Emma Brown

Emma Brown is a novel written by Clare Boylan. It is based off of a 20 page manuscript started by Charlotte Bronte, but never finished. The first two chapters of the book contain the original manuscript and the rest of the book is by Boylan.

Boylan is a talented and gifted storyteller. She is, however, a modern one. I think one could write an entire master's thesis comparing Emma Brown with Jane Eyre and Boylan to Bronte. I won't attempt to do too much of that here. Boylan attempts to have the same voice and writing style as Bronte, and succeeds fairly well, unlike the disastrous attempt titled Scarlett by Alexandria Ripley.

Emma Brown is a modern story set within the trappings of a Victorian setting. Bronte, a feminist of sorts for her time, would still be restrained by Victorian ideas of propriety and values. She talks about difficult things, but instead focuses on the characters and their development. You won't find explicit descriptions of violence. Jane Eyre is a story about a girl who is abused, neglected, and abandoned. And yet, the story shows hope and redemption.

Boylan, instead, drags you through the worst of humanity that existed in the Victorian period. Child prostitution, violence, death, domestic disputes, child abuse, abandonment. Instead of inference and mystery, she describes these things vividly and in detail. In Emma Brown, not only does Emma experience these things, but every single major (and most minor) characters. Overall, the story is rather depressing despite its positive outcome. I can't imagine Emma Brown being able to transition so easily into normal society after all of the horrible things she experiences.

I had wanted to give this book a very positive rating. But I simply can't do that. It is too depressing.

Book Rating: 3 stars for the attempt, not necessarily for the story.

Up next, Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. The last three books I have read have been despressing. I skipped ahead on the library shelf for something much more positive.

Buffalo Coat, Undue Influence, and Year of Wonders

I am reviewing three books this time around because I moved through them fairly quickly. I didn't read Buffalo Coat or Undue Influence, but read Year of Wonders in a few days.

Buffalo Coat is written by Carol Ririe Brink. The story takes place in Northern Idaho and the characters are based on actual people (kind of like the Little House series). This book actually has good reviews at Amazon and I may come back to it in the future. The problem is the book is a reprint with a very difficult to read font (small and unusual). So any university presses, please make your reprints easier to read. I couldn't get passed page 5 because my eyes begged me to stop.

Undue Influence, by Anita Brookner, suffered from another problem. It had an interesting story concept, but the main character had the wrong type of voice. The main character is supposed to be a middle class woman who has not had much opportunity in life. Instead the character reads as a high society snob and is very condescending to just about everything and everyone. It was so annoying and unbelievable that I couldn't get passed the first two pages. The words on the page, sounded like the author and not the character. All I can say is skip anything by this writer.

Book Rating: No stars - this book belongs in file 13.

Finally, I read Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. The story is about the plague of the 1600s. It is inspired by an actual English town that isolated itself between 1665-1666 during a plague outbreak. The story is about death. That can't be avoided with the plague as a backdrop. Just as a warning, there are some gross descriptions, violence, and some sex. The story and writing, itself, is ok. I had actually hoped for a more hopeful ending. A town that chooses to isolate itself to protect their neighbors is a rather noble thing. But instead, you see some of the worst of humanity in all of the characters. I was particularly disappointed in the ending, when the main character abandons her faith, home, and people. Not only that, but the way she walks away doesn't seem to fit with her character.

Book Rating: 2 stars. Interesting, but ultimately depressing and disappointing.

Up next, Emma Brown by Clare Boylan.

North of Hope Means No Hope

I have loved everything I have previously read by John Hassler. Staggerford and Green Journey are among some of my favorite books. I loved the stories. Since I would be spending a long time on a plane, I decided to go with a trusted author. I picked up North of Hope simply because it was written by John Hassler.

I have to say, this book is among some of the worst I have read. It was not from a lack of skill by John Hassler. He continues to be an excellent writer and storyteller. He has this incredible skill of writing about real people. This book, however, is full of sad, depressed characters. They are real, but not one character was happy. Not one. Every single character was an alcoholic, including the main character, a priest that questions his calling. Other characters are not faithful to their spouses, law breakers, poverty stricken, have illegitimate children. The list could go on...

I have to admit the book was so depressing, I quit half through and never finished. John Hassler missed on this one. Read his other books, they are so much better.

Book Rating: No stars

Up next, Buffalo Coat, Undue Influence, and Year of Wonders.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

This is the only Harry Potter that I have actually read. I listened to Order of the Phoenix and Goblet of Fire on audio. I tried to listen to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but it was too irritating. You can't skim boring parts.

Anyway, this is probably the best written of the stories, IMO. Although, I found the end rather irritating. Why do main characters that are heroes have to break up with girl friends/boy friends? Jenny has been in the fight just as much as any of the other characters. Breaking up won't protect anymore than staying together.

This is the same plot twist used in so many books and television shows. I find it extremely annoying.

Aside from that, the book was definitely better than any other editions I have previously viewed or listened to.

Book Rating 3 1/2 stars


Up next: North of Hope (Loyola Classics) by John Hassler