Review: Manga Classics: Emma, by Jane Austen, Po Tse, Crystle S. Chan, and Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Emma

Author: Jane Austen

Illustrator: Po Tse

Adaptation: Crystle S. Chan

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Date of Publication: June 17th, 2015

Number of Pages: 308

Find it at : Book Depository

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Just in time for the 200th anniversary, Manga Classics brings Jane Austen’s classic tale of youthful folly and romantic exuberance to a modern audience with this beautiful new manga adaptation of Emma.

When her former governess finds happiness as the bride of a local widower, the brilliant and beautiful Emma Woodhouse — one of Jane Austen's immortal creations — flatters herself that she alone has secured the marriage and that she possesses a special talent for bringing lovers together. The young heiress next busies herself with finding a suitable husband for her friend and protégé, Harriet Smith, setting off an entertaining sequence of comic mishaps and misunderstanding in this sparkling comedy of English-village romance. Beneath its wit, the novel is also the story of a young woman's progress toward self-understanding. The impulsive match-making of Emma Woodhouse delivers both humor and heartache through the gorgeous artwork of master artist Po Tse.

Review

If there are two things that I love reading, they would probably be manga, and Jane Austen. So, when I first learnt that there was a combination of these two I was thrilled. Having already read another three instalments of the Manga Classics (Pride & Prejudice, The Scarlet Letter, and Les Miserables), I was more than eager to find out if Emma would also work well in this format.

Do you guys even need an introduction to the story? Emma is a delightful novel, with great characters! Mr. Knightley is one of those dreamy gentlemen, and Emma, although a little spoilt, is compassionate and tries to make up for the errors that she makes. Certainly, Mr. Knightley is the one that makes sure that she understands where she is wrong. This is one of the reasons why I believe that they are one of the most well-matched couples is literature, despite their age difference.

The adaptation of this Manga Classic was once again great! It made sure that the volume contained all of the main plot points, so even if you haven't read the novel you wouldn't miss anything from the story. Also, the dialogue maintained the witty spark of the Jane Austen's original dialogues, which was a big plus for me.

What I really love in this series, is that I can finally see all of my favourite characters with the exagerrated emotions that are so usual in manga. Once again, you can see the constant blushing on their faces, starry eyes, and flowers around the charming gentlemen, like Mr. Knightley, and Frank Churchill. All these images add up to the general enjoyment of Emma. 

The art style wasn't so very different from the other Manga Classics. It was beautiful, in a manga kind of way. I particularly liked the design of Emma, as well as all of those dresses! They are seriously impressive with their laces and their flowers. The one thing that I didn't really like was the Mr. Knightley. His image didn't suit the mental I had created for him, as he seamed a lot younger, almost the same age as Emma. I have to admit that this fact was a serious turn off, and I believe that I would have enjoyed this manga much more if Mr. Knightley's design was different.

Emma was delightful, like the original novel. Although I was acquainted with the plot, it managed to keep my interest. This Manga Classic is ideal for both Jane Austen fans, and for readers that aren't yet familiar with her work. I could go as far to say that this might be more enjoyable to some than the original novel, because in the manga version Emma isn't that annoying, and I know that this is one of the usual reasons that people hate it. Apart from the trouble I had with Mr. Knightley's design, this manga was easy to read and quiet enjoyable. If you're in the mood for a romance, don't hesitate to pick it up!
  

Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Date of Publication: 1814

Number of Pages: 507

Find it at: Book Depository

Summary

Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, Mansfield Park is one of Jane Austen's most profound works.

Review

Mansfield Park was the only novel by Jane Austen that I had only read one time. So, when I decided to participate to Austen in August I got the opportunity I was seeking to reread it. Although I liked it the first time I read it, I appreciated it in a totally different way the second. This happened because I didn't consider it as a romance, I didn't expect any and I wanted to become a judge of the characters. And what a world this opened to me!

Fanny Price grows up with her wealthy relations, the Bertrams, in Mansfield Park. She grows up accustomed to different behaviour than her cousins since she is in a totally different position than them. To be honest, she is never allowed to forget it. The way her aunt Norris and her cousins behave to her is unbearable at times, the boys are excluded since Edmund seems to care about her and Tom doesn't really care of anyone. But she neve complains and she is always grateful for all the things that are offered to her. She is almost too good to be real.

