Not my favorite of the Austen books that I've read. Maybe b/c I watched the movie first, I already knew what was going to happen and I couldn't get Gwenyth Paltrow out of my head. I did like suspense with Knightley and Emma. And I liked how Emma kept getting herself into trouble, but she remained pretty stuck up till the end. I guess that was her character and what she was supposed to do, but it was annoying to me. Like the Shopaholic girl. She learns her lessons, but still, overall, goes back to being the same way she always had. Emma was okay with letting Harriet go b/c she wasn't really a close friend. She was a project. I think that's sad.Reminded me of Shakespeare how everyone thought someone was in love with someone else.
As usual Austen writes AWESOME annoying characters. I just wanted to beat Mrs. Elton and Mrs. Bates to death so they would SHUT UP. Perfect. I'm going to rent this again just to see how these ladies played out in the movie. Fun!
As usual...my favorite quotes from the book.
Page 18. Describing Miss Bates. "And yet she was a happy woman, and a woman whom no one named without good-will. It was her own universal good-will and contented temper which worked such wonders. She loved every body, was interested in every body's merits; thought herself a most fortunate creature, and surrounded with blessings..."
Page 134. "She had taken up the idea, she supposed, and made everything bend to it." I liked this sentence showing that you can make something out of nothing if you convince yourself of an idea. Everything seems to fit that idea you've created in your head even if it's not true.
Page 206. "One cannot love a reserved person. Not till the reserve ceases toward oneself; and then the attraction may be the greater." This seemed to me like a be confident quote. I liked how it read. Negative..in a positive way.
Page 264 "I would much rather have been merry than wise." Ignorance is bliss. haha!
Page 289 "You have everybody dearest to you always at hand, I, probably never shall again; and therefore, till I have outlived all my affections, a post-office, I think, must always have power to draw me out, in worse weather than to-day." This makes me think of leaving my friends in Murfreesboro and how much I love mail!!
Page 492 "The fact was, as Emma could now acknowledge, that Harriet had always liked Robert Martin; and that his continuing to love her had been irresistible." This was interesting to me b/c it was his great love for her that kept her in love with him. Had he given up, she would have too, but since he asked again and cared so deeply, she loved him. I wonder how long or how much a relationship can depend on the great strength of one-sided love. How many people are in love just b/c that person adores them?
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Re: Page 492 quote - I like that as well. So you're saying if he had not been so persistent, Harriet would have forgotten about Robert Martin? I think she was at first smitten with him because he was so in love with her and she'd never had that before. She couldn't resist his charms and was like, hey why not. But later, at the end, I think she really did have mutual loving feelings for him.
I agree! So it just kind of worked out that he kept trying and deep down she really did love him.
I also wanted to comment that after watching the movie again I thought of this a little different. I can't tell if it's just that I read negatively or what, but Emma wasn't so bad in the movie. She's frustrating, but she isn't so snobby. Did you think she was particularly awful in the book and they just played it down in the movie so people would like her more? Like in the movie I LOVED MR KNIGHTLY...but in the book it was more like eh...he's okay. I still think persuasion does the best job of showing someone's devotion not on screen.
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