Halfway through this novel, if you had asked me how it was going, I would’ve said I think there was something lost in translation. Translated from Polish, the storyline dragged. Page after page of detailed Astrology jargon. A main character that was most certainly “unhinged.” Animals in the forest taking revenge on hunters? Enough! Or so I thought...
You know when you see a video clip, and they tell you to watch until the end...READ UNTIL THE END!!! Whoa, didn’t see that coming.
It was time to read a classic, and author Jane Austen has long been a favorite. However, it has been a long time since I’ve read any of Austen’s books...and I forgot how tedious her writing style can be. According to my daughter-in-law; “Austen can be wordy.” That’s an understatement but, I soldiered on. I enjoyed visiting the English countryside where polite society walked or rode in carriages to pay a visit to friends. I loved that their homes had names; Hartfield, Randalls, and Donwell. I was totally confused by all the surnames - Mr. Elton, Miss Woodhouse, Miss Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Weston - especially when there were two brothers, both Mr Knightly. Love and courtship in Austen’s time was a mind numbing dance of suited partners sharing societal station and wealth. But, perhaps the biggest mystery of the novel: DO NONE OF THESE PEOPLE WORK? As happy endings go, the novel ended well. I do, however, wish that Austen had included an epilogue to let us know if Emma was still happy with her choice of mate ten years down the road.
