Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Emma of 83rd Street by Emily Harding, Audrey Bellezza

2 reviews

puddleshoes's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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phoebemurtagh's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I found this to be a pretty decent modern romance adaptation of Emma, up until it made the trademark error of modern romances: mislabling sex as an adequate substitute for emotional intimacy. It almost made up for it with a twist on one of the original twists - the Harriet character is great. But for a fairly fresh version of Emma, it got very bogged down by very trite language in the sex scenes that ultimately made the Knightley character seem flatter. There were also casually use phrases that were clearly meant to sound romantic but ended up just a tad creepy ("I can't control myself around you" is what serial killers say, not good love interests) and uncomfortably traditional in its gendered presentation of a relationship that was meant to be a partnership of equals even 200 years ago in the original. What this book suffers from on the whole is too many words and not enough descriptions, like films that rely too heavily on dialogue to drive the plot instead of showing you what the characters are thinking and feeling (though it is full of descriptions of expensive clothing and furnishings). Never have I more appreciated Jane Austen's deftness at leaving gaps for the reader to fill in with their own imagination, ultimately making the story more romantic than plain narrative can easily achieve from all but the most skillful pens. It's a fun book. But mostly it serves to remind me that the source material is fun and *brilliant.* Read it if you want to. But go read Jane Austen's Emma regardless. 

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