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Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche
8.0
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Book
A young girl who is empowered, capable, and smart...the Enola Holmes book series convey an impactful...
Final Challenge
7.0
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Final Challenge is a party game so packed with action it does not have to pose as a drinking game!...
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Oct 27, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
The movie starts Halloween in the 1960s, and a group of teens are planning a trick or treat prank on the jocks in their school. It's just the classic poo in a bag but the jocks get mad and chase them in to a drive in movie, where the teens jump into a young lads car to hide. This lad tells the jocks to basically do one and saves the teens from being pulverised.
As a thank you, the teens invite the young lad to a haunted house with them. They have a look around and start to see strange things, such as an old lady and a dog. After a terrifying ordeal the teens escape and go home. One of them, Stella, had found a book of scary stories in the house which she takes home with her. Stella begins to read the book, and as she reads the scene moves to Tommy (one of jocks) and shows that what she is reading is coming true. When Stella realises this, she takes the book back to the haunted House, however it is not that easy as the book reappears in her bedroom and begins writing another story, only this time it's about her friend August.
The teens decide they must find a way to stop it before the book takes the rest of the group.
I found the start of the movie very slow paced, but once the book comes into it, it moves at a more decent pace and I started to enjoy it, I even looked forward to sei g who the book took next and how.
Word of warning, if you don't like spiders you won't like Ruth's story, I had to look away a lot during that scene. Chucks story started creepy until it showed what was after him, and it just looked ridiculous, I honestly couldn't help but laugh! And Ramones story was also pretty laughable, it made me wonder if it was meant to be a comedy. Sadly from that point I couldn't take it seriously any more.
As a thank you, the teens invite the young lad to a haunted house with them. They have a look around and start to see strange things, such as an old lady and a dog. After a terrifying ordeal the teens escape and go home. One of them, Stella, had found a book of scary stories in the house which she takes home with her. Stella begins to read the book, and as she reads the scene moves to Tommy (one of jocks) and shows that what she is reading is coming true. When Stella realises this, she takes the book back to the haunted House, however it is not that easy as the book reappears in her bedroom and begins writing another story, only this time it's about her friend August.
The teens decide they must find a way to stop it before the book takes the rest of the group.
I found the start of the movie very slow paced, but once the book comes into it, it moves at a more decent pace and I started to enjoy it, I even looked forward to sei g who the book took next and how.
Word of warning, if you don't like spiders you won't like Ruth's story, I had to look away a lot during that scene. Chucks story started creepy until it showed what was after him, and it just looked ridiculous, I honestly couldn't help but laugh! And Ramones story was also pretty laughable, it made me wonder if it was meant to be a comedy. Sadly from that point I couldn't take it seriously any more.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Die For Me (Killing Eve #3) in Books
Jan 20, 2022
As with the previous book, we pick up exactly where we left off with Eve and Villanelle. On the run and trying to stay undetected, Villanelle takes Eve to her country of birth in a shipping container, and when they land in Russia it is far from smooth.
We follow Eve and Villanelle as they try to remain hidden from the Twelve’s all seeing eyes while trying to figure out what their next move should be. I really started to hope and wonder if they could manage to start a new and happy life together as things seemed to slot into place. But, obviously, things were never going to be that simple when it came to these characters. Throughout this book, Eve starts to become more and more like Villanelle, probably because she is in survival mode, the only difference being that she does feel some guilt over what is happening. I sort of saw the twist at the end of the book coming, but also didn’t want to believe that it would happen as I wanted everything to work out nicely for them.
This book, unlike the others, is all written from Eve’s point of view. This means that we get a lot more insight into Eve’s feelings and her struggle to understand Villanelle and her behaviours towards her. You can see that Eve loves Villanelle despite everything while Villanelle seems to behave in ways that will intentionally hurt Eve and then uses her diagnosis as a psychopath to excuse her behaviour. The good thing is that Eve repeatedly tells her that she can’t use it as an excuse, but at the same time she still lets Villanelle get away with the behaviour.
