AAh Jane Austen, how she captures my romantic heart. This story is about two people who fell in love when they were young, Anne Elliott and Captain Frederick Wentworth (isn't that a great name?) but her family was against it and persuaded her to give him up for the good of the family. He went away broken hearted and she nurtured hers as well. Eight and a half years go by and they are suddenly thrown together by circumstance and she is having to deal with seeing him seemingly court a girl of her acqaintance and her feelings of still being in love with him. While he maintains a civil but cold air towards her. At times she feels she has lost him forever and others she feels he looks at her as if he may still have feelings for her.
It is beautifully written. I read this book in record time, for me anyway (less than a week). I already knew what basically happened having seen the movie but it had been a while so details were new to me. I thought that since I had seen the movie I wouldn't like the book as much but how could I doubt Jane Austen. She always delivers. But I found that I was reading the book to get to the parts that I remembered from the movie. The great parts that I love in Jane Austen novels: the various encounters of characters, letters between the lovers filled with beautiful language, etc. There are a few paragraphs that argue the constancy in love of men vs. women. I loved it. Good points are made on both sides, but in the end I think women pull just slightly ahead of men. Though I would not call this my favorite Jane Austen novel, it is still very good.
Only have one quote that struck me (well there more but they were whole paragraphs and it would give away the story) "One man's ways may be as good as another's, but we all like our own best."
12 comments:
I really like this book, but I read it over and over again just to read his letter to her at the end of the book. It's so wonderful!! The movie doesn't do it justice, naturally. The first time I read it I actually gasped! Sigh. Good book.
Oh, good grief! This book was not on my 'to be read' list, but I guess I'll be squeezing it in. You two make it sound pretty darn good. And I did love Pride and Prejudice which I read because of your recomendations. Cassie, I did reread The Screwtape Letters. Loved it, too.
Just noticed your current book. I'm reading The Opposite of Fate right now, too. Your mom steered us to another good book.
Was Colin Firth in the movie? This book sounds really good, but I am not adding it to the list. Remind me in two years when I've shittled mine down. You know how forgetful I am. You could have left it here after you finished it. That makes it easier for me to remember when it's sitting on top on my unread books.
Sorry, I'll get it to you sometime. I'm excited to watch the movie again since I just finished and see what I think. I loved the letter at the end too. I wanted to use it as one of my quotes in the post but I didn't want to ruin anything for anyone.
No Colin Firth wasn't in this movie. There wasn't really anyone famous in it.
Sorry, I meant whittled.
I was wondering what shittled meant when it came to a list of books that need to be read?!
I, too, wondered what shittled meant. I thought about looking it up. :)
Book, the movie would have been better with Colin Firth, but it was okay without him. I'd just stick to the book, then you can picture Colin Firth as the guy. :)
Yeah I just watched the movie again last night and I like the book better. I don't think that I ever really picked out that they had been in love before (in the movie)so it was kind of odd to me how they suddenly got together. Though they did keep a few of the really great lines in the movie from the book
Ok, Book and Julie, I think you should stop bandying about the word "shittled." It means taking books off the list that aren't worth a crap. I just made that up because I am really getting feisty in my fifties. But if you have a better definition, I'd love to hear it. I'm learning all kinds of new words through blogging.
LOL! ROTFL! What a perfect definition, framed. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. You are so witty. Laughed so hard it brought tears to my eyes.
I will be putting this one on my list as well, even though I also need to shittle it down a little. Haha! I loved this post, but I think reading the comments was my favorite part! That last comment by framed was hilarious!!
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