Emma in Love: Jane Austen's Emma Continued

Average customer rating:

Wish I could give it 0 stars

Absolute Trash!

No justice to Emma

A complete failure

Disappointed Reader

Emma in Love: Jane Austen's Emma Continued
Emma Tennant
Manufacturer: Fourth Estate Classic House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1857026632

Book Description

In writing Pemberley, the sequel to Pride and Prejudice, Emma Tennant created a new literary genre: the classic progression. Now she brings us the sequel to Emma, which finds Jane Austen's spirited heroine in the fourth year of her marriage to Mr. Knightley. Although there is harmony between them, Emma is frankly bored. Mr. Knightley is affectionate; but he is, in reality, an old friend, who has, in his own words, "lectured and blamed" the much younger Emma all her life. Knightley is no Mr. Darcy. To amuse herself, Emma decides to take up matchmaking again. But this time, she is playing for dangerously high stakes. Emma Tennant is the author of the acclaimed novels Wild Nights, Woman Beware Woman, and Black Marina. Her sequels include Pemberley, Tess, An Unequal Marriage, and Elinor and Marianne.

Customer Reviews:

Wish I could give it 0 stars.......2004-07-26

Tennant writes: Mrs. Elton, like a shark that waits in waters bloodied by a fall, swam up with her repeated offer of an excellent situation for Jane. Need I say more? What ever possessed Tennant to think this gory word picture would bring to mind the beautifully restrained writings of Jane Austen? Austen's polite restraint and gentle humor are only a few of the reasons she can deal so effectively with the controversial topics of her times. While this book wrestles with controversial topics, it is done without finesse, beauty or regard for Austen's original character development. What passes for wit in this book comes across as mocking Austen's characters and style. I wanted to like this book but wound up hating it.

Absolute Trash!.......2004-06-24

If you love "Emma" as much as I do and you really want to read some more, try "Jane Fairfax" by Joan Aiken - it's so much better than "Emma in Love"! I felt like Emma Tennant polluted all the characters I grew to love in the original. Truly bad!

No justice to Emma.......2003-04-19

Emma Tenant has managed to completely regress every single character that grew in character in Austen's Emma. The writing and the use of the English language leads you to wonder if Ms. Tennant actually READ Emma or anything by Austen before beginning her tale.

It is unclear to me how anyone could take the liberties she has taken with this story and introduced shuch lewdness. The things that are introduced in the story would certainly be more suited for trashy dime store romance novels.

It makes me wish there was a rating less than one star.

A complete failure.......2003-04-14

I have heard many fellow online Pemberlians speak with loathing of Emma Tennant and her novels....but naturally I was curious to check things out for myself.

I must admit, it is as bad and far more than everything I have heard. Nearly every aspect of this novel is atrocious, and a true Jane Austen fan will detest every page of it. If you are not an avid reader of Austen novels, you may tolerate it, or at least not feel such a revulsion; but in that case, the plot and characters will simply be confusing, not to mention completely uninteresing.

Tennant takes the delicious, intriguing characters in Jane Austen's "Emma" and turns them into horribly twisted, shallow, misguided, and unappealing cardboard cutouts. The motivations and representations of our dear Emma, Mr. Knightley, etc., as mentioned in other reviews, is skewed as far as is humanly possible; if this were a parody, perhaps this could be acceptable, but it is not, and the novel takes itself far too seriously and inaccurately to be enjoyable in any way, shape, or form, either as an Austen sequel or parody.

Plotwise, "Emma in Love" is hackneyed and boring, taking liberties with events that certainly would never have happened in a lifetime of Austen stories. The writing is equally bad - about on par with ... romance novels that come a dime a dozen. This is certainly no kin whatsoever to the Jane Austen I know, and the witty and engaging Regency author does not deserve such a degrading and trashy "sequel." Far from being adventurous, "Emma in Love" treads overtrodden ground as simply a twisted romance novel, and comes close to desecrating a classic author's grave (to use a melodramatization worthy of the Austen heroine Catherine Morland). Rereading the original will do you a world of good, especially to cleanse the mind from dreck such as this.