Overall, I would give this final instalment 4.5 stars as I really enjoyed it and didn’t put it down until I had read the very last word. I wish that there were more books coming as I have found this series really good reads (despite them being about a psychopath assassin!) and although I love them, I think the TV series is a great adaptation of them, even if they have gone in slightly different directions. I will miss Eve and Villanelle immensely now that I have finished the series.
We follow Eve and Villanelle as they try to remain hidden from the Twelve’s all seeing eyes while trying to figure out what their next move should be. I really started to hope and wonder if they could manage to start a new and happy life together as things seemed to slot into place. But, obviously, things were never going to be that simple when it came to these characters. Throughout this book, Eve starts to become more and more like Villanelle, probably because she is in survival mode, the only difference being that she does feel some guilt over what is happening. I sort of saw the twist at the end of the book coming, but also didn’t want to believe that it would happen as I wanted everything to work out nicely for them.
This book, unlike the others, is all written from Eve’s point of view. This means that we get a lot more insight into Eve’s feelings and her struggle to understand Villanelle and her behaviours towards her. You can see that Eve loves Villanelle despite everything while Villanelle seems to behave in ways that will intentionally hurt Eve and then uses her diagnosis as a psychopath to excuse her behaviour. The good thing is that Eve repeatedly tells her that she can’t use it as an excuse, but at the same time she still lets Villanelle get away with the behaviour.
Overall, I would give this final instalment 4.5 stars as I really enjoyed it and didn’t put it down until I had read the very last word. I wish that there were more books coming as I have found this series really good reads (despite them being about a psychopath assassin!) and although I love them, I think the TV series is a great adaptation of them, even if they have gone in slightly different directions. I will miss Eve and Villanelle immensely now that I have finished the series.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Other Side of Mrs Wood in Books
Aug 15, 2023
I’ve read a couple of books recently with mediums front and centre, and I really enjoyed The Other Side of Mrs Wood.
Mrs Violet Wood is one of the best known mediums in London, if not the whole country. People come to her for solace and pure entertainment, and the local Mediums meet up regularly to practice their skills on one another. Feeling her age (bearing in mind she’s not 40 yet - and this really got my goat, if I’m completely honest!), Mrs Wood agrees to take on an apprentice who has been standing outside her seances, hoping to be noticed. Emmie Finch is a very keen pupil. Or is she?
We all know that seances are pure showmanship, and highly unlikely to actually make contact with the dead, but these women really believe what they’re doing - even as they set up the room to cheat those who were paying for their services. The seances where the mediums are there on their own would make anyone think that they believed 100% in what they were doing. Clearly they had their own moral codes, and no one appeared to be cheated out of money (but if you have someone paying you regularly for work that isn’t genuine, are you cheating them?!).
I did feel for Mrs Wood as she was pushed out of her position by the upstart Emmie, and could understand how she worried about losing her livelihood and her house. Mrs Wood descends into a bad place and pushes all of her friends away for a time. This seems out of character, but she’s being pushed to her limit. She doesn’t have the backstop of a husband to save her if everything goes wrong. Self-sufficient women of means were probably few and far between at this time, and if you lost everything it was a long fall.
I read this with The Pigeonhole, who again helped me with my NetGalley reads (I do like reading along with everyone else on there, it really adds a different perspective to the books I read). Many thanks to the author, Lucy Barker, Fourth Estate and to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fascinating book.
Mrs Violet Wood is one of the best known mediums in London, if not the whole country. People come to her for solace and pure entertainment, and the local Mediums meet up regularly to practice their skills on one another. Feeling her age (bearing in mind she’s not 40 yet - and this really got my goat, if I’m completely honest!), Mrs Wood agrees to take on an apprentice who has been standing outside her seances, hoping to be noticed. Emmie Finch is a very keen pupil. Or is she?
