Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The First Book I've "Kindled" - Book #104 for 2009

The first book I've read on my Kindle is Sense and Sensibility.   I enjoyed the experience of using the Kindle.  I especially found it easier to get comfortable reading in bed with the device than with the actual book.   I think my only "complaint" about the Kindle was not having the ability to see how far I'd read or how much further I had til the end --- you do lose that piece of seeing the pages stack up on the "read" side of the book and diminish on the "to read' side.   My other "complaint" with the Kindle is the spottiness of the wireless coverage in my rural area.  I get only 1 bar at home.  I do go to the pool at our local Wellness Center 3-4 times a week, and the coverage there is better (3 bars) so that's probably where I will do most of my downloads.    Now I will go back to the usual reading experience to read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters which Elder Son bought me for Christmas!

Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I got Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters as a Christmas gift.  Because I don't think I ever read the original, or if I have, it's been so long that I don't remember it, I decided to read Sense and Sensibility first.  This is definitely not Jane Austen at her best.  Her characters all have potential, but it's unrealized potential.  None of them came across as being fully developed, and the whole novel felt too passive.  The "rightness" of the final marriages didn't ring true enough for me; I didn't feel the connection between Edward and Elinor was strong enough. And there was never enough interaction between Marianne and Colonel Brandon to make that connection feel right either.  I am looking forward to seeing how the novel plays out in its new incarnation!

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree. I don't think S & S is in any way as good as Pride and Prejudice. However, the movie is quite good, probably because the characters are strengthened somewhat. I've always wondered if Jane, after having P&P rejected so many times, was trying to write more toned down and superficially in order to find a market. I'm not enough of a Janeite to know if there are any letters that address the subject.

Unknown said...

The movie is good because Alan Rickman makes Colonel Brandon irresistible...and then it all makes sense in the end. :-)