What should I read from MR library?

[BookCat]

For me, half the fun is in the "shopping" for good freebies and classics. Reading them is great fun too, of course. I'd be a shopaholic if I wasn't broke: too many cats to feed!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by grimo1re

And I don't think Mr Woodhouse is a gentleman - he's rich and obnoxious in my book

You may not consider him to be a gentleman, but he is a Gentleman - a technical term of the time for someone who has a non-earned income, as opposed to tradesmen or servants or labourers. Having been written a couple of centuries ago, some words now have different meanings.

Emma is certainly supposed to be a bit obnoxious - spoiled and certain of her own opinions - at the start. Hopefully you'll like her more at the end.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

(can only download one ebook for every two ebooks read - thanks for the idea pdurrant!)

It's not original to me. But I can't now remember who I got it from - it's somewhere in the Mobileread archive, but I can't find it.

I got the idea from Enraptured:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...072#post722072

[ctol]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'm not going to be downloading anything for a little while with my new rule (can only download one ebook for every two ebooks read - thanks for the idea pdurrant!), and I have a few books on smashwords up next. But when I do, I'm going for some Wilkie Collins. Any suggestions on which one I should read first?

I think you should read either The Moonstone or The Woman In White. Both are quite excellent and the two most most widely read of his books. I think you will enjoy either on immensely BTW, The Woman In White is considered by many to be the first mystery book ever written.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by ctol

I think you should read either The Moonstone or The Woman In White. Both are quite excellent and the two most most widely read of his books. I think you will enjoy either on immensely BTW, The Woman In White is considered by many to be the first mystery book ever written.

I was thinking one of the two, just not sure which. Sounds like I'll start with the Woman in White then

[ac4lt]

Originally Posted by grimo1re

You mean when mr Elton declares his love for Emma rather than Harriet? Yeah, I just read that this morning. It's not the lack of action that bothers me, I rather like the change of pace, but the characters really annoy me. And I don't think Mr Woodhouse is a gentleman - he's rich and obnoxious in my book

Though I enjoyed reading Austen's work, I felt much the same way about the characters. Not so much in Emma, but Mansfield Park and Persuasion drove me somewhat crazy.

On the other hand, Lady Susan was a riot!

[rlparker]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'm not going to be downloading anything for a little while with my new rule...

Sounds like a good idea, but my will power isn't that good!

Originally Posted by ctol

I think you should read either The Moonstone or The Woman In White....

+1 for The Moonstone, I enjoyed it a lot. The pace is a little slower and the description more expansive than you get with "modern" books.

Right now, I'm getting a big kick out of Bulldog Drummond. Just started the last one ("Bulldog Drummond at Bay") which starts off fast paced, with action, mystery and a hint of romance--good read!