We all know that seances are pure showmanship, and highly unlikely to actually make contact with the dead, but these women really believe what they’re doing - even as they set up the room to cheat those who were paying for their services. The seances where the mediums are there on their own would make anyone think that they believed 100% in what they were doing. Clearly they had their own moral codes, and no one appeared to be cheated out of money (but if you have someone paying you regularly for work that isn’t genuine, are you cheating them?!).
I did feel for Mrs Wood as she was pushed out of her position by the upstart Emmie, and could understand how she worried about losing her livelihood and her house. Mrs Wood descends into a bad place and pushes all of her friends away for a time. This seems out of character, but she’s being pushed to her limit. She doesn’t have the backstop of a husband to save her if everything goes wrong. Self-sufficient women of means were probably few and far between at this time, and if you lost everything it was a long fall.
I read this with The Pigeonhole, who again helped me with my NetGalley reads (I do like reading along with everyone else on there, it really adds a different perspective to the books I read). Many thanks to the author, Lucy Barker, Fourth Estate and to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fascinating book.
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Attachments in Books
Nov 16, 2017
Unconventional Romance (3 more)
Read Life Issues
Movie/Book References
Friendships
Love at First...E-mail?
I've seen some low scored reviews for this book on GR and I realized it may keep some people from reading it, but here are some points I think some should consider before not giving Attachments a chance:
1. This is Rainbow Rowell's first published novel, so of course for some it doesn't hold the magic like Eleanor & Park. Keep in mind many first books never hold against later published works, but are still good or why would the author be allowed to continue?
2. Even though it was published in 2011, it is based in 1999/2000 for plot reasons as to why Lincoln would have his job. This may offset some readers who might not realize how different 1999 is to 2017 Internet use wise for jobs.
3. The lack of reading into who and why the characters are as they are. In a way, it is the adult version of Fangirl, expect the roles are flipped a tad bit.
Anyway, I loved Attachments because it stayed true to Rowell's style, yet it felt raw compared to how she writes now. There is the unconventional love story of a man falling in love with a woman through the e-mails he reads as part of his job to ensure people are working and not nonsense while on the job. There's characters of all sorts with real world problems and real life flaws. There are topics covered of overbearing mothers and mothers who are too cruel both because of their own life. There is men who never want to be tied down, yet one does due to advice and the right woman. The book covers pieces life without taking from the plot whatsoever.
Lincoln O'Neil is a 28-year-old who could have been a successful man with a normal day shift job if a break up had not left him shattered nine years before. Maybe also if his mother had not coddled him, even though she clearly meant well as it is clear him and his sister, Eve, might have been her whole life. Yet we would not have the awkward, shy man working a the swing shift in the IT office as a "security officer" fixing computers in his spare time when he isn't reading through e-mails that come up flagged in the Webfence program. Apparently the security part was ensuring no one at the newspaper office was using the Internet to look at porn, gamble, or idle chit chat instead of working. Not quite was Lincoln had pictured and he doesn't enjoy reading people's exchanges, but the money is good and will grant him the chance to move out his mom's sooner rather than later.
His mundane routine and nothingness during his shift is filled with some enjoyment as Lincoln reads the e-mails flagged from Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder. There is nothing harmful. Innocent discussions of water cooler talk, life, relationships, and gossip. As much as he knows it is wrong to continue to read their messages about their lives without flagging them as he would anyone else Lincoln cannot help but to get a kick out of the e-mails.
However it soon becomes apparent Lincoln has fallen for Beth despite the fact he has no idea what she looks like or who is she outside of work. Not to mention she has a boyfriend, Chris, who even though she may rant about to Jennifer, she obviously has not intent on breaking ties with. Not for someone like Lincoln anyway. So he spends his time in turmoil trying to decide if a new job is in order, going back to college, or finding a woman to focus his attention on (which are the very things he tries to do). He even tries to ignore the e-mails, yet can't. He cannot help, but feel for Jennifer's worry over having a baby even though her husband wants one. He cannot help, but captivated by their friendship. He cannot help his feelings for Beth for who she is.