Disappointed Reader.......2001-10-19

I found "Emma in Love" to be extremely disappointing! Mr. Knightley is an old fogy, his brother is churlish, Jane Fairfax is even more of a non-entity than in Jane Austen's "Emma", Mr. Churchill is back to being a cad, and Emma herself is unconvincing and has lost her confidence. The story is choppy and disjointed and has overtones of homosexuality. Ms. Tennant does get an accurate conversational style and has the ability, I think, to write some really good "imitation-Austen". But the overall idea and the plot left a lot to be desired!

Emma in Love: Jane Austen's Emma Continued

Average customer rating:

Emma in Love: Jane Austen's Emma Continued

Manufacturer: Fourth Estate Classic House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HI67GQ

Book Description

Khelben Arunsun, Chosen of Mystra, Archmage of Waterdeep, is as close to a demigod as you're likely to meet on the streets of Faerûn's mightiest city. But when the skies rain lightning and a long-forgotten city arises from the earth, he can seem like just another wizard.

Customer Reviews:

A good read.......2007-07-28

I think what I liked most about this book was the LACK of the bizaare, unique, characters that have been so prevelant of late in Forgotten realms books. No half golem humans, dragons that spend that the bulk of their time in human form, or exiled goliaths. Good old basic half elf wizard apprentice, her familiar, a human thief and of course a few Chosen of Mystra.

The story flows well at a steady pace. A couple minor editing errors, the worst of which was a paragraph that was printed twice.

It was nice to see another author's take on the Blackstaff. Mr. Schend did an excellent job, I think, of expanding this character without radically changing anything that previous authors have done with him.

Disappointing.......2007-04-12

The Blackstaff seemed like a hollow character.... only retained his good humor. Had difficulty in staying with the story line. Currently reading the other books in this series and they seem far better.

I Got It.......2007-03-26

Perhaps, because I tend to judge it on its own merits than comparing it to other things I have read. The Moonshaes Trilogy was crap, boring and tedious, IMHO. This, the first of the Wizard series, was not.

I liked Khelben since the first time I read of him in the Avatar trilogy, lo those many years ago. He intrigued me. More than Elminster ever has. As one of Mystra's chosen, I wanted to understand him and see where he stood in the overall gist of the Forgotten Realms. To be honest, I still don't know, but I do understand HIM better.

First off, Khelben has always been listed as a human in the character guides. He's actually helf-elf. He's lived much longer than we knew, and most of his long life has been in preparation of this one story. The one thing that does fry my eggs is that I'm really not sure where the end of this story leaves Faerun. Is his apprentice the New Blackstaff? Will she become a Chosen? I want more information!

Another thing I noticed about this series is that they all take place in the same year in geographically diverse places in Faerun, but they all seem to appear to involve some ancient empire returning to the surface. It was the only thing I could see that tied them all together.

Very Bad.......2007-03-19

Again, we see a novel written by a game-designer-wannabe-novelist, and again we see a difference between those two professions (notable exception being Richard Baker). Wizards of the Coast publishing decided to give some new names a shot with their series of stand alone novels named "Rogues", "Fighters", "Priests" and "Wizards", respectively, and I can say some very bright new stars emerged after that move, Erik Scott de Bie and Kameron Franklin among them. However, there were two total fiascos, "Lady of Poison" by Bruce Cordell, and this book by Steven E. Schend (although I feel obliged to say that this book is nowhere nearly as bad as Cordell's).

First, I'll say something about the few things I liked about this book. There is a good story in this book, if you succeed and decipher the entire hodgepodge the author throws at you. Besides that, the book is loaded with realms lore, but again, it is presented in a bleak and uninteresting way.

Writing style can't be called amateurish, but it is unimaginative, dull and tiring. The flow of the book is totally disrupted, never allowing the reader to get into it. Numerous characters are all the same, differentiated only by brief physical description, race, name and gender.

This book is all wrong. Avoid it.

Damnit! Why'd you do that??.......2007-03-07

4 stars for the writing. 0 stars for the story's end result.

The book's certainly not an easy read. I found myself flipping back and forth quite a bit to understand earlier parts of the book and discerning their significance. It's a complex but enjoyable read.

Author doesn't fill in all the details, and there's a lot that left dangling, but you can only do so much in a single book.

