Is Harry Potter worth reading?

Which three sentences in this excerpt from arthur conan doyle's "the contest" suggest that the author's tone is mocking?

Which is the most effective paraphrase of the passage "six benches were left empty in every ship that evening when we pulled away from death. and this new grief we bore with us to sea: our precious lives we had, but not our friends" - the odyssey

Sense and sensibility - chapters 41-50 do eilinor and marianne each end up with the best husband possible? give reasons for your answer.