It doesn't help Beth has spotted him labeling him as "A Cute Guy" when he never realized she was around. It is like a game of cat and mouse between them then. Beth still unaware he is reading her e-mails. Lincoln unaware of how often she is close to him even when she is going out of her way to find him.
Thus a budding romance is born. But how much of a romance can it be when Beth has Chris and Lincoln can barely look a woman in the eyes?
1. This is Rainbow Rowell's first published novel, so of course for some it doesn't hold the magic like Eleanor & Park. Keep in mind many first books never hold against later published works, but are still good or why would the author be allowed to continue?
2. Even though it was published in 2011, it is based in 1999/2000 for plot reasons as to why Lincoln would have his job. This may offset some readers who might not realize how different 1999 is to 2017 Internet use wise for jobs.
3. The lack of reading into who and why the characters are as they are. In a way, it is the adult version of Fangirl, expect the roles are flipped a tad bit.
Anyway, I loved Attachments because it stayed true to Rowell's style, yet it felt raw compared to how she writes now. There is the unconventional love story of a man falling in love with a woman through the e-mails he reads as part of his job to ensure people are working and not nonsense while on the job. There's characters of all sorts with real world problems and real life flaws. There are topics covered of overbearing mothers and mothers who are too cruel both because of their own life. There is men who never want to be tied down, yet one does due to advice and the right woman. The book covers pieces life without taking from the plot whatsoever.
Lincoln O'Neil is a 28-year-old who could have been a successful man with a normal day shift job if a break up had not left him shattered nine years before. Maybe also if his mother had not coddled him, even though she clearly meant well as it is clear him and his sister, Eve, might have been her whole life. Yet we would not have the awkward, shy man working a the swing shift in the IT office as a "security officer" fixing computers in his spare time when he isn't reading through e-mails that come up flagged in the Webfence program. Apparently the security part was ensuring no one at the newspaper office was using the Internet to look at porn, gamble, or idle chit chat instead of working. Not quite was Lincoln had pictured and he doesn't enjoy reading people's exchanges, but the money is good and will grant him the chance to move out his mom's sooner rather than later.
His mundane routine and nothingness during his shift is filled with some enjoyment as Lincoln reads the e-mails flagged from Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder. There is nothing harmful. Innocent discussions of water cooler talk, life, relationships, and gossip. As much as he knows it is wrong to continue to read their messages about their lives without flagging them as he would anyone else Lincoln cannot help but to get a kick out of the e-mails.
However it soon becomes apparent Lincoln has fallen for Beth despite the fact he has no idea what she looks like or who is she outside of work. Not to mention she has a boyfriend, Chris, who even though she may rant about to Jennifer, she obviously has not intent on breaking ties with. Not for someone like Lincoln anyway. So he spends his time in turmoil trying to decide if a new job is in order, going back to college, or finding a woman to focus his attention on (which are the very things he tries to do). He even tries to ignore the e-mails, yet can't. He cannot help, but feel for Jennifer's worry over having a baby even though her husband wants one. He cannot help, but captivated by their friendship. He cannot help his feelings for Beth for who she is.
It doesn't help Beth has spotted him labeling him as "A Cute Guy" when he never realized she was around. It is like a game of cat and mouse between them then. Beth still unaware he is reading her e-mails. Lincoln unaware of how often she is close to him even when she is going out of her way to find him.
Thus a budding romance is born. But how much of a romance can it be when Beth has Chris and Lincoln can barely look a woman in the eyes?