Her character becomes more obvious when the Crawfords come into the neighbourhood. All of her cousins become enchanted by them, both of the girls fall in love with Henry, and Edmund falls for Mary. They forget everything that propriety demands. Although Maria is engaged she doesn't even try to show her preference to a man different than her fiance. And in a time that their father is absent. By this point, we learn the Fanny is in love with Edmund and it's so painful to see her observe all of his attentions to Mary Crawford. One of the saddest scenes of the novel is the one that Edmund wants to participate in the play, but he doesn't want to admit it and tries to reason Fanny into urging him to do so.

Edmund for me is unforgivable. He is constantly obsessing over Mary that his judgement is blinded. He sees her faults, but he chooses to ignore them. He understands that she is not the right woman to be a clergyman's wife, but he still nurses the hopes that she will change her mind. His feelings for Fanny are the ones of a brother and this doesn't change in the end, so I can't really understand how he fell in love with her. Besides, they are first cousins!

Henry Crawford is a complex character. He is easygoing and likes to flirt. But he normally knows where to stop. I believe that he genuinely loves Fanny and that he wants to marry her, he's just easy to fall into temptation. This is what ruins his chances in the end.

In Mansfield Park, it's very interesting to see how young wealthy people are behaving. Well-bred girls show no respect to their absent father, firstborns neglect their responsibilities towards an estate that doesn't have the same profit as before, and even aunts the encourage such behaviours. While reading it, you cannot help but think Is Fanny the only reasonable one there?

All in all, Mansfield Park is a very enjoyable novel. Fanny is well-liked and you can only feel bad for all the things she has to endure and all the things she has to remain silent about. There are so many characters here that don't have the acceptable behaviour, but are portrayed so well that it proves the fine writing style of Jane Austen. I would recommend it to anyone, but beware, don't expect any grand romance. You will definitely be disappointed if you expect one.

So, my advice is...

Ride to Mansfield Park!  

Austen in August

AUSTEN IN AUGUST is an annual event hosted by Roof Beam Reader. The goal of this event is to read as many of Jane Austen's works as possible, during the month of August. Biographies, audiobooks, spin-offs, re-reads also count. I'm so excited to participate in Austen in August, as I'm a great fan of Jane Austen and I always try to find reasons (although I don't really need them) to reread her novels. 

The book I'll try to read during the event are:

Original Works:

• Mansfield Park. This is the only work of Jane Austen that I've read only a few times. Time to fix that!
• Love and Friendship. I actually haven't read this one and it's about time.

Spin-offs

• Edmund Bertram's Diary. It will work as a perfect companion to my reread of Mansfield Park.
• Emma: A Modern Retelling. Because it's been a long time that I wanted to read The Austen Project. 
• Sense and Sensibility. Another Austen Project.
• Northanger Abbey. Yet another Austen Project.

You can sign up here.

Mini Reviews: The Beautiful Cassandra, The Old Nurse's Story and The Eve of St Agnes

Recently I've come across to the Little Black Classics by Penguin. Among the available titles are some written by my favourite authors, like Jane Austen and D.H. Lawrence. When I first saw them I knew I had to read them, so here is what I thought on three of those books.

The Beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen

The Little Black Classic #33 was the first of the titles in the series that I had to find, no matter what. As you already know, I am a big Jane Austen fan and the prospect of reading some of her earlier works was appealing to me. In this edition, six of her juvenile short stories are included, all selected from Love and Friendship and Other Youthful Writings. 

It was exciting to read these stories because they are pure joy. They were written by young Jane for the sole purpose to entertain herself and her family. Indeed, they were all joyful and pleasant. To those familiar with Austen's novels, her wit and her humour will be apparent. The quality of the writing is not the same as in her later works, but one can clearly distinguish the potential she had and the evolution she went throughout the years. For this reason, The Beautiful Cassandra is a must-read, especially for the fans of the celebrated author.

The stories I liked the best were Jack and Alice and Henry and Eliza.

