Emma

I just finished listening to another audio book by Jane Austen.
This one is entitled EMMA.

Emma is the main character in the story. She is a clever young woman of about 21 years old. She has the luxuries in life and amuses herself with gossip, matchmaking and the occasional parties. She lives comfortably with her father and is the mistress of a big property.

The story starts with her governess, Miss Taylor getting married and she is now left alone with her father to attend as usual to the needs of her house and her father. She deemed it her own doing that her governess married Mr Weston because of her match making prowess. And so when she meets a young lady friend Harriet, she resolved to have her married to Mr Elton who was of a financial good standing in the community. However, Harriet receives a marriage proposal from Mr Martin, a farmer, but declined it when Emma somehow persuaded her that she and Mr Elton were meant for each other.

Unbeknown to Emma, Mr Elton was actually wanting Emma to be his bride and when he proposed to Emma,she was all shocked and felt so poorly for her friend Harriet. Ofcourse, she declined Mr Elton’s proposal since she did not fancy him at all. Upon hearing of this news, Harriet felt so heart broken, she really fell in love with Mr Elton.

Mr Elton left town for a few weeks. He came back engaged with Augusta, a woman of such obnoxious character that Emma hated her at the very first time they met.

The story continues with the arrival of Frank Churchill, Mr Weston’s son and now the stepson of formerly Miss Taylor. A neighbour’s niece, Jane Fairfax also arrives in town and visits and parties goes on amongst these characters. Frank gives all his attention to Emma and Emma takes on this attention but decides later that she does not have at all any feelings for him.

It was such a surprise when it ended up that Jane and Frank had a secret engagement after all. This was the reason that is why Jane was so cross with Emma. She was jealous of her.

Mr Knightley, about 37. He is a close friend of Emma, and her only critic, though he cares deeply for her.

When Harriet confides to Emma that she thinks Mr. Knightley is in love with her, jealousy forces Emma to realize that she loves him herself. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Knightley proposes to Emma, Harriet reconciles with her young farmer, Jane and Emma reconcile and everyone lives happily ever after.

I enjoyed this audio book again. I am always enamoured by Jane Austen’s novels.
Prunella Scales was delighful in the way she read this book.

Sense and Sensibility

And so after the much enjoyed Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I had to quench my thirst for more. And so I gather another set of CDs , this time just 6. This one was read by Julie Christie who incidentally won the 2008 Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Away from Her. She did a great job in reading the book and her voice was in character and was totally enjoyable for me in understanding the book.

This story of two sisters in the nineteenth-century England, are drawn into unhappy romances despite the cool judgment of the one and the emotional intensity of the other.

This sparkling character study was Austen’s first published novel. She tells of the two impoverished Dashwood sisters, and the different ways in which they handle heartbreak and disappointment in love.

I cannot imagine having such misery in these modern age but somehow I wonder if love can be as cruel and so complicated for today’s life. Maybe not in the 19th century way but just the same love hurts…it wounds and yet in the end it heals.

Pride and Prejudice

I started reading Pride and Prejudice last Summer and managed to reach 10 chapters before it was unconsciously abandoned by the bedside table. Somehow, I managed to read other books along the way but never finished this one. A few weeks ago, me and my hubby ventured into the library while waiting for my daughter who attended a birthday party in a nearby bowling alley. Lo and behold, this set of audio books of Pride and Prejudice alighted my sight and thought to myself, hmm..I should finish this story. This book had 11 CDs – a total of 13 hours of listening time.

Since my drive to and from work make up approximately 2 hours of my day, I decided that this will be a good idea to listen to instead of my usual music CDs or the radio.

I actually looked forward to my drive to work and my drive home and I got excited and anxious to finish the story. All in all I was very much amused and my countenance each day was quite good because of this.

Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most popular novel, originally published in 1813, some 17 years after it was first written. It presents the Bennet family of Longbourn. Against the background of gossipy Mrs Bennet and the detached Mr Bennet, the quest is on for husbands for the five daughters. The spotlights falls on Elizabeth, second eldest, who is courted by Darcy though initially she is more concerned with the fate of her other sisters.

This marvelous account of family life in Regency England is read with vigor and style by Emilia Fox. Emilia Fox trained at the Central School of speech and Drama. Her film appearances include The Pianist, Blink and My Name is Sabina Speilrein, She has had a lot of TV credits and has been heard in several BBS Radio productions.

Elizabeth is the heroine in this story – she is such a delightful creature. She is beautiful, witty and very outspoken. The many thoughts and feelings she goes through make it her more interesting in each chapter. I admire her honesty with herself for her early attitude to Darcy and gradually overcomes her prejudice to develop warmer feelings toward him.

I have reserved the DVD movie and that will be the next item I will borrow from the library.

Must I say, I would love to listen to another audio book of Jane Austen, probably Sense and Sensibility?