shona_reads_in_devon's Reviews (529)

I'm sure this book is supposed to be very profound. don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it very much, but it was pretty self indulgent towards the end. Not overly subtle. I don't want to be bashed over the head with literary theory. Great story; it pulled me through 700 something pages within a week, some good characters, but too much with the art and beauty and good and bad and fate etc. Lead the reader to think about it, don't shove it down their throat...

Wow, I loved this book. I completely devoured it. Sounds so cliched but she just writes the truth. Life. I will definitely need to read again to pick out all of the layers of this great novel.

This was such a beautiful book. It has been a while since finishing a book has left me feeling bereft. This is one of those books.

This book was truly abominable. It is possibly the worst thing I have ever had the misfortune to pick up. Terribly written, awfully transposed from one time period to another. If you are going to adapt something like Austen, which relies so much on the social mores of the time then you need to be clever enough, when you move it to the modern day, to find a suitable replacement for those social issues which really have no bearing today.

Emma's character is truly ridiculous. As is Harriet's. These characters are in their early twenties and, as far as can be read, none of them seem to have kissed anyone, let alone had sex. Just doesn't work today. And the stupid references over and over again to the bloody train station, or the Mini Cooper. Or the frigging office blocks in bloody Ipswich. I cannot believe someone actually allowed this book to be published.

Do not waste your time with this tripe. If you love Austen's Emma, stay away.

Such a sad brutal story. Despite Jane Eyre being my favouritest book, I knew very little about any of the Brontes. Their story is so sad, and sometimes I wanted to smack them all and shout 'stop wasting it!!' While their brother had all the opportunists and squandered every one, the girls had not so many. But really, I am not sure they would have fared much better. All seemed desperate to stay where they were and not be disturbed too much, so that they could sit and write.