Amy Christmas (171 KP) rated Norma in Books
Nov 4, 2017
I had an unexpected love for this book
To be honest I actually found myself liking this book which from the first reviews makes me odd. It isn't a book that will leave you squealing or gasping with the plot twists or have you smirking as you mutter 'called it'. In my opinion that makes the book great, because unlike other books of this genre where the reader is often lead along guessing for a while before being told exactly what's going on Norma doesn't explicitly tell the reader much meaning you actually have to price a lot of it together yourself, meaning that this book definitely has multiple reads in it. However I do think that sometimes the author should have given larger hints or explained the workings of this world in more depth.
Throughout the book we are introduced to giant handfuls of minors 2 dimensional characters that you see once and never hear of again which I felt left in some cases realism to the scenario in which norma or Marion found themselves in, But other times it completely broke the entire immersion. There are some fantastic 3 dimensional characters throughout as well that were developed early on and created good flow of interaction between characters, however, again, I feel there could have been more depth into characters like Alvar and Lambert. What were their motives? Being the biggest question, and I suppose it is assumed that money is the main motive for Lambert and acceptance for Alvar but it makes them feel flatter when they needn't be.
In saying all of that I still give it a high rating because I enjoyed it, despite some flaws in characters and a lack of depth in some areas Norma still, once it really got going, really immersed me and made me want to work out the little mystery going on. The only thing I really wish for this book is that it were longer to allow for more depth into everything, because the book was just too short for such a large world. Despite this Sofi has still done a marvellous job with Norma, and the cover is fabulous.
I would recommend and that's coming from someone who usually dislikes these kinds of books.
Throughout the book we are introduced to giant handfuls of minors 2 dimensional characters that you see once and never hear of again which I felt left in some cases realism to the scenario in which norma or Marion found themselves in, But other times it completely broke the entire immersion. There are some fantastic 3 dimensional characters throughout as well that were developed early on and created good flow of interaction between characters, however, again, I feel there could have been more depth into characters like Alvar and Lambert. What were their motives? Being the biggest question, and I suppose it is assumed that money is the main motive for Lambert and acceptance for Alvar but it makes them feel flatter when they needn't be.
In saying all of that I still give it a high rating because I enjoyed it, despite some flaws in characters and a lack of depth in some areas Norma still, once it really got going, really immersed me and made me want to work out the little mystery going on. The only thing I really wish for this book is that it were longer to allow for more depth into everything, because the book was just too short for such a large world. Despite this Sofi has still done a marvellous job with Norma, and the cover is fabulous.
I would recommend and that's coming from someone who usually dislikes these kinds of books.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Fire (The Knights of Av'lor #3) in Books
Dec 4, 2017
Fire (The Knights of Av'lor #3) by Sam Rook
Fire is the outstanding final instalment in The Knights of Av'lor series. Kate has just returned to Av'lor and has been betrayed by Garrent. He has ensnared her daughter with a necklace that controls her, and taken her to Earth. There, he tells the rest of the Knights that Av'lor has fallen, and because he has destroyed the gate, they have no way of knowing the truth or returning home. The rest of the story is how Kate, Lan, and the rest try to find a way back to Earth, to find Rachel, to stop Garrent, and hopefully return peace to their lives.
My word, I could gush about this book/series for hours!!! There is so much I could write, but I've stopped myself because I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. This #Fantasy series has a bit of everything for me - love, wit, danger, sorrow, heartbreak - it's all here. The author pulls you into their world and makes you feel. You feel their sorrow, their desperation, their determination. And when it seems like everything is about to fall down around their ears, you feel their pain. It's simply amazing.
Books one and two both ended with a cliffhanger that had me gasping. This one doesn't, but I sort of wish it had. Don't get me wrong, I hate series when they end abruptly and you are left hanging. You don't get that with this book, but it also feels completely wrapped up, and I don't know if I'm ready to let go of this world and its characters yet.
I would just like to add that I re-read Hope before I read Gate. And this time I re-read both of them before I started Fire. I wasn't bored with the re-reads, I didn't skip parts. I was as enthralled and intrigued as I was the first time I read them. I really can't recommend these books highly enough. They are excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading flow. If you want a fantasy that will take you to worlds beyond your own, then I can definitely recommend this series.
