Jane Austen Club
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NotATameLion
New member
I love Pride & Prejudice n Sense & Sensibility
The books and the films
I like the chivary shown and romace
Alan Rickman was amazing as Colonel Brandon
Matthew Macfayden was brill as Mr Darcy
I saw P&P on stage two weeks ago which was really good
I just love Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy. He's so handsome and perfect for the role. Way better than Colin Firth! *dodges tomatoes*
"Pride and Prejudice" on stage...that sounds really interesting!
I love the new "Emma" on PBS. I can't wait for the final episode Sunday night!
I love Pride & Prejudice n Sense & Sensibility
The books and the films
I like the chivary shown and romace
Alan Rickman was amazing as Colonel Brandon
Matthew Macfayden was brill as Mr Darcy
I saw P&P on stage two weeks ago which was really good
I love Alan Rickman! He's brilliant
I saw Pride and Prejudice on stage at a community college around here, it was pretty good.
I love the new "Emma" on PBS. I can't wait for the final episode Sunday night!
I can't wait either!!!............. but.... is it during the superbowl....?
NotATameLion
New member
Yes, but on a different channel, of course. It comes on at 9:00, and according to tvguide.com, the Super Bowl will still be on then. I wouldn't know though, because I'm one of the few people who doesn't watch it.
I'd much rather be watching "Emma" than football.
I'm hoping we'll be able to record it
NotATameLion
New member
I've been on a real Austen kick lately.
I watched "Sense and Sensibility" the other day (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet version). I love that movie, but it had been so long since I watched it. It's so sweet, not to mention it has some hilarious moments. I always laugh at the scene where Elinor is writing by the window, and Margaret is sword-fighting with Edward. When he takes a moment to wave, Margaret sticks him in the stomach. I love that scene.
I watched "Sense and Sensibility" the other day (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet version). I love that movie, but it had been so long since I watched it. It's so sweet, not to mention it has some hilarious moments. I always laugh at the scene where Elinor is writing by the window, and Margaret is sword-fighting with Edward. When he takes a moment to wave, Margaret sticks him in the stomach.
I love that scene.
Copperfox
Well-known member
Interesting trivia fact:
Greg Wise, who played the villain in "Sense and Sensibility," more recently got to play a good guy in a less-famous nineteenth-century-Britain story on Masterpiece Theatre. Titled "Return to Cranford," this production starred Judi Dench, and was about a small town reacting to the creation of railroads.
Greg Wise, who played the villain in "Sense and Sensibility," more recently got to play a good guy in a less-famous nineteenth-century-Britain story on Masterpiece Theatre. Titled "Return to Cranford," this production starred Judi Dench, and was about a small town reacting to the creation of railroads.
I watched the whole BBC mini-series Pride & Prejudice last week. It's a wonderful adaptation of the story, much better to my mind than the movie with the lovely Keira Knightley, although the movie wasn't bad ... it just didn't have time to develop the themes the way the mini-series does.
So I was on an Austen high when I passed by the bookstore the other day and purchased a novel "The Other Mr Darcy" about Caroline Bingley's romance with Mr. Darcy's cousin from America ... the premise is all right, but I find the author has stretched the characters far from their Austen origins. Caroline Bingley, you will remember, was pretty much of a pretentious snob.
In this book, she's more of a free-spirit who was only forced to act so condescending because of her love for Mr Darcy and her desire to have him for herself. She's been rehabilitated into the heroine of this story, and as such, she's a much nicer person than ever she was in Pride and Prejudice, and it's her sister Louisa who's the real witch in this tale. For me, I think the author could have written a story about Caroline without making her such a wonderful but misunderstood woman, you know? I think she went overboard with the character rehabilitation withou first laying the groundwork for such a transformation. We're just to understand that it was her sister who was so false with Jane and Charles and so stuck up, not Caroline herself. But I don't think that's borne out at all in the original novel.
Also Mr. Darcy himself appears in a bad light so far in this book, chastising Caroline for her romance with his cousin because she is not up to his social standing! As if Darcy would ever fault someone else for such a thing! I think this was really taking too much liberty with the characters.
I also saw books about Mary Bennet and Georgianna Darcy in the same section with this one. Has anyone read any of these sequels by other authors? Are any of them more Asuten-like than this one?
So I was on an Austen high when I passed by the bookstore the other day and purchased a novel "The Other Mr Darcy" about Caroline Bingley's romance with Mr. Darcy's cousin from America ... the premise is all right, but I find the author has stretched the characters far from their Austen origins. Caroline Bingley, you will remember, was pretty much of a pretentious snob.
In this book, she's more of a free-spirit who was only forced to act so condescending because of her love for Mr Darcy and her desire to have him for herself. She's been rehabilitated into the heroine of this story, and as such, she's a much nicer person than ever she was in Pride and Prejudice, and it's her sister Louisa who's the real witch in this tale. For me, I think the author could have written a story about Caroline without making her such a wonderful but misunderstood woman, you know? I think she went overboard with the character rehabilitation withou first laying the groundwork for such a transformation. We're just to understand that it was her sister who was so false with Jane and Charles and so stuck up, not Caroline herself. But I don't think that's borne out at all in the original novel.
Also Mr. Darcy himself appears in a bad light so far in this book, chastising Caroline for her romance with his cousin because she is not up to his social standing! As if Darcy would ever fault someone else for such a thing! I think this was really taking too much liberty with the characters.
I also saw books about Mary Bennet and Georgianna Darcy in the same section with this one. Has anyone read any of these sequels by other authors? Are any of them more Asuten-like than this one?
