From the back cover: "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable house and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." With this opening sentence, a reader might seem quite justified in thinking Jane Austen to have painted herself into … [Read more...] about Emma by Jane Austen: A
Classic
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome: B+
From the back cover: "There were four of us—George, and William Samuel Harris, and myself, and Montmorency." Three men, and a dog, in a boat on one of the prettiest waterways in the world—the Thames—in summer. Idyllic, wouldn't you say? Perhaps, if George hadn't insisted on camping, and if someone had remembered the can-opener, and if... well, maybe not idyllic, but … [Read more...] about Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome: B+
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: A+
From the back cover: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Thus memorably begins Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the world's most popular novels. From the initial friction between the opinionated Elizabeth Bennet and the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy, this witty comedy of manners dips and … [Read more...] about Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: A+
Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton: B+
From the back cover: Full of enthusiasm, young English schoolmaster Mr. Chipping came to teach at Brookfield in 1870. It was a time when dignity and a generosity of spirit still existed, and the dedicated new schoolmaster expressed these beliefs to his rowdy students. Nicknamed Mr. Chips, this gentle and caring man helped shape the lives of generation after generation of … [Read more...] about Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton: B+
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: A+
Book description: Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility is a wonderfully entertaining tale of flirtation and folly that revolves around two starkly different sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. While Elinor is thoughtful, considerate, and calm, her younger sister is emotional and wildly romantic. Both are looking for a husband, but neither Elinor’s … [Read more...] about Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: A+