⇒ PDF Gratis Jane Fairfax The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen Emma Joan Aiken 9780312157074 Books

Jane Fairfax The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen Emma Joan Aiken 9780312157074 Books

Download As PDF : Jane Fairfax The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen Emma Joan Aiken 9780312157074 Books

Jane Fairfax The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen Emma Joan Aiken 9780312157074 Books

Let's get this point out of the way immediately, this is not a book written by an author who thinks she is Jane Austen. I cannot even conceive of Joan Aiken purposefully trying to copy the writing style of Jane Austen. If she did, then she failed completely. But, that doesn't mean that this author didn't write a very good book in the style of books written during the same time period in which Austen wrote. Sometimes the writing is too prosy, overly wordy, but overall this was a very good book from my standpoint.

Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fairfax are the same age. People in the village of Highbury think it the most natural thing in the world that the two children would be great friends. There is the difference in their stations in life, of course, but still they could be playmates and provide company for each other. This does not take into consideration at all that the two girls are so very different in nature that being forced to become friends sends them each in completely opposite directions. While Mrs. Woodhouse is alive, Jane is perfectly content to be the little ghost who slips into the house to practice the piano and take lessons from Emma's piano teacher. When Mrs. Woodhouse dies in childbirth her will reveals that she has left a legacy for Jane and childish jealousies combined with grief turn Emma completely away from Jane. Soon afterward Jane leaves Highbury to go to London to live with ColonelCampbell, his wife, and their daughter Rachel. The remainder of Book One relates Jane's life with Rachel, her family and the friends they make as they are growing up.

Book Two begins when Jane returns to Highbury because Rachel and her family have gone to Ireland. From here on the story follows "Emma" except that all the happenings are seen from the perspective of Jane Fairfax. I really, really enjoyed the entire book, but especially this portion where I realized what an impact Frank Churchill and the residents of Highbury had on Jane. How mortified she was to be secretly engaged to Frank, very much against her will in the beginning, and have to see his interactions with Emma. How frustrated she became with Mrs. Elton's insistence on finding a governess position for her. How differently Jane viewed the ball at Highbury, how she suffered because of the gift of the piano from an unknown source. Quite frankly, I would have liked to kick Frank Churchill in the shins more than once.

This was a very good book. Don't let it fool you though. There may be only 252 pages, but those pages are filled with writing in the style of 19th Century authors and close attention must be paid to understand what the author is saying. Yes, there were some times when Ms Aiken unnecessarily (in my opinion) drew our attention to the "Austen" aspects of this book, i.e. a widow with few financial resources living in Bath in Westgate Buildings, but I just overlooked those obvious references. If there is one aspect of the book which I would criticize, it is the appearance of such incredible maturity of thought and speech for very young girls. In fact, if you try to skim this book, you will entirely miss when Rachel Campbell and Jane go from eight to eighteen. This book was written around 1990 which makes it one of the earlier examples of presenting a Jane Austen book from another viewpoint. I think this author did a very good job and I will certainly add this to my list of favorite Austen-esque literature.


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Jane Fairfax The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen Emma Joan Aiken 9780312157074 Books Reviews

