I consider myself well read and pretty open to most kinds of literature. However, I can't seem to get into Jane Austen at all. Pride and Prejudice? blah. Emma. eh. Sense and Sensibility? yawn. I thought maybe I would like them more if I watched the movies. Nope.
I could be persuaded to watch Becoming Jane (when it comes out on DVD) only because the fake life they gave her seems kind of interesting.
Am I the only woman to not care for the writings of Jane Austen?
I used to hate JA too because I pictured her as being really stuffy and formal and all about wimpy women conniving to get rich men to marry them. I hated the movies too.
ReplyDeleteI got over that at Purdue. The heroines are feisty and the stories are sometimes silly, sometimes deep. They are a lot about marriage, but they're about the relationships between women even more. However, I don't think you should feel like you need to like them. There's enough other good stuff out there to read.
I'm not a big fan of Jane Austin either.
ReplyDeleteI also have never been able to read Jane Austen. I have tried but just don't get into it. I do however love Sense and Sensibility the movie. I want to like it, it seems so cool to like it, maybe later in life.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, I'm with you on this one. I do love the movie Sense and Sensibility, but the book is SO BORING. All they do is take walks, talk about the weather, take walks while talking of the weather, then talk about taking a walk...BLAH!
ReplyDeleteSorry ladies, I am going to have to be on the opposite side of the coin on this one. I really enjoy Jane Austen- books AND movies.Just call me old fashioned I guess!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised so many are agreeing with my side, actually. It feels good not to be alone in the world!
ReplyDeleteWhat got me thinking about this topic was that I really, really like the Bridget Jones movies (I just recently saw them on tv) so we were talking about how it is a kind of modern day P&P.
OK, I am on the supportive side of the P&P and Jane Austen discussion. I loved her books. It is probably because I had a fantastic teacher in high school who was really into the author and made everything come to life. I even saved the copy of the book that I had marked all of the notes in the margin for tests.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went back to reread it as an adult (and all of JA's other books), I got a Cliff's Notes book as a companion reader. Each time I finished a chapter I would read the companion part in the Cliff's Notes. It was great because it explained all of the "walks and talks" that they do too much of!
Have you guys tried watching the Kiera Knightly version of P&P or better yet, the BBC version? Both are available on video/DVD and are often times even available at the library if your library does video/DVD.
Christy, I love the BBC version so much that I would be willing to mail it to you so you could watch it! Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is to die for.
Jane--I've seen it already. Well, most of it. I fell asleep.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Bronte sisters? I'm a big Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre fan. I read both of them for the first time within the last five years or so.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ali (the daughter having twins) was in college, she took an entire course on JA and JA only. Christy, you would have had to knit or sleep through that semester!
Don't worry, Kerry, I'm on your side. I love JA, too! Sometimes the writing does seem to lag, but it's easy to skim those parts. I've found that the more I learn about the history of the period during which the books were written, the more I understand about how and why things were done. I LURV Mr. Darcy!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I finally finished reading Twilight now. (Yeah, I'm like the last person to ever read it.) Someone told me the books were so good, they were the next Harry Potter and would change my life. I don't know about that, but I did enjoy the story...
Oh, that's too bad. I loved that version and the one with Keira Knightly...I saw it in the theater more than once (more than twice!).
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is my British upbringing.
:-)
You already know where I stand on this one. For those of you that don't know, I am a HUGE fan! You have to see the BBC version. Collin Firth is so dreamy:) I also recommend reading Persuasion, by J.A. This is Kellie's favorite book. It is quite good and a fast read.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Liz on Jane Eyre. My all time favorite book EVER! It's got rich, poor, death, lost love, finding love, independence, intimidation, .......crazy lady in the attic. What more do you want?
The BBC version of this one is alright. I wished they put more money into it. Timothy Dalton was really good and it could o been so much better than it was.
I'm not feeling Jane Eyre, either. I gave it a chance again when we read it for my book group in Indiana. I couldn't finish it so I got the movie with Timothy Dalton. He kind of creeps me out.
ReplyDeleteYou know who watched all those movies when I didn't? Carl. He likes them.
So.....does Carl like Jane Austin? Or just the old BBC movies?
ReplyDeleteCarl said he kind of likes both but he likes the movies the most.
ReplyDeleteHis taste can't usually be trusted. Don't forget that he loved the movie "Ice Princess" and even cried at the end!
Okay, he would probably like to forget that but I won't let him! ha ha.
Too bad - I love JA, and think P&P is one of the greatest novels ever.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I can't join you on this one. Don't hold it against me, but Austen's P & P is one of my top 3 favorite books. I read it for the first time (because a cousin I admired suggested it) when I was about 12-13. I thought it would be boring and stuffy and instead it was funny and witty.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I missed this discussion. Let me tell you something about Jane Austen, she is all about her characters. She has narrowed down almost all kinds of women there are and you are sure to relate to one character and know at least one or two people like the other characters. The walking and talking are very important because the subtle jabs that a lot of her main characters use when talking to the other characters are witty and sarcastic in a very ladylike sort of way.
ReplyDeleteShe twists and turns and even scandalizes sometimes. Her books are about how we all interact, our insecurities and weaknesses when it comes to romance and how sometimes perceptions can interfere with our relationships. I think they are very well written. Maybe you should try Persuasion, that was one of her first books that I read that got me hooked on her writing. I will admit that I had to grow to love P & P, but once I finally did get into it, I loved it.
Anyway, that is my 2 cents on the subject. Thanks for the topic.