

Romantic Passages from Favorite Reads Part VI

Happy Valentine's Day!

The following is my sixth and final installment in the post series of Romantic Passages from Favorite Reads. There are countless of books and passages I could have quoted, the six I chose were just particular favorites of mine. Enjoy!

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Really and truly there are so many quotable passages within Pride and Prejudice that I almost had a difficult time choosing just one, but in the end I selected the following snippet from the fifty-eighth chapter because it is one of my all-time favorites. It is point in the story where two of literature's greatest lovers finally has a meeting of the hearts and minds. I just love it!

If you are interested in the entire scene then I say tarry no longer, go forth and get yourself a copy of this literary gem!

The Book: Pride & Prejudice, Chpt 58
The Setting: 1812, Meryton in Hertfordshire, England
The Scene: Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy take a walk

"If you will thank me,' he replied, 'let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, 'You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.'

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. the happiness which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before, and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight diffused over his face became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable."

Romantic Passages from Favorite Reads Part II

My next choice is from Jane Austen's Persuasion, which is arguably my favorite of her novels, well, maybe second only to Pride and Prejudice.

The book: Persuasionon by Jane Austen, Chapter 23
The setting: Early 19th century England
The scene: A letter from Captain Wentworth to Anne Elliot

"On the contents of that letter depended all which this world could do for her! Any thing was possible, any thing might be defied rather than suspense. Mrs. Musgrove had little arrangements of her own at her own table; to their protection she must trust, and sinking into the chair which he had occupied, succeeding to the very spot where he had leaned and written, her eyes devoured the following words:

'I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that this love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone I think and plan. -- Have you not seen this? can you fail to have understood my wishes? -- I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice, when they would be lost on others. -- Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating in

F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening, or never.'"

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If you've never read Persuasion, then let me persuade you to not waste another moment, but instead pick up this delightful story. It is a classic tale of true love; love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love that never ends.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

263 pages

Published Feb 2010

by Guideposts Books

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo is another read that came recommended to me by several readers (and bloggers) including Lisa at 5MinutesForBooks, Carrie at Reading To Know, and my friend Alison. I read and enjoyed Jane Austen Ruined My Life, so I quickly added this sort-of-sequel (it's not really a sequel, but it is connected) to my summer TBR list. Unfortunately, at the risk of being unpopular I must admit it didn't end up rating as high on my rating scale as I had anticipated it might...

The Plot:
"Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil, a nice -- if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will she discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy -- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett...." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the second novel by Beth Pattillo which is influenced by Jane Austen and her novels and involves the "Formidables", a fictional secret society whose goal is to protect the lost writings of Austen, including in this novel the first draft of Pride and Prejudice entitled First Impressions.

As I sated above, at the risk of being unpopular with the author or any of her fans, I have to admit I was just not that impressed with this book.

Don't get me wrong, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is entertaining. It is as light-hearted and fluffy as chic-lit should be. As an extra bonus it is also very clean (eg. no foul language, no bedroom scenes, etc.) yet without losing any of the reality of the story. (Why can't more chic-lit novels be like this?) But what I liked best about this book is the fresh approach Pattillo takes to a very well-known story. With so many Austen-themed novels flying off the presses it definitely impresses me that Pattillo was able to write a story about Jane Austen and her most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice without falling as so many other authors have to the level of just retelling the original story. Yes, I can honestly say Pattillo succeeded that far -- Claire's story certainly gives a different twist to Pride and Prejudice.

Which brings me to the things about this book that I didn't like. For starters, I could not stand the fictionalized First Impressions. I realize there was a specific point Pattillo was trying to make by giving the reader a version of First Impressions to read, but no matter how I hard I tried I just couldn't see past the writing style. The "text" of First Impressions screamed 21st century so much that I could never get past knowing it was Pattillo's words to immerse myself into the story within the story. I think because of this I had a harder time accepting it as a "gem" as Claire does within the novel. For me it detracted from the story rather than adding to it, which is a shame as it is such a big part of the story's plot.