* Verified Purchase ~ November 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
My word, I could gush about this book/series for hours!!! There is so much I could write, but I've stopped myself because I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. This #Fantasy series has a bit of everything for me - love, wit, danger, sorrow, heartbreak - it's all here. The author pulls you into their world and makes you feel. You feel their sorrow, their desperation, their determination. And when it seems like everything is about to fall down around their ears, you feel their pain. It's simply amazing.
Books one and two both ended with a cliffhanger that had me gasping. This one doesn't, but I sort of wish it had. Don't get me wrong, I hate series when they end abruptly and you are left hanging. You don't get that with this book, but it also feels completely wrapped up, and I don't know if I'm ready to let go of this world and its characters yet.
I would just like to add that I re-read Hope before I read Gate. And this time I re-read both of them before I started Fire. I wasn't bored with the re-reads, I didn't skip parts. I was as enthralled and intrigued as I was the first time I read them. I really can't recommend these books highly enough. They are excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading flow. If you want a fantasy that will take you to worlds beyond your own, then I can definitely recommend this series.
* Verified Purchase ~ November 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Last Seen in Books
May 28, 2017
What a book
OMG, First book I have read by Lucy Clarke, but so not the last, Last Seen for me was a five-star experience.
So we have two friends Sarah and Isla, best friends whose lives are so interwoven it's hard to see where one starts and the other ends. Must be lovely to have a friend so close you can experience everything together and share each other's lives,
you would think?
But even the closest friendships can turn toxic when tragedy strikes as it does to these two when only one little boy returns from the sea.
as the cracks begin to show and insecurities rear their little heads, you have to ask yourself, were the splinters always there under the surface just waiting for a reason to fracture and detonate.
What happens when all that has been brushed under the carpet bubbles to the surface.
When Seven years to the day of little Marley's tragic drowning Jacob, now celebrating his seventeenth birthday, vanishes without a trace its now time for Sarah's world to implode and shatter.
This was such a good read, I loved the way the story was laid out, jumping from Sarah to Isla's perspective, I found myself jumping from one camp to the other when it came to my sympathies as we the reader are drip-fed information about each girl.
we get to see the two woman stript bare, all their flaws showing, as a friendship disintegrates before our very eyes, it's so excruciatingly addictive to watch, a train wreck derailing.
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Last seen so much, but it has to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
I was glued to this till the shocking, unexpected end.
A job well done Lucy Clarke you now have a new fan in me, I really didn't see it coming at all.
I Can't recommend this book enough, give it a go, I really don't think you will be disappointed.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of Last Seen by Lucy Clarke. This is my own unbiased opinion of this novel.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
So we have two friends Sarah and Isla, best friends whose lives are so interwoven it's hard to see where one starts and the other ends. Must be lovely to have a friend so close you can experience everything together and share each other's lives,
you would think?
But even the closest friendships can turn toxic when tragedy strikes as it does to these two when only one little boy returns from the sea.
as the cracks begin to show and insecurities rear their little heads, you have to ask yourself, were the splinters always there under the surface just waiting for a reason to fracture and detonate.
What happens when all that has been brushed under the carpet bubbles to the surface.
When Seven years to the day of little Marley's tragic drowning Jacob, now celebrating his seventeenth birthday, vanishes without a trace its now time for Sarah's world to implode and shatter.
This was such a good read, I loved the way the story was laid out, jumping from Sarah to Isla's perspective, I found myself jumping from one camp to the other when it came to my sympathies as we the reader are drip-fed information about each girl.
we get to see the two woman stript bare, all their flaws showing, as a friendship disintegrates before our very eyes, it's so excruciatingly addictive to watch, a train wreck derailing.
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Last seen so much, but it has to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
I was glued to this till the shocking, unexpected end.
