Book review
With this book Jane Austin made her entry into British literature, an entry that, as we know, made a very strong impression at that time. Of course this was no accident at all, as it tells one of the most beautiful stories ever written, a story full of sense and sensitivity.
This story concerns two sisters who have a completely different perception of life. The first one, the older, lives on the basis of logic, calculates every act, observes her behavior by hiding her feelings, treats situations calmly, and objectively judges people weighing their pros and cons. The other, the younger and most sensitive, lives with emotion, always reacts spontaneously without much thinking, has strong emotional reactions and judges people based on the first subjective impressions.
At the beginning of our story, the two sisters fall in love and as expected have completely different reactions. The older thinks coolly, objectively analyzes the spiritual gifts of her beloved, judges his weaknesses and tries to understand his feelings for her doubting If it’s more than friendly. The younger one carried away by her feelings, she finds her lover perfect, she is totally convinced that he feels the same emotions and she is sure she lives the great love that only once comes to everyone’s life. In the process, however, they will understand through difficult experiences both – especially the smallest – that things are not so and that the ideal road to happiness is somewhere in the middle. But that does not change is the relationship between them that overflows with tenderness which the author describes in the most emotional way.
All this happens with the background of the life of the gentry, which the writer criticizes and satires without mercy with her unique way of writing. Its main target are the ladies who have nothing more to do than to gossip and mix in the lives of others, the misses who while having the means neglect their education and their only goal of their lives is to marry rich, the empty-headed men who do not deal with nothing essential, young people who care only for their well-being without regard for the consequences. In the end, however, the things that remain are the positive examples, those people who have principles and walk with them whatever the price, those people who know how to love and care for their fellow men without asking for rewards.
Of course all this is given to us by this great writer in a way that does not fit descriptions. It’s amazing this way of writing, really every phrase is enjoyable, each paragraph is perfectly structured, its whole word is running smoothly like water. It is be unique the way that goes from humor to emotion, from social critique to human emotions, in a few lines. This writing in the end is giving the greatest value to this book and in combination with the ideas from her beautiful mind a masterpiece is created that rightfully holds a place in the best books ever written.
- Goodreads rating – 4.08
- REVIEW – Sotiris Karaiskos