Which brings me to the other annoyance. Claire. I tried to, but just couldn't connect with Claire as the "Lizzie Bennett" heroine of the story. I realize she is supposed to embody a very human and identifiable character who undertakes a journey to self-discovery and comes out the other side a better person, much like Elizabeth Bennett does in Pride and Prejudice, but for me the two heroines just cannot be compared. I've always loved Elizabeth Bennett, faults and all, but Claire I found downright annoying. I sped through the story hoping she'd get her act together before her life completely fell apart. I know it sounds harsh, but I wanted to slap her a time or two.

Thankfully (semi-spoiler here), Claire does get a more settled happy ending than Pattillo gave Emma Grant in Jane Austen Ruined My Life. But even with this I can't say that I favored Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart when lined up next to the former. I think if I had to chose I'd pick the former over the latter, but that's just my opinion.

Yes, if Pattillo writes more novels that involve the Formidables I may be interested in reading them. She's worked with Emma and Pride and Prejudice that leaves her at least four other novels she could use to inspire stories of her own. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

274 pages
Published 2009
by Guideposts
New York, NY

I find the title and cover art for this particular edition highly amusing. It's clever, it's fitting (although the character in the story never wore a dress or lay on a bench like this), and the title is wonderfully tied to the crux of the heroine's story. Yet when I first saw this book (long before I read any reviews) I couldn't help but laugh. I imagined a twist on this book -- it is Jane Austen who is lying so forlornly on the bench and crying out "Modern fiction has ruined my books!"

It's no secret, I am not a fan of all the Austen-themed chic-lit that clutter bookstore shelves and call themselves literature. And yet.... and yet I occasionally find a rare gem amongst all the imitations. No, this is not on par with Austen's own literary works nor is it as good as some other modern works of literature, but it was by far one of the best Austen-themed novels I've read in a long time. Probably second to the likes of Austenland by Shannon Hale. (Read in 2007 before I started this blog, so sorry no review available.)

By now most of you probably know what this book is about, but for those who do not here is a quick summary. Emma Grant is a English professor who has just had her world turned upside down. She's lost not only her husband, but her career and now she's in England to take her revenge on Jane Austen. She believes that Austen, through her novels, has taught women that love and marriage comes with a "happily ever after" guarantee, but it is just a lie. What begins in the book as Emma's mission to prove this point and restore her career ends as an opportunity of a life time, a journey of self-discovery, and the chance for a new beginning. (For more in depth plot summary check out BethPattillo.com)

Jane Austen Ruined My Life was a much better read than I anticipated. I had already received rave reviews from two fellow book lovers (Carrie at Reading To Know and my friend Alison). Although they loved it I have to admit I was a little wary, especially after having just finished another Austen-themed novel that I disliked. (The irony here is that I only read the other novel because I thought I was reading the book Carrie and Alison had told me was a "must read"!)

One thing I noticed as I read Jane Austen Ruined My Life was that it wasn't a trashy romance. There's little to no language (at least that I noticed) and no intimate love scenes (excepting a few minor references made by the heroine to an affair her husband had prior to the book's beginning), still no graphic details, not vulgar conversations. It was rather refreshing to find in a piece of modern literature. While Pattillo is no Austen or Dickens, she is an entertaining writer and a breath of fresh air when it comes to chick-lit.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life is a sort of grown-up coming-of-age story, a journey of self-discovery for both Emma Grant and Jane Austen, the latter based on the author's fictional twist and interpretation of real life. I liked the quote fellow author Lori Smith made about this book: "A light and lovely fictional journey. [Pattillo] manages to strike the delicate balance of examining the clever, imaginary what-ifs of Austen's life while still respecting (and clearly revering) Austen."

Without giving away the ending (for those of you who have yet to read this book) I will say this much: the ending isn't the fictional fairy-tale "happily ever after". At first I felt a little cheated that the book didn't end as I expected, all lose ends tied up, etc. And yet, after some reflection on the book as a whole I realized that was the whole point of the book. The story couldn't end with a predicable "happily ever after" -- that would have made the story too predicable, too cliche. Life doesn't end just because the hero and heroine meet and marry. There is so much more that happens the next day after a love story begins. And even when life doesn't go as planned there is always time for a new beginning and a second chance. I believe Pattillo leaves the ending of Jane Austen Ruined My Life open to the reader for interpretation. You, the reader, get to imagine how the rest of Emma's life plays out. So, after this reflection I realized I liked that. It's different, but it is a happy ending for this book.