A job well done Lucy Clarke you now have a new fan in me, I really didn't see it coming at all.
I Can't recommend this book enough, give it a go, I really don't think you will be disappointed.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of Last Seen by Lucy Clarke. This is my own unbiased opinion of this novel.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
The original is better
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Six bestselling authors have taken on the task of writing modern retellings of the complete works of Jane Austen. Alexander McCall Smith has successfully taken on the challenge of bringing Emma into the 21st century. Although the settings and characters remain the same the contemporary clothing, vehicles and ideas are something that the reader can relate to.
As fans of Jane Austen will already know, Emma is about rich, single Emma Woodhouse who, despite the disapproval of her good friend George Knightley, enjoys interfering in the lives of others, particularly where romance is concerned. Her meddling backfires when her plan to match her friend Harriet Smith with the boring Philip Elton has disastrous consequences.
Alexander McCall Smith’s version of Emma has more focus on the life of Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father, than the original did. He gives an account of Henry Woodhouse’s history and over emphasizes his anxieties about health and safety. Mr. Woodhouse’s concerns are constantly cropping up throughout the novel adding a little humour to the story.
One concern about this modern adaptation is that the writing style was overly formal. If it were not for the references to the current clothing fashions, motorcars and women attending university, the book could have been set during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Take, for example, the character Anne Taylor. Mr. Woodhouse hires Miss Taylor as a governess for his motherless daughters. Miss Taylor’s approach to the girls and her prim and proper use of language made her seem antiquated. She would not have looked out of place amongst other well-known governesses or nannies such as Mary Poppins or Nurse Matilda.
Occasionally it felt that Alexander McCall Smith was mocking the modern world, for example the activities of the younger generation or the way people speak. Whilst this may appeal to older readers who may disapprove of the recent developments and changes in the Western world; it alienates the teenagers and young adults who have grown up with modern technology.
There is no doubt that Alexander McCall Smith has done an excellent job at retelling such a famous novel, however to be a complete modern retelling I think everything needs to be brought into the 21st century. This would include all the characters and the style of language it is written in.
Six bestselling authors have taken on the task of writing modern retellings of the complete works of Jane Austen. Alexander McCall Smith has successfully taken on the challenge of bringing Emma into the 21st century. Although the settings and characters remain the same the contemporary clothing, vehicles and ideas are something that the reader can relate to.
As fans of Jane Austen will already know, Emma is about rich, single Emma Woodhouse who, despite the disapproval of her good friend George Knightley, enjoys interfering in the lives of others, particularly where romance is concerned. Her meddling backfires when her plan to match her friend Harriet Smith with the boring Philip Elton has disastrous consequences.
Alexander McCall Smith’s version of Emma has more focus on the life of Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father, than the original did. He gives an account of Henry Woodhouse’s history and over emphasizes his anxieties about health and safety. Mr. Woodhouse’s concerns are constantly cropping up throughout the novel adding a little humour to the story.
One concern about this modern adaptation is that the writing style was overly formal. If it were not for the references to the current clothing fashions, motorcars and women attending university, the book could have been set during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Take, for example, the character Anne Taylor. Mr. Woodhouse hires Miss Taylor as a governess for his motherless daughters. Miss Taylor’s approach to the girls and her prim and proper use of language made her seem antiquated. She would not have looked out of place amongst other well-known governesses or nannies such as Mary Poppins or Nurse Matilda.
Occasionally it felt that Alexander McCall Smith was mocking the modern world, for example the activities of the younger generation or the way people speak. Whilst this may appeal to older readers who may disapprove of the recent developments and changes in the Western world; it alienates the teenagers and young adults who have grown up with modern technology.
There is no doubt that Alexander McCall Smith has done an excellent job at retelling such a famous novel, however to be a complete modern retelling I think everything needs to be brought into the 21st century. This would include all the characters and the style of language it is written in.