The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell

Another Little Black Classic I was eager to read was #39. Elizabeth Gaskell, with novels such as North and South and Cranford, became quickly one of my favourite authors of all time. But, until now, I hadn't read any of her gothic tales before. This edition includes two of them, The Old Nurse's Story and Curious, if True. The first was published in Charles Dickens' magazine, Household Worlds, in 1852 and the second one was published in William Thackeray's Cornhill Magazine in 1860.

In both of those stories, Gaskell proves of how nicely she can write. The Old Nurse's Story is a ghost tale. The atmosphere it builds is magnificent. You come to care about little Miss Rosamond and until the end you are anxious to find out if the nurse was able to protect her from the ghostly child. Curious, if True is an equally eerie story. A man comes upon a strange party while lost in the woods, where fairy tale characters have gathered. But this isn't obvious from the beginning and as the hints become more frequent, the amazement is great. I would say that it did have an Alice's Adventures in Wonderland feel to it.

The Eve of St Agnes by John Keats

The Little Black Classic #13 is a title full of poetry. In this book, five poems by John Keats are to found. The two larger poems are The Eve of St Agnes and Lamia while the three short ones are La Belle Dame san Merci, Ode to Psyche and Ode to a Grecian Urn. Keats' poetry is more visual and narrative and these poems are great examples of this.

The Eve of St Agnes is based on the superstition that a virgin will see in her dream her future husband if she follows some ritual that specific night. La Belle Dame sans Merci is a ballad that talks about love and death. Lamia is a narrative poem, that has its roots to some ancient Greek myths. The two odes that close this edition are Keats' experimentation in the ode genre. The first ode deals with Psyche's and Cupid's myth while the second one has as a theme the art and the art audience. 

The poems I enjoyed the most were The Eve of St Agnes and La Belle Dame san Merci.   

Review: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Po Tse, Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Illustrator: Po Tse

Adaptation: Stacy King

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Date of Publication: September 17th, 2014

Number of Pages: 377

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Beloved by millions all over the world, Pride and Prejudice is delightfully transformed in this bold, new manga adaptation. All of the joy, heartache, and romance of Jane Austen's original work, perfectly illuminated by the sumptuous art of that manga-ka Po Tse, and faithfully adapted by Stacy E. King.

Review

I was so excited to review Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice! I'm basically a Janeite, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books and I've read over the years many of its adaptations and retellings. So when I first learnt that a manga adaptation had been published I couldn't be happier. Some years earlier Marvel had released a graphic novel version of the story, but I was curious to see how this would work in the Japanese style. The result left me totally content.

Do you guys need me to say anything about the story and the characters? This classic love story, which turns out to be a study of the human behaviour as well, is so well known and so much loved, that I couldn't really say anything more. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have many obstacles to overcome before they can finally be together. But those obstacles come from themselves, like the pride of Mr. Darcy and the prejudice of Elizabeth.

But what's really important here is the adaptation, from which I was impressed. The story remained the same, everything was included, which was a fact that made me really happy. Even though I knew the story, the dialogue was witty and funny and I giggled and laughed almost all of the time. The illustration was also great and it suited all of the characters. It was amazing to see Mrs. Bennet's expression with sparkling background and hearts when she talks about a possible marriage for her daughters, or Mr. Darcy's awkward expression when he sees Whickham for the first time, or his blushing every time he talks to Elizabeth. 

Sometimes though I got the feeling that Mr. Darcy's and Elizabeth's way of talking was more intimate than it would be expected, especially at the beginning when Elizabeth stays at Netherfield Park. There were also some anachronisms, when for example Mr. Bingley entered Jane's bedroom when she was ill, but I can forgive those because it made the story easier to understand for those who are not familiar with the ways of that society. What I really missed though is the complete lack of titles, like Mr, Mrs and Miss. During the whole novel, everyone called the others either by their given name or their surname and this is something that sounded wrong to me. These are all minor things that really don't take much out of the enjoyment this manga has to offer. 

Manga Classics is a very interesting series and I'd like to read the rest of them too. If the adaptation is that good as it is in Pride and Prejudice then I believe that I'll enjoy them a lot. If you are a fan of Jane Austen or want to read a different take on this classic novel, this manga is for you. Don't hesitate to pick it up, you won't be disappointed!   

So my advice is...

Fall in love with Mr. Darcy...again!