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Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Dec 17, 2017 10:34 pm
by waggawerewolf27
Wickham for sure. He was the archetypal cad and in this year, of all years, in 2017, Wickham has at least one modern alter ego. Or am I being unfair in some way?

I'll have to brush up on Jane Austen.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Dec 22, 2017 11:08 pm
by Movie Aristotle
Just a note to say that I "read" (listened to) my first Jane Austen book recently. It was Pride and Prejudice. Being generally familiar with the story, it is great to finally know how all of the pieces fit together.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Jan 06, 2018 7:09 pm
by ValiantArcher
I was wondering if anyone had played the card game "Marrying Mr. Darcy" before? A friend got it for Christmas and we played a rousing couple of games last week. Each person plays as a female character from Pride and Prejudice, and the goal is to marry your character's best match and gain the greatest number of points. It took a bit to get the rules sorted, but it was a lot of fun. ;))

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Jan 07, 2018 7:15 am
by coracle
How much difference have you noticed in your views of the characters and situations, as you have got older?

The first time I met a JA character was when I was about 14, and we had an extract to study in an English class. It was where Colonel Brandon listens to Marianne playing the piano, and he clearly admires her.
We were all shocked at such an "old man" fancying a girl barely older than us! Mid 30s was nearly as old as our parents.

It made it harder to appreciate the adult relationships that the books were really about, but I enjoyed them as I grew up.

From my extreme age now, I look at these "young men" who are running their estates, taking care of their tenants, etc, in their 30s, and I am impressed! Darcy, Knightley, and so on.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Jan 13, 2018 10:35 pm
by SnowAngel
I have yet to actually read any of Jane Austen's works, but I have listen to three audiobooks in the last six months (Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion). Of the three, Persuasion is my favorite. And I plan to listen to Pride and Prejudice next, although probably not until next month. Scarlet was tired of me saying I was going to read them and then not getting around to, and so she told me to just do the audiobooks. Scarlet is rather smart. :)

We just watched the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. It's still my favorite of all the Jane Austen movies.

SnowAngel

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Jan 29, 2018 3:25 pm
by Grandmama
I'm new here, so I started reading all the posts in this thread but that proved to be quite time consuming. So, I will just jump in and say that I first read Jane Austen in high school when I did a book report on Pride & Prejudice. I remember reading a quote something to the effect of "books by Jane Austen are easy to get lost in" and at the time I thought the quote was criticizing Austen. Since that was many, many years ago, I cannot find the source of the quote, but I see it now as a compliment. I have read most of her books more than once, except Northanger Abbey, which I didn't really like at the time.
I've also watched numerous movie versions of her books, most of which I have enjoyed. The A&E Pride and Prejudice is my favorite--I feel that it really does take 5 hours to do justice to the book. Second favorite would be Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. I think Anne Elliot is my favorite of the heroines and Amanda Root plays her beautifully.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Mar 06, 2018 7:52 pm
by Mrs Smooshy
coracle wrote:How much difference have you noticed in your views of the characters and situations, as you have got older?

The first time I met a JA character was when I was about 14, and we had an extract to study in an English class. It was where Colonel Brandon listens to Marianne playing the piano, and he clearly admires her.
We were all shocked at such an "old man" fancying a girl barely older than us! Mid 30s was nearly as old as our parents.

It made it harder to appreciate the adult relationships that the books were really about, but I enjoyed them as I grew up.

From my extreme age now, I look at these "young men" who are running their estates, taking care of their tenants, etc, in their 30s, and I am impressed! Darcy, Knightley, and so on.


Oh my goodness, yes. When I first read Pride and Prejudice I thought Jane Bennet was such an old heroine at 23. Never mind what I thought about Anne Elliot at 27! =)) I am still creeped out by a 30-something fancying a 14 year old. Maybe even moreso as my momma-bear instincts are now kicking in. When I was an older teen I did find it a bit more romantic even though I personally never had crushes on older men and thought my friends were strange for having them.

The big age gap with in Emma is more bearable as Emma is an adult but when he confesses he first fell for her when she was 13... :-s ...I guess 13 year olds are cute.....but more in a "aw, let me go give you a cookie" sort of way. My husband is now reaching Col Brandon and Mr Knightley age. They were my favourite of the heros so it is all fine for me. But I still couldn't picture my husband running a 10 000 pound/year estate. ha ha

I'd have to think some more before being able to really ascertain how my views on everything has changed with age. I know I appreciate the books more for the wit and the dynamics between characters than just the "swoony" romance.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Mar 08, 2018 11:21 pm
by wild rose
While I can't say that Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers, she's certainly one I enjoy reading.

