books_arts_journals's reviews
22 reviews

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Emma by Jane Austen

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Re-read 'Emma' after many years and understood it better this time, for this time I read it slowly and attentively, savoring every moment. For me, its one of Jane Austen's finest novels, featuring one of her most remarkable hero and heroine. It was a perfect escape during these sad days, offering much-needed comfort and warmth. The chemistry between Emma and Mr. Knightey was so good, there was an understanding and openness between them seen with long-standing close friends. They had high regard for each other, however censured one another when necessary.

I have always admired Jane Austen's heroines; they are practical, kind, intelligent, strong and witty. Among them, Emma Woodhouse stands out as a near-perfect example. She has all this and beauty, wealth, and knows well how to take care of herself and those around her, especially her melancholy father. She is not afraid to speak her mind and is certainly no damsel in distress. Her character flaws are also quite convincing. Raised as a privileged girl and managing the household from a young age, always pampered and praised by people around her, there is bound to be some amount of vanity. Additionally, she had interest in meddling in other's romantic interests and matchmaking.

Mr. Knightley was social, friendly, kind, responsible, witty and had a good sense of humour (I may have started to like him more than Mr. Darcy). Plus, he was so romantic with his - "My dear Emma" and his iconic line - "If I loved you less, I would have been able to talk more"

The other characters were well-crafted and fit within the narrative perfectly. Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill's story was also good, could have easily been an amazing novel in itself. I particularly liked the friendship between Emma and Frank a lot, they were similar in some ways and were fun together. The character I liked the least was Harriet - she was indecisive, innocent and delusional. However, given her very young age, inexperience and nature its understandable. Also, she was heavily influenced by Emma! There is mention in the book of how Harriet is undeserving of the gentlemen, because of her family background and social status. This sadly highlights the social inequality present at that time, which unfortunately still persists today.

Maybe I'll read the book again in a few years to gain new insights. This time around, it was a pleasure to read and I gained valuable lessons. And of course, was completely swooned by the romances.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

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emotional reflective slow-paced