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kbkittyb's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5*
Interesting.
If you are going into this expecting the typical Jane Austen style that we all know and love you will very likely be disappointed. However, if you go into this with an open mind, with a wish to know more about JA's approach to writing, you will enjoy it.
Is the writing as polished and perfected as her novels? No. Is it meant to be? No. These are the works of a teenager playing with words to amuse and entertain those she knows. They were never meant to be perfect, they were meant to appeal to a specific audience to wile away the hours without a TV in their lives. These are notebooks never intended to be read by a wider audience, like a diary.
There are many different formats at play and lots of different styles that I found great. It is interesting to see how she attempted a variety of approaches to see what worked for her, to get the genius flowing and to find her own personal style.
The stories themselves can be little uneventful at times, but are short lived so do not pose a problem.
Her style changed and improved so much, but you can see the roots of her novels emerging which is lovely to see.
She had great talent, and clearly an amazing sense of humour.
Would recommend to any open-minded Austen fan.
Interesting.
If you are going into this expecting the typical Jane Austen style that we all know and love you will very likely be disappointed. However, if you go into this with an open mind, with a wish to know more about JA's approach to writing, you will enjoy it.
Is the writing as polished and perfected as her novels? No. Is it meant to be? No. These are the works of a teenager playing with words to amuse and entertain those she knows. They were never meant to be perfect, they were meant to appeal to a specific audience to wile away the hours without a TV in their lives. These are notebooks never intended to be read by a wider audience, like a diary.
There are many different formats at play and lots of different styles that I found great. It is interesting to see how she attempted a variety of approaches to see what worked for her, to get the genius flowing and to find her own personal style.
The stories themselves can be little uneventful at times, but are short lived so do not pose a problem.
Her style changed and improved so much, but you can see the roots of her novels emerging which is lovely to see.
She had great talent, and clearly an amazing sense of humour.
Would recommend to any open-minded Austen fan.
sephy1105's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
abuginthewild's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
larmesdesaphir's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
bookishlytammie's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
baileyvic's review against another edition
3.0
mid,, but still funny at some bits
extra points for cassandra throwing her kids out the window.
lady greville is the reason why i now have a "characters i would pay to rko" list
extra points for cassandra throwing her kids out the window.
lady greville is the reason why i now have a "characters i would pay to rko" list
est_her's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
readingwithalex02's review against another edition
I appreciate that having these works is incredible in terms of our understanding of Austen, and the progression of her writing skills. It's also pretty cool to see all the works she would have read and referenced in her works. But not being funny, it is so much freaking effort to read these. Every other word has a massive explanatory footnote. I just wasn't enjoying it, and only skimmed as much as I did because it was for class. Maybe one day I'll be a true scholar and enjoy them, but for now I'll stick to her novels.
kaelynrothe's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
raincorbyn's review against another edition
5.0
The stories themselves are wonderful, but extra credit goes to the editors for very useful notes and supplemental materials. Great, laugh out loud stuff.