I think my favorite of all her books is Persuasion. The main character, Anne, is older than the other heroines from Jane Austen books, being already 27 years old. I like how Jane Austen made her a quiet girl who has 'already lost her bloom'. She not loud and outspoken like Elizabeth Bennett nor medlesom like Emma, but filled with a quiet, determined strength that I came to admite and really appreciate.

The relationship between her and Captain Wentworth is also a great love of mine. It's nice to see not new love, but old love that didn't work out try to rekindle itself despite all the hurts and wrongs and grudges of the past.

I enjoyed the 1995 film version of Persuasion, I didn't like the other one very much. It didn't follow the book as closely. (Yes, I'm a book purist...it makes watching movies such a difficult affair.)

I do of course very much love Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I think of all Jane Austen's book Emma was the most boring for me. Mansfield Park is a great favorite of mine and the youth, slightly immature attitude of Catherine from Northanger Abby was fun, and I like how she had such a wild imagination from reading too much gothic novel.

I think I have seen as many screen adaptions of Jane Austen books as there are. And I tend to like the older versions more. That goes for Pride and Prejudice, where I so prefer the 1995 mini series to the 2005 one. Persuasion I already mentioned, and Mansfield Park I love the 1983 mini series. There is a film that follows the book to the core. Though it was boring for the rest of my siblings, haha, not enough action ;))

Sense and Sensibility I actually liked the BBC version more, also because it followed the book so well and Northanger Abby I also preferred the 2007 movie. Very good cast and acting.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Oct 26, 2018 6:33 am
by Meltintalle
For Inktober this year (a drawing challenge where you do an ink drawing every day in October) one of the prompts was Muddy... and I thought of a certain scene in Pride and Prejudice. B-)

"I Hope You Saw Her Petticoat"

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 09, 2020 7:14 pm
by Pattertwigs Pal
I have been on a Jane Austen kick. I listened to her six novels followed in turn by the BBC radio dramas. The dramas were decent adaptations. Each one of course had some parts that made me wince. I really liked most of the Northanger Abbey radio drama. They got the tone right unlike the one live action adaptation I've seen. The use of the narrator was brilliant to set the tone and make it clear it was poking fun at current novels.
After listening to all that, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to go on to next. I decided on The Mysteries of Udolpho to help me understand Northanger Abbey better. From the way the characters in Northanger Abbey talked, I was expecting a book full of horrors that would make me not want to stop. I am in the second volume and nothing I have come across I would describe as a "horror." I suppose it must be coming. Thus far I would say Northanger Abbey is more exciting.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 10, 2020 2:42 pm
by Courtenay
Aha, so we DO have a dedicated Jane Austen thread here! :D (I'd been wondering.)

I'm currently re-reading The Spirituality of Jane Austen by Paula Hollingsworth, which I stumbled across a couple of years ago. It's not a long book, but it's very interesting, as it delves into an aspect of Jane's character that a lot of reviewers and commentators overlook: she was a very devoted Christian (specifically Anglican), from a tradition that held that it's far more important to let one's Christian values show in one's life than talk about them openly. So while she does lampoon insincere and shallow religious people like Mr Collins, there's a lot in her writings that reflects a much deeper sense of spirituality (though that's not a word she would have used) — especially the ways in which most of her heroines and some of her heroes need to grow and develop in character and become better people before they reach their happy ending. It's really worth reading and it's certainly deepened my appreciation for Jane Austen and her writings even further — I'd highly recommend it to anyone here who's also a fan. :)

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 10, 2020 7:45 pm
by Wunderkind_Lucy
Thanks, Courtenay! I will have to give it a go if I can find it. *goes to the library* It appears that our university's online library has a copy. I can't wait to try it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for spinoffs or continuations of Jane Austen's books? Two of my favorites are Mr. Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer (basically Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's perspective) and Old Friends by Sybil G. Brinton (the first "fanfic," if you will ;))).

Pattertwig's Pal wrote:After listening to all that, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to go on to next. I decided on The Mysteries of Udolpho to help me understand Northanger Abbey better.


I've been meaning read all of the books mentioned in Northanger Abbey as well. *facepalm* Another thing to add to my reading list! ;))

~Wunder

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 23, 2020 7:22 pm
by Pattertwigs Pal
I finished The Mysteries of Udolpho it did pick up and I got to parts where I didn't want to stop listening. Although there were times I want to yell at the characters to actually talk to each other. :p I could definitely see some similarities between the books.