Copperfox
Well-known member
I don't know the sequels, but I am familiar with the kind of tampering you describe, making someone look undeservedly good or bad. Once my actress sister Ricki got to star in the title role in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew;" and just because Katerina WAS her character, she insisted on making excuses for the nasty girl--even justifying her physically bullying her younger sister!
NotATameLion
New member
I haven't read any Austen "sequels." I don't think they could come close to the originals, so I don't even bother.
I have read a few Austen-themed books, though. "Austenland" is about a young woman who goes to an Austenish resort in England, and it was pretty good. "Prada & Prejudice" and "Enthusiasm" are teen books, and okay. I really loved "Just Jane," though, which is a bio-novel about Jane Austen's life. I also like "Dating Mr. Darcy," which is a Christian book for girls with relationship advice taken from "Pride and Prejudice."
So now that it's all aired, what did everyone think of the new "Emma"? I loved it! I bought it on DVD and watched it again over the weekend. It's my favorite "Emma" adaptation now.
I also watched the Masterpiece Theatre version of "Northanger Abbey" on PBS last night. It's okay. That's probably my least favorite of her novels, anyway (either that or "Mansfield Park"). "Persuasion" is coming on next Sunday night. I always liked that book and felt like it was sort of overlooked because of the other really popular ones.
I have read a few Austen-themed books, though. "Austenland" is about a young woman who goes to an Austenish resort in England, and it was pretty good. "Prada & Prejudice" and "Enthusiasm" are teen books, and okay. I really loved "Just Jane," though, which is a bio-novel about Jane Austen's life. I also like "Dating Mr. Darcy," which is a Christian book for girls with relationship advice taken from "Pride and Prejudice."
So now that it's all aired, what did everyone think of the new "Emma"? I loved it! I bought it on DVD and watched it again over the weekend.
It's my favorite "Emma" adaptation now.I also watched the Masterpiece Theatre version of "Northanger Abbey" on PBS last night. It's okay. That's probably my least favorite of her novels, anyway (either that or "Mansfield Park"). "Persuasion" is coming on next Sunday night. I always liked that book and felt like it was sort of overlooked because of the other really popular ones.
I missed Northanger Abby, and I felt badly about that. I had asked for "Emma" on DVD for Christmas, but I did not get it, so I still have not seen that one. I will Tivo Persuasion. Thanks for the tip!
I agree, Northanger is my least favorite of the books.
I agree, Northanger is my least favorite of the books.
NotATameLion
New member
I think I like "Northanger Abbey" (I like the book much more than the movie)slightly more than "Mansfield Park."
I just could never get over the whole thing of Edmund and Fanny being first cousins. I know, I know, it happened back then, but good grief. It's always made me uneasy.
I just could never get over the whole thing of Edmund and Fanny being first cousins. I know, I know, it happened back then, but good grief.
It's always made me uneasy.
Let's put the books in order of favorites.
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Emma
4. Persuasion
5. Mansfield Park
6. Northanger Abbey
I like all the books and have read them all multiple times, but I think this is the order if I had to pick favorite to least favorite.
I finished "The Other Mr. Darcy," and, I don't know, I think there is just something in modern sensibilities that can't quite capture the Austen charm. As I say, there were serious flaws in the characterizations in this particular novel, but at least it didn't get racy, for which I was grateful!
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Emma
4. Persuasion
5. Mansfield Park
6. Northanger Abbey
I like all the books and have read them all multiple times, but I think this is the order if I had to pick favorite to least favorite.
I finished "The Other Mr. Darcy," and, I don't know, I think there is just something in modern sensibilities that can't quite capture the Austen charm. As I say, there were serious flaws in the characterizations in this particular novel, but at least it didn't get racy, for which I was grateful!
NotATameLion
New member
^Good idea.
1. Pride and Prejudice (shocker, I know)
2. Emma
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Persuasion (I hate for this to be fourth...it's been a while since I've read it, and when I read it again, it may switch places with "Sense and Sensiblity"-as it is now, it may be a tie)
5. Northanger Abbey
6. Mansfield Park
Lizzie Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, and Emma Woodhouse are my favorite Austen heroines.
1. Pride and Prejudice (shocker, I know)
2. Emma
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Persuasion (I hate for this to be fourth...it's been a while since I've read it, and when I read it again, it may switch places with "Sense and Sensiblity"-as it is now, it may be a tie)
5. Northanger Abbey
6. Mansfield Park
Lizzie Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, and Emma Woodhouse are my favorite Austen heroines.
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Emma
and I've watched Mansfield park but never read it.
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Emma
and I've watched Mansfield park but never read it.
If you read Jane Austen's introduction she says that she was writing a heroine whom she knew everyone would hate
Austen had a pretty good sense of it, I think -- in Persuasion, too, it's clear the heroine was wrong not to accept her man's proposal before he'd made his fortune, and she regrets it even before she knows that he had made his fortune. And of course there are the youngest Miss Bennets who clearly are silly young things.
You know, that movie about Emma ... but with Reese Witherspoon ... gah, the title escapes me, it's a modern movie but it vaguely follows the plot line of the Emma story -- it was the same, the heroine was loveable and had a good heart, but she messed everything up for everyone. Not all medie types think all women incapable of messing up!
You know, that movie about Emma ... but with Reese Witherspoon ... gah, the title escapes me, it's a modern movie but it vaguely follows the plot line of the Emma story -- it was the same, the heroine was loveable and had a good heart, but she messed everything up for everyone. Not all medie types think all women incapable of messing up!