I've already been told I must read the next Austen-themed book by Beth Pattillo titled Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. This book is not as might be expected, a sequel to Emma's story, but it does have some slight-connections. Because I enjoyed Jane Austen Ruined My Life I have already added this other novel to my TBR list, so watch for a review before summer's end.

Emma by Jane Austen

512 pages
Reprinted by Penguin Classics, New York, NY in 2003
Originally published by John Murray in December 1815

It seems fitting that after having recently reviewed an Austen-themed chic-lit novel I now review what is claimed to be the best of Jane Austen's novels: Emma.

A Little Background:
Oddly enough I didn't discover Jane Austen until I was 16. I remember trying to read Pride and Prejudice but having difficulty grasping the story -- there was so much happening and the 19th century dialogue was nothing like the novels I'd read during most of my high school years. And then I discovered the 5 hour A&E film adaptation and immediately fell in love with the story. After watching the movie I picked up the book again and was successful in finishing it. And so began my journey with one of literature's most beloved authors.

Since that time I have listened to audio versions and watched numerous film adaptations of all of Austen's works, but until this year I'd never actually read Emma...

It seems unlikely that there are readers out there who do not already know something of the novel Emma, but just in case here is a short summary without spoilers:

The Plot:
"Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
I'm not exactly sure why I waited nearly 15 years to read this novel, perhaps it has something to do with the fact I just didn't like this heroine as well as the others. I find that Emma is for most of the story too snobbish and scheming for my taste when compared side-by-side with the sparkle and wit of Elizabeth, or the sweet and faithful Anne, or the steadfast and sensible Eleanor. And yet, Emma is definitely a worthwhile read. A classics must.

Emma is unique amongst Austen's novels in the fact that unlike all the other heroines, Emma is rich and beautiful and not troubled by her family about finding a wealthy and suitable husband. There are no silly sisters and no dramatic elopements. It is a completely different setting and a very interesting study of character.

I began reading Emma around the same time that Masterpiece Classic on PBS released their 2009 adaptation of the story (Jan-Feb 2010). I found this adaptation very well made. The actors were good (for the most part), the costumes and sets beautiful, and the script was nearly word for word from the book. If I had to make a complaint with the film it would be with the actress who played Emma. Certain mannerisms and aspects of her acting annoyed me. I found myself irritated with Emma for half to two thirds of the film.

Interestingly enough I found myself equally irritated and annoyed with Emma in the book for the same length of time, so perhaps it wasn't so much the actress as it was the character? At any rate by the last third to half of the story Emma begins to improve. Slowly like a flower blooming her character grows, matures, and by the end I found my regard for Emma had likewise grown until she had redeemed herself and I found myself happy with the story's end. Emma is a classic example of a coming-of-age story.

If you have never read Jane Austen, Emma may not be the story to begin with. It is Austen's longest work at over 500 pages and the story plot takes a little longer to unfold than some of her other novels. If asked I think I'd suggest a newcomer to Jane Austen read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park in that order. Of course it definitely helps the reader who struggles with 19th century writing style to watch a film adaptation or listen to an audio version first. For those unwilling to purchase a copy of any of these books they are readily available at any public library and are also available online in various forms. Kindle even offers a free copy of Emma through Amazon that can be downloaded to Kindle devices, Kindle for PC, Kindle for iPhones, and Kindle for Blackberry.

Here are a few other links you might find interesting:

Online Resources:
Austen.com/Emma
Cliff Notes: Emma
Reading Group Guide to Emma
Project Gutenberg: Emma (audio/online text)
Kindle: Emma ($0.00)

Films:
Masterpiece (PBS) 2009 adaptation: Emma
1996 film adaptation (Gwyneth Paltrow): Emma
1996 BBC TV adaptation (Kate Beckinsale): Emma