Jane Austen

[Valandil]

That's interesting GM. I may have to pick up that Companion Book myself. I am somewhat familiar with British Navy of that time from other readings - mostly Horatio Hornblower series by CS Forester. He gives a lot of information (along the way) about the kinds of ships, sailing, navy life, advancement and prize money. So that helped me connect with those kinds of things in Persuasion and Mansfield Park.

ceelee - I'm not sure where I would rank Persuasion. I loved P&P when I first read it, then read it again. I read Emma next, and debated with myself whether it was even better. Then, reading all the others in succession, it's just really hard to rate them against one another. I've enjoyed them all. There were some differences that stand out to me in Persuasion though:

* I think there's less dialog and a lot more narration.
* The characters are more isolated. Anne is very much alone. And we don't REALLY get inside Captain Wentworth's head until the very end of the book. Otherwise, we only have Anne's analysis of what's going on. In many ways, that's very realistic as we move toward a relationship ourselves though.
* There were a few places where things were a little unclear, some sentences I wasn't quite sure of, some spellings I wasn't sure of (unless they've changed... possible). I wonder if some of these things (and maybe even the preference for narration over dialog) were due to Jane's illness.
* At a couple points, I started to wonder if there were somewhat subtle sexuality aspects - and I wonder if they're in some of her other books and I've missed them. I also wonder if the nickname for 'Richard' was already used in slang reference to the male anatomy 200 years ago, and if that's what she was getting at in one point.

Just some musings...

Rian - are you sure about the 'up' for London? I've never noticed that anywhere before. Jerusalem of course, both because it was The Holy City, and because it was physically on high ground, but I hadn't heard that about London.

[Rían]

I'd heard that about London, but never about Jerusalem! But that makes sense about Jerusalem.

[Rían]

Yes, it looks like it's up to London ...

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=236330

and from another place at that site:
"It's an old-fashioned usage. In old railway timetables "up trains" always meant towards London, "down trains" away from London, regardless of geographic direction. And students at Oxford (or Cambridge?) would talk about being "up" when they were at college, "down" when they weren't. And being "sent down" was a very very bad situation to be in...have to explain that one to Pater, and he'd be in a frightful wax..."

[Count Comfect]

Rian is correct - especially regarding Oxbridge, where referring to a London train as "up" might be a capital offense! There is no up uppier than Oxford...or Cambridge, if you went to that benighted institution.

[Coffeehouse]

Jane Austen.. never-ending English classes.. *shivers*

We read Pride and Prejudice in class and then we watched that BBC series that lasted for ages with Mr. Darcy and the up-to-no-good Wickham.

I can't say I liked the books, all those names confused me. Was a bit better with the seriess, but that's only because those British accents sounded so hilarious and that crazy mother always had some emotional breakdown

[nasuada]

I've just started to read Jane Austen, The only one I've read so far is Pride and Prejudice, and I'm starting on Persuasion. I've watched a lot of the movies, I watched Emma the most recent, the one with Gwyneth Paltrow, I love that movie, it's hiliarious.

[GrayMouser]

I would strongly suggest your next choice should be "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_a...ce_and_Zombies

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I saw that; it looked really funny!

[Valandil]

Recently decided to re-read some Austen novels. I went through Pride & Prejudice pretty quickly. Always a good read, and that must have been at least my 6th or 8th time through it. Then picked up Emma, which I had not read in awhile.

Don't recall feeling this way before, but I'm really starting to dislike Emma. Not the book, the person. I'm just under halfway through the book, so maybe this will change.

Anyone else feel that way reading through?

I've probably read P&P and S&S more than the others. Maybe I'll go on to some of my other less-read Austens. I've read all at least twice before, I think.

Going back in this thread, I saw someone's recommendation of The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen - and we've just ordered it. I look forward to getting that. (EDIT: It was GrayMouser who suggested it)

[Mari]

I've always disliked Emma. I recently watched an adaptation by the BBC (a recent one) and that was the first time I kinda liked her, but in general I think she's an arrogant know-it-all who doesn't know a thing. Just like those annoying neighbours sitting behind their geraniums and blinds watching your every move and telling you what you did wrong every time you see them.

[Valandil]

I'm drawing closer to the end of the book, and at last Emma is becoming more tolerable. What struck me this time, was just HOW stuck-up she was. So aware of her social standing, and most interested in putting others in their place, if they transgressed against her in some way.

On my first reading, several years back, this book struck me as the funniest of Austen's works. Maybe because it's a joke repeated (for my third or fourth time, at least), but it hasn't seemed funny at all this time.

In retrospect, considering all Austen's works - I later realized that this one is singular in that the heroine of the story does not NEED to marry - for reasons of finances, property, material comfort - as do those in Austen's five other novels.

Jane Austen's insight into the characters of people just amazes me. You start to feel that she has known someone that each of her subjects is modeled after. And she skewers us all so well.

EDIT: btw, my "Cambridge Companion" just arrived the other day. I've given it a glance, and look forward to getting into it further once I've finished Emma. Or... maybe I'll be picking up one of the other novels first.

[Valandil]

The Cambridge Companion is helpful. There was one thing I was looking for that I didn't find in it yet: the nature of "entailment" of an estate. Why some estates were entailed, and others not, and how they came to be that way.

I searched online a little and finally found a good explanation. Along with a few bad ones.

= = = = =

I noticed something else. Continuing my reading, I made it through Emma, and am now halfway through Sense and Sensibility. I'll probably keep going and read them all once through again. Anyway - I noticed an interesting connection between Emma and S&S. Mrs Palmer - who is Mrs Jennings younger daughter - mentions that they're expecting the Westons to visit in London, and also mention being in Weymouth. Of course in Emma - the Westons are major characters, and Mr. Weston's son - Frank Churchill - along with Jane Fairfax, had met at Weymouth, along with others.

I wondered at first if Austen was referencing backwards to the Emma characters - but Emma was published five years later than S & S. So I imagine she just re-used the name and the place when she got to Emma.

[Valandil]

Just finished watching the 2009 Emma. First time I saw that version. I REALLY liked it. Great casting, and it somehow makes Emma (the person) a bit more sympathetic to the audience. Has anyone seen that one?

[Mari]

That may have been the one I mentioned earlier.

[Valandil]

Kept going on the Austen novels, and just finished my sixth and last - Mansfield Park. (though I've read all before - at least twice)

[Rían]

I love Austen! It amazes me how current her characters are - you would never guess how long ago they were written.

Emma is my least favorite. P&P and S&S are my favorites. Northanger Abbey is really funny - IIRC, it was C.S. Lewis' favorite read for when he was sick in bed. Mansfield Park is a little heavy, but interesting. Which one am I missing? *goes to her bookcase* Oh yeah, Persuasion. Kind of slower and heavier, but still very good - you end up really rooting for the heroine.