A cry for help!

[Daisy]

This is not so much a review as a request for encouragement!

My New Year's Resolution was to read all the full-length novels of Jane Austen. I hadn't particularly enjoyed the ones I read at school, but thought I should have another go with what I hope is a more mature approach. I've started on Emma, which I haven't read before, and I'm really struggling. I'm about 20% into it (Kindle page counting at it's best!) but it's a chore. Nothing seems to be happening and all the characters seem pre-occupied with their social status. Yawwwwwnnnn. Please can someone tell me that it gets better!

[Gemini]

Oh dear Daisy! I read Emma, only once, aged 18. I finished it and quite enjoyed it. I was quite pretentious myself at the time LOL. Maybe we are too wise and experienced now to find such things interesting

[Oma]

I read it and watched the film didn't like either im afraid

[herriotfan]

If you're not enjoying it don't bother......life is too short to waste on forcing oneself to do something that one doesn't enjoy and has no necessity to do!!
Read a book that grabs your interest from the word go. Much more productive

[Gemini]

Well said HF

[aggie]

I have read all Jane Austin and enjoyed them , but they do move slowly . A friend had never read a book in her life and I gave her a Maeve Binchy , she now devours books . I have set myself to read Dickens and got on ok but Pickwick papers defeated me . In other words not all books are equal , if you don't enjoy it leave it and find something more to your taste . I like Alexander Mc Caul Smith , his books about Edinburgh , nothing happens in them , then I discovered the kindle , got into the series about Egypt by Elizabeth Peters . books don't need to be "worthy" they need to be enjoyable

[Daisy]

Ladies, thank you - you've given me permission to dump Emma!!!! I shall go on to the appropriate website tonight and choose (or 'chuse' in Emma parlance) something more to my taste and officially abandon my NYR!

HF - you're right, but I thought I ought to try. Plant - Dickens is far more readable, esepcially when it's backed up with a really well-produced film version! But I haven't read NN - so there's a starter. Aggie - I've loved all Maeve Binchy's books, she was a great storyteller who made it look effortless.

Bye, bye Emma and Miss Harriet Smith!

[Clover]

I was having a bash at "Pride and Prejudice"but have lost interest. Any encouragement would be welcome if it's worth it.
Daisy we officially release you from your NYR as you did try!

[Gemini]

I have recently re read David Copperfield, my favourite Dickens novel. Always worth reading

[Bizzy Lizzy]

There are many boring and downright unpleasant things which we HAVE to do in life and reading books that give no pleasure should be a definite 'NO' unless it is for study purposes. I think reading should be fun, escapism when you have a head full of problems, a method of achieving freedom from mundane anxieties and a lovely way to spend an hour on a hot afternoon. Give it up Daisy and get back to a good page-turner.

[Guest]

Daisy, Daisy, please, please don't give up on Jane. Start with Pride and Prejudice and go into Persuasion.

You need a long summer's afternoon, a glass of something and no tasks waiting. Enjoy the social commentary and put your feminist specs on. She is such a subtle commentator

[Nanto2girls]

I've never read a Jane Austen book, they have never appealed to me.Read a couple of Charles Dickens when I was younger.I never read books at all now.