SHOW SPOILER "Mild Spoilers for Northanger Abbey and Udolpho"
Both involve people misrepresenting wealth. Both involve people being represented as being worse than they are. Both have seemingly random details that connect up in the end.

Here are some of the books mentioned in Northanger Abbey.
Northanger Abbey wrote:“Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you; and when you have finished Udolpho, we will read the Italian together; and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you.”

“Have you, indeed! How glad I am! What are they all?”

“I will read you their names directly; here they are, in my pocketbook. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last us some time.”

Northanger Abbey wrote: Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apologize for her question, but he prevented her by saying, “Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff; there has not been a tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones, except The Monk; I read that t'other day; but as for all the others, they are the stupidest things in creation.”

“I think you must like Udolpho, if you were to read it; it is so very interesting.”

“Not I, faith! No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe's; her novels are amusing enough; they are worth reading; some fun and nature in them.”

“Udolpho was written by Mrs. Radcliffe,” said Catherine, with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him.

“No sure; was it? Aye, I remember, so it was; I was thinking of that other stupid book, written by that woman they make such a fuss about, she who married the French emigrant.”

“I suppose you mean Camilla?”

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 28, 2020 10:17 am
by Grandmama
Courtenay wrote:Aha, so we DO have a dedicated Jane Austen thread here! :D (I'd been wondering.)

I'm currently re-reading The Spirituality of Jane Austen by Paula Hollingsworth, which I stumbled across a couple of years ago. It's not a long book, but it's very interesting, as it delves into an aspect of Jane's character that a lot of reviewers and commentators overlook: she was a very devoted Christian (specifically Anglican), from a tradition that held that it's far more important to let one's Christian values show in one's life than talk about them openly. So while she does lampoon insincere and shallow religious people like Mr Collins, there's a lot in her writings that reflects a much deeper sense of spirituality (though that's not a word she would have used) — especially the ways in which most of her heroines and some of her heroes need to grow and develop in character and become better people before they reach their happy ending. It's really worth reading and it's certainly deepened my appreciation for Jane Austen and her writings even further — I'd highly recommend it to anyone here who's also a fan. :)


Darn! Our library doesn't have it. It sounds interesting.

Another author who wrote about the Regency period is Georgette Heyer. I have really enjoyed most of her books. My favorites would be:
The Talisman Ring
The Grand Sophy
Cotillion
False Colors
Sprig Muslin

A more contemporary author who writes about the Regency era is Julie Klassen, who also happens to be from Minnesota. :)

My sister gave me "Jane Austen's Finest Balm" for my birthday. I haven't opened the package yet because I love all the silliness on the packaging. Here is a sample: "Chapped lips? We cannot think of it without abhorrence." However, I may need to open it soon to find out what "Pemberley Mint Flavour" tastes like. ;) She also got me Jane Austen socks. Which I may have to wear today.

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 28, 2020 2:58 pm
by Meltintalle
Pattertwigs Pal wrote:
Here are some of the books mentioned in Northanger Abbey.
Northanger Abbey wrote: ... “Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff; there has not been a tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones


I read this and went, "But? I'm reading Tom.. and it's from the 1840s?? How can this be?" and then had the realization that I was reading Tom Brown not Tom Jones. 8-} ;)) It is tolerably decent, however, so perhaps Mr. Thorpe would approve it too.

*eyes Grandmama's list of favorite Heyers* I have Talisman Ring on my shelf, waiting to be read, and I really enjoyed the next three on the list so that's a good recommendation!

Re: Sense and Silliness: All things Austen

PostPosted: Feb 29, 2020 12:43 pm
by Wunderkind_Lucy
Grandmama wrote:My sister gave me "Jane Austen's Finest Balm" for my birthday. I haven't opened the package yet because I love all the silliness on the packaging. Here is a sample: "Chapped lips? We cannot think of it without abhorrence." However, I may need to open it soon to find out what "Pemberley Mint Flavour" tastes like. She also got me Jane Austen socks. Which I may have to wear today.


I love how there's so much Jane-Austen themed stuff out there. For Christmas, I got some Jane Austen-themed tea: Pride & Peppermint and Sense and Senchability. ;)) They were actually both quite good. I only got the sample-sized packages, but I believe if you can order a larger package of tea, you can get a tin along with it (I have the Pride & Peppermint tin).

Image

Does anyone have a particular favorite of all of Jane Austen's books? I'm torn between Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey as my favorites, although, of course, I do love the others as well.

~Wunder