I enjoy the Jane Austen sequels and have read quite a few. I rate Joan Aiken right at the top of the list. It is fun to go further into the lives of the characters. She keeps the Austin style well. Very readable. And has moments of good humor which is always a plus.
I really enjoyed this novel. Joan Aiken did a wonderful job working with the characters from Jane Austen's Emma. They were developed instead of altered (too often the case with Austen sequels), and the story was able to progress parallel to Emma without deviation from Jane Austen's tale. I felt that it was an enhancement to the original story and I will definitely read it again with pleasure.
I enjoy reading Jane Austen Inspired novels. Joan Aiken does a good job in bringing the shadowy character of Jane Fairfax to life in this novel.
A very satisfying read, including the conclusion. Nicely integrated with Austen's Emma. Pleasantly complex language.
Joan Aiken is a gifted writer, and she has chosen as her subject a wonderfully interesting incidental character from one of the best-loved novels in literature, Jane Austen's 'Emma'. The characters and plot are flawless; it was very enjoyable to have these beloved characters rounded out and delved into more, and Aiken accomplishes her most difficult task -- making Frank Churchill sympathetic and therefore worthy of Miss Fairfax's regard. I was thrilled by the time I got to part two, which begins and ends on the same timeline as 'Emma' -- for instance, do you remember when Jane accompanies her aunt, Miss Bates, to Hartfield in order to thank Emma and her father for the quarter-section of pork, and they bring the news that Mr. Elton has become engaged to someone in Bath? Well, here you are in the room when Jane and her aunt first get the news as they are leaving for Hartfield -- it is delicious! There are many such overlaps, and all are delightful. There are also lots of commas and semi-colons and other such idiosyncracies found in the works of Austen and her contemporaries, and the style rings true. I would say it comes very close to being an Austen novel, and is one of the best of the Austen homages, but the humor of Austen is not here. Also, the novel is so well-done that I would have enjoyed an account of events after the original timeline. One does want to know that Jane is happy and Frank is true and Emma's friendship continues.... Still, a very satisfying read, and I will definitely read more works by this author.
I am a fan of Jane Austen's Emma, and really enjoyed Hollywood's rendition of the novel, and came away from both sharing a bit of Emma's resentment towards Jane Fairfax. So it is quite an accomplishment to write a novel that so quickly and deftly turned my sympathies and interests towards a previously unliked character.
Aiken's Jane Fairfax fleshes out the childhood histories of both leading ladies (Emma and Jane), and fills in the back story of their relationship and temperaments.
It is fascinating to read the story that takes place prior to the time period where 'Emma' is focused, but even more interesting to read the shifted perspective once the two storylines sync up.
Finally, the book is so well-written, so closely adhering to Jane Austen's own style, that you can convince yourself you are reading a long lost manuscript from Austen herself. And as the tale unfolds, and Jane's perspective reveals more of Emma's character than we even knew before, Austen's 'Emma' becomes an even better realized, more ironic, and wryer look at social folly.
I definitely recommend this novel to any Austen fan, particularly those familiar with 'Emma.'
Let's get this point out of the way immediately, this is not a book written by an author who thinks she is Jane Austen. I cannot even conceive of Joan Aiken purposefully trying to copy the writing style of Jane Austen. If she did, then she failed completely. But, that doesn't mean that this author didn't write a very good book in the style of books written during the same time period in which Austen wrote. Sometimes the writing is too prosy, overly wordy, but overall this was a very good book from my standpoint.

Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fairfax are the same age. People in the village of Highbury think it the most natural thing in the world that the two children would be great friends. There is the difference in their stations in life, of course, but still they could be playmates and provide company for each other. This does not take into consideration at all that the two girls are so very different in nature that being forced to become friends sends them each in completely opposite directions. While Mrs. Woodhouse is alive, Jane is perfectly content to be the little ghost who slips into the house to practice the piano and take lessons from Emma's piano teacher. When Mrs. Woodhouse dies in childbirth her will reveals that she has left a legacy for Jane and childish jealousies combined with grief turn Emma completely away from Jane. Soon afterward Jane leaves Highbury to go to London to live with ColonelCampbell, his wife, and their daughter Rachel. The remainder of Book One relates Jane's life with Rachel, her family and the friends they make as they are growing up.

Book Two begins when Jane returns to Highbury because Rachel and her family have gone to Ireland. From here on the story follows "Emma" except that all the happenings are seen from the perspective of Jane Fairfax. I really, really enjoyed the entire book, but especially this portion where I realized what an impact Frank Churchill and the residents of Highbury had on Jane. How mortified she was to be secretly engaged to Frank, very much against her will in the beginning, and have to see his interactions with Emma. How frustrated she became with Mrs. Elton's insistence on finding a governess position for her. How differently Jane viewed the ball at Highbury, how she suffered because of the gift of the piano from an unknown source. Quite frankly, I would have liked to kick Frank Churchill in the shins more than once.

This was a very good book. Don't let it fool you though. There may be only 252 pages, but those pages are filled with writing in the style of 19th Century authors and close attention must be paid to understand what the author is saying. Yes, there were some times when Ms Aiken unnecessarily (in my opinion) drew our attention to the "Austen" aspects of this book, i.e. a widow with few financial resources living in Bath in Westgate Buildings, but I just overlooked those obvious references. If there is one aspect of the book which I would criticize, it is the appearance of such incredible maturity of thought and speech for very young girls. In fact, if you try to skim this book, you will entirely miss when Rachel Campbell and Jane go from eight to eighteen. This book was written around 1990 which makes it one of the earlier examples of presenting a Jane Austen book from another viewpoint. I think this author did a very good job and I will certainly add this to my list of favorite Austen-esque literature.