My biggest complaint however is leveled towards the WofC and whoever's in charge of the Forgotten Realms series. I've read this series since Waterdeep and followed the franchise since I was a kid. Why the hell would you kill off one of the best (and my favorite) characters in the series? Wasn't Azoun enough a few years back?

Khelben's been there from the beginning, and has always stuck in my mind since making an appearance in the Eye of Beholder games. It would be shallow to kill him off and suddenly resurrect him in a later story, as well.

To the WotC and Greenwood, stop recycling Salvatore's crap, write some more stories, invent some new arcs, and stop killing off favorites. You've pushed your loyal audience to the very edge of quitting.

Average customer rating:

Other Books

So good, so sad...

Elfsorrow: Legends of the Raven
James Barclay
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Noonshade (Gollancz)

Dawnthief (Gollancz)

ASIN: 0575073292

Book Description

Barclay's Dawnthief was a huge bestseller. Now, this master of fantasy is back with another action-packed adventure featuring the Raven, a band of mercenaries consisting of six men and one elf. The rivalry between the four colleges of magic in the land of Balaia has done nothing but bring misery to the citizens. Now, the elves are dying by the thousands, struck down by a terrible and mysterious affliction. Ilkar, one of the Raven, knows he is in a unique position to discover the cause of the suffering and stop it. Over many years the group's prowess and sheer lethality have become legendary. But, even heroes, like elves, are mortal.

Customer Reviews:

Other Books.......2007-09-03

Too many elves are annoying, sure, but killing them all is just a tad extreme.

Barclay writes an entertaining sort of fantasy, and despite the horrendously cheesy title this is more of a Western or even jungle action tale in this book, as an all-out war has started between the colleges of magic, and some elven artifacts are desired by the most powerful of them. This leads the Raven into an action packed and deadly confrontation to try and prevent the death of a lot of pointy ears, including one of their own. Jungle wartime, it is.

So good, so sad..........2004-01-02

Wow!

I'm a 20 year old security guard so I'm no wimp, but I was seriously almost in tears at the end.

Read it, and you'll know why...

Awesome series.

P.S. Does anyone know anything about Shaun Hicks and his fantasy book "Army of five men"?... email me if you do

Average customer rating:

Great Book if you're pressed for time.

Cooking Light Super Fast Suppers

nice everyday ideas for beginners!

So great I bought it for a friend

Super Fast Dinners from Cooking Light

Cooking Light Superfast Suppers: Speedy Solutions for Dinner Dilemmas (Cooking Light)

Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0848726286

Book Description

In a world that makes ever-increasing demands on people's time, Superfast Suppers is indeed a lifesaver. Innovative recipes with carefully calculated ingredients (never more than 10), and attenuated prep times (not longer than 20 minutes), get cooks in and out of the kitchen in record time to put delicious meals on the table. Clever and always quick, Superfast Suppers will revolutionize your cooking with no loss of nutrition and no compromise in taste. Especially notable are the 20 recipes with less than 10 minutes of prep time, the 10 slow-cooker dinners and the 25 'Deadline Desserts' which require only 15 minutes from beginning to 'yum!' Finally, this book boasts the unique 'Have It Your Way' chapter that lets everyone create their own special meal from one basic item and a plethora of toppings. Any way you slice it, Superfast Suppers is a must-have for today's families on the go.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book if you're pressed for time........2007-05-14

I usually flip through the book as soon as I get home from work. This book is great because I can always find something to make for which I have all the ingredients; I just need a bit of inspiration. I've even given the book to gfs who are moving out on their own and need a "no excuses" yummy and quick cookbook.

Cooking Light Super Fast Suppers.......2007-04-12

Great cookbook for the busy person who wants to cook healthy and fast food.

nice everyday ideas for beginners!.......2007-04-04

this was one of the 1st cookbooks i bought, and i used it a lot then.

cons:
like many cooking light cookbooks, some recipes use prepackaged, precooked and/or processed foods. i found once i knew what i was doing a bit better i could substitute fresh ingredients where necessary. (examples: frozen cooked chicken, frozen mashed potatoes, commercial pesto, frozen beef stew, etc.) i originally purchased this & began cooking out of necessity, so it was o.k., but now i don't like it as much for this reason.

there is a section of side dishes in the back of the book, but it doesn't contain the great majority which are dispersed along side most of the entrees. while convenient at the time, it makes finding them again a pain.

the serving sizes are small!

pros:
the recipes are good, easy, and guide you through with a chronological supper plan, including serving suggestions.

there's even a good french toast recipe, despite the "supper" title, rationalized by breakfast for supper. =D

i am usually cooking for 2, and while this cookbook is not entirely geared for 2, it does have a nice little section for just that, and the other recipes are not overwhelmingly large.

So great I bought it for a friend.......2007-03-16

This book is wonderful. The meals have minimal ingredients and require minimal time to prepare and cook. Many times with meals like this they lack flavor. That is not a problem with these recipes. As a mom, I love the "On Hand" section. In this section they give you 20 ingredients to keep on hand. With these you can make 20 different meals. I really have enjoyed it.

Super Fast Dinners from Cooking Light.......2007-02-25

All very good recipes, easy to make, and (best of all) super fast! I have a toddler, so it's hard to cook like I did pre-baby. These dinners are all good and quick, so we feel like we're not just eating a steady diet of frozen pizza! The 5 ingredients, 15 minute Cooking Light Cookbook is also excellent!

Average customer rating:
Rhone Valley: The 90 Greatest Wines (Grandeur Nature Collection)
Hachette Livre
Manufacturer: Hachette Livre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Wine & Winemaking | Wine | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 2851205684

Average customer rating:
The Hornby Companion Series. The Meccano Magazine 1916-1981. Vol. 7
Joseph Manduca
Manufacturer: New Cavendish Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLR986

Average customer rating:
The Meccano magazine 1916-1981 / [compiled by] Joseph Manduca
Joseph Manduca
Manufacturer: London : New Cavendish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VSYNP4

Average customer rating:

Excellent book!!

Should be called comprehensive guide to quality sewing methods

The Complete Book Of Sewing Short Cuts by Claire Schaeffer

Misleading title, but a good book nonetheless

Not such a good book

The Complete Book Of Sewing Shortcuts
Claire Schaeffer
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fashion | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Sewing | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide (Creative Machine Arts)

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Couture Sewing Techniques

How to Make Sewing Patterns

Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing

ASIN: 0806975644

Book Description

“An excellent compilation of sewing techniques and the tricks of the trade of the fashion industry.”—Library Journal. “A great find.”—Whole Earth Catalog. “Recommended for both beginning and intermediate-level sewers.”—1400 Best How-To Books, Bowker.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book!!.......2005-10-31

I wonder why such a great book is given bad reviews.

This book is a book of comparisons of all sewing methods possible for a single technique. It shows you the normal way and also how the professionals do without criticizing 'one is better than the other'. Which technique works for me might not work for somebody else. It is a matter of personal preference and way of sewing and also, the skill level.

If you are looking for a step by step beginner book, then go for New Complete Guide to Sewing by Reader's Digest. It is excellent and very comprehensive. But if you are looking for the different methods to do a collar or zippers or any other technique, to figure out what works for you, then THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!

Should be called comprehensive guide to quality sewing methods.......2005-10-16

I think the title of this book was not well chosen, but the information within definitely was. I am an experienced old school dressmaker, and have read many sewing books. This book goes far beyond most others in giving a wealth of information on creating a quality sewn product. The emphasis is on garment sewing, but the methods in the book can be applied to other kinds of sewing as well. The author divides the book into sections on different aspects of sewing, such as seam finishes, buttonholes, linings, etc. and then includes many different options for accomplishing a specific sewing task. Each is briefly and (for the most part) clearly explained. The book doesn't have a lot of eye appeal, as it is not on glossy paper and has no photographs. However, the simple line drawings do the job, and the text is concise and to the point. Readers who are looking for a guide to sewing with a serger will find little information here, but those who want to learn how to use a regular machine to its greatest potential have come to the right place.

The thing I like best about this book is that the author doesn't lay down rigid rules. Sewing is an art, not a science, so there is plenty of scope for independent thinking. The book shows that there is always more than one way of accomplishing a task, and gives the pros and cons of each method. Readers can try them out and decide which approach makes the most sense in their own situation. The book will give anyone who sews, or who would like to learn, the information they need to customize their sewing for a quality result.

