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A review by tometrinket
Love and Freindship: And Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was pre-pandemic and the very last film I saw in the theaters before the lockdown was 'Emma', starring Anya Taylor-Joy. I fell in love with it so thoroughly that I promptly ordered the beautiful cloth-bound hardcovers of every Jane Austen books. It took me a while to come around to read them though. I've never been much of a fan of romance and even though I loved 'Emma', I never liked 'Pride and Prejudice' (the one with Keira Knightley). When I finally got around to read Jane Austen, I decided to start with Love and Freindship - a collection of short stories Austen wrote when she was quite young.
The version that I read had quite an extensive introduction to Austen, about her life and her early writings. I hungrily devoured the history cos I found Austen's life fascinating. Then I began reading the short stories. They were silly and peculiar but so very witty and sarcastic coming from someone so very young. I couldn't help but laugh out loud in many of her stories which did show her age but also her brilliance in writing farce. For me, her stories didn't read like romance but more of satire of the romance genre of her time. I didn't expect to enjoy it so thoroughly. It also made me wonder whether I should have viewed the film 'Pride and Prejudice' as satire too? Well, if it was meant to be viewed that way, it went over my head.
If 'Love and Freindship' little short stories were anything like her later novels, I'm sure to enjoy them as well. I can't wait!
The version that I read had quite an extensive introduction to Austen, about her life and her early writings. I hungrily devoured the history cos I found Austen's life fascinating. Then I began reading the short stories. They were silly and peculiar but so very witty and sarcastic coming from someone so very young. I couldn't help but laugh out loud in many of her stories which did show her age but also her brilliance in writing farce. For me, her stories didn't read like romance but more of satire of the romance genre of her time. I didn't expect to enjoy it so thoroughly. It also made me wonder whether I should have viewed the film 'Pride and Prejudice' as satire too? Well, if it was meant to be viewed that way, it went over my head.
If 'Love and Freindship' little short stories were anything like her later novels, I'm sure to enjoy them as well. I can't wait!