My sisters love Jane Austen. Being a guy, I've never fully read any of her novels (although that's a weak argument, since I do know a few guys who have read her works). I have submitted to watching movie versions of her novels, however, and I've seen at least two versions of all her novels, save Northanger Abbey (which I've only seen one version of) and Mansfield Park (which I have, thus far, avoided... ). My working-knowledge of Austen which I gained from listening to my sisters and watching the movies helped me pass English Literature . Some guys may think reading and/or watching those sorts of books/movies is lame, but honestly, I can enjoy Austen's wit and humor, and her view of how the world was at her time. From the small fragments I have read, it's clear that she was a very good author, and as someone who loves writing, I respect that.

I actually have most of her novels on Kindle, since Amazon sells all her stuff for free... maybe some day I'll read them fully. Just curious; are there any male Nwebbers who have read and enjoyed them?

Yay! A Jane Austen SF! *cheers*

Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors, and my favourite of her works are Persuasion and Mansfield Park. The others are all very fine indeed, but those two are my favourites.

I first was introduced to Austen's work about seven years ago, I'd guess, through the Emma Thompson version of Sense & Sensibility and the Paltrow version of Emma (the latter, to this day, remains my favourite film version of the said novel). At the time of my first watching them (when I was ten or eleven), I was too young to properly understand and appreciate the story, and found them boring. However, in 2006, after watching the '05 Pride & Prejudice, I discovered that I liked Austen much much more than I thought I would, especially after the first time I read P&P. Since then I've read, or so I believe, all of her published work, and was glad that I did take the time to do so.

My favourite Austen films are the 1995 Persuasion and the 1980s mini-series version of Pride and Prejudice. I do like the 2005 version of P&P, however, I have not seen it in some time and I think that when I do watch it again, I won't like it as much due to modern additions, innuendo, and etc. We'll see though. Other Austen adaptations I've very much enjoyed are the 1980s Mansfield Park, and the 1980s Sense and Sensibility. Of course, to some degree I've enjoyed almost every one of the Austen adaptations I've seen, some much more than others (those others shall remain currently nameless).

Bother Eustace: Just wait for Lysander to get here. He likes Jane. There are others too; I think Booky is a fan.

It's been about 2 years since I read Jane, but I'm taking a British Romantics class next quarter, so I'll probably read one then. At the time that I read them I was only just beginning to read classics and enjoy them and take them seriously. I read all of her major works in about 3 months. I'm not surprised then, that my favorites of all her works from that time were two of her lighter novels. I loved Northanger Abbey for it's sassy narration and biting humor. I also saw a lot of myself in Catherine's naivete and in her prone-ness to "blond moments." My other favorite is Mansfield Park. I love Fanny's relationship with Edmund and the strength of her convictions as well as her humility. A lot of people don't like Fanny, but I love her.

I also read Lady Susan, which I really liked. Jane does Epistolary narrative pretty well.

Bother Eustace: I'm glad you appreciate her writing . You should read a whole novel one day. They're fantastic. I know alot of guys who read Jane Austen, or at least watch the movies. Even though they're romance books, I think anyone can enjoy them b/c of Jane's writing style.

ForeverFan: I hope you watch Pride and Prejudice again soon. I'd like to know what you think is modern. I haven't really noticed anything, but I haven't read the book in a while, or ever seen the 1995 version.

Kate: wow you read the books fast ! Cool about that class- I need to find some good classes to take around here, or at least book studies .

I started reading Austen in January of last year. Ever since I was really young I always begged to read Pride and Prejudice but my mom had me wait until then b/c she didn't want me to start reading romances early. Since then I've read Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion. I hope to start reading Masfield Park soon. After I'm done with the books I'm currently reading.

I have all the books and a few of the movies- 1995 P&P (even though I haven't seen it yet ), the 2008 version of Sense and Sensibility (my personal fave), and 2007 Persuasion. I've seen every version of Persuasion, 3 of Emma, 3 S&S, and 1 P&P. Hopefully I'll watch the 1995 version of P&P soon.

I love Fanny's relationship with Edmund and the strength of her convictions as well as her humility. A lot of people don't like Fanny, but I love her.

Fanny's convictions and her humility and just the overall strength of her moral character was something that deeply impressed me about her in my latest (and second complete time through) re-read of the book just a week or so ago. I think I have a new appreciation for her overall! I don't think I ever thought she was boring per se, but I think I just didn't really understand her role in the story, I didn't really catch what Miss Austen was trying to say through Fanny until now. It was amazing though! Fanny is definitely someone I'd like to aspire to be in areas of my life.

ForeverFan: I hope you watch Pride and Prejudice again soon. I'd like to know what you think is modern. I haven't really noticed anything, but I haven't read the book in a while, or ever seen the 1995 version.

I'll be sure to post somewhere my thoughts when I watch it again- at present I can't list what is modern off hand, but I know that at other times wisewoman and Lysander (I think?) have talked about the more modern inclusions and some of the other things, so I'm sure that I'll notice them somewhat. But like you, I haven't read the book in some years ( I really need to correct that!) so maybe it would help if I read the book than watched the movie, or vice versa. Hmm.

I hope you can see the '95 version of P&P soon, I have some minor-ish quibbles with it (such as casting on the younger