The Complete Book Of Sewing Short Cuts by Claire Schaeffer.......2005-09-01

I bought this book in hardcover at a Bargain rate just because I have been so plesed with purchases of her other more recently published books. I found it to be very informative. Methods are not always a very quick technique, but all are very good and sometimes a good technique is the quickest way to a desirable outcome. I taught Sewing in Home Economics classes for a number of years and this would have been a very good book to have had available for students of all levels. I would reccomend it as well as her other great books.

Misleading title, but a good book nonetheless.......2004-08-24

You can tell that this was one of Ms. Schaeffer's early efforts; it doesn't have the writing panache of her recent books, and it is not lavishly photographed (the illustrations are all black-and-white drawings reminiscent of pattern guidesheet pictures). It is also not a book of "sewing shortcuts", if I had to guess I'd wager that her publisher or someone else railroaded her into naming it that. There's a word or two about how pullover dresses are easier to make than those with zippers or buttons (duh), and the some good, quick cutting advice but shortcuts it is not. The back jacket information is also heartily misleading on that score. What the book IS, though, is a good, basic-to-advanced, every-technique-listed guide to sewing methods. Want to know what kind of seam finish you need for a particular fabric or effect? She'll tell you. Some facing ideas? Ways to duplicate the appearence of designer or ready-to-wear finishes? Fastening methods? In there too. This book is MUCH more thorough (and much more clipped and concise in style) than either her "Couture Sewing" or "High Fashion Sewing Secrets". I got my copy used, for a complete bargain, especially considering how useful it is. I'd rather have a library of material within one book on my sewing shelf than many pretty books I don't use. Sure, the book is more than 20 years old, but basic machine techniques and hand sewing don't change (especially for those of us who can't afford fancy machines).

I've given it four stars, since the title and the content have little relation to one another. I'd give it five stars for just the content, though. I took the book out of the public library before I bought it, so I knew what I was getting into. Had I purchased it on the title alone, I might have been disappointed.

Not such a good book.......2004-04-29

I guess back in 1981 this book was a good reference, but sewing has changed. This book addresses none of this new stuff. First, there are fancy new notions now that make sewing faster and easier. Second, sergers are now in the home market. And lastly, color photos (although they existed then) are now in MOST good sewing books and readily available. This book is outdated and I am sorry I bought it. (Thank goodness used for only a few bucks. You get what you pay for.)

The author's techniques are not shortcuts, but are the standard in sewing techniques. Nothing new here. The book is filled with illustrations, although most sewing techniques described do not have an accompanying drawing.

Amazon.com

Luscious photographs and a large, color-filled format make this volume instantly appealing. Open to almost any page at random and you'll be greeted by an innovative and often quirky home-decorating idea. The good step-by-step instructions and plethora of photos make the easy projects even easier, as do shortcuts like using interesting blankets or beach mats for window treatments; personalizing store-bought items like napkins or lamps with your own embellishments; or using such inexpensive and readily available supplies as muslin (curtains, canopies), discarded containers, or rope (wound around chair frames, headboards, lamps, and odd-shaped bottles). Some items are a bit more traditional (a wooden chair swathed in yards of organza, a small bench with purchased carved-wood accents, a chintz-covered headboard), but many are on the decidedly funky side: chairs covered in AstroTurf, space-age fabric, fake fur, rush brooms, and bamboo stalks (the "Polynesian throne"), or made entirely of cardboard; light fixtures bedecked with plastic baubles, raffia, or tiny fabric birds; a window drenched in layers of pink tulle and a feather boa. Kitsch it may be, but it is kitsch well done, with an energy and tastefulness all its own. --Amy Handy

Book Description

If you are short on time, have a limited budget, and more imagination than skill, this book provides over 100 fabulous solutions for instant, affordable and long-lasting decorating ideas.

Customer Reviews:

sux.......1999-03-19

this book sux compared to other decorating books i have read DONT GET IT

Instant Decorating: Innovative Interiors with Impact - 100 Sensational Effects That You Can Achieve in a Weekend

Average customer rating:

Instant Decorating: Innovative Interiors with Impact - 100 Sensational Effects That You Can Achieve in a Weekend

Manufacturer: Hermes House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQP0FI

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