Emma / Pride and Prejudice / Sense and Sensibility

Three of Jane Austen's classic novels are combined in this lovely edition. Pride and Prejudice is a true classic and I have enjoyed it over and over since receiving the book. Sense and Sensibility was a harder sell for me. I did not find the characters terribly interesting and finishing it was a task because I didn't find myself caring how the story ended up. Emma is one that I have yet to manage to get through. I find her selfish, ignorant and impetuous. She is completely unsympathetic and frankly annoying. I keep the novel around, though, because it is a lovely binding and Pride and Prejudice is worth it all on its own.

It would be hard to do justice to each of the three novels included in this book in the space of one review, and all three are already reviewed individually by many readers. For me, this book is both highly worthwhile from a literary perspective as well as personally meaningful in idiosyncratic ways. I read it now (or parts of it) as a comfort read but also sometimes read it more seriously and more completely. Pride and Prejudice remains the strongest novel of the three, though during the most recent read I noticed a narrative tendency to describe conversations rather than allowing the characters to actually converse. There are times when I prefer Sense and Sensibility. I read Emma less often, but during the most recent reading found show more Mr. Woodhouse to be a well constructed character. This is a book that I will always have available and will continue to read in full or in part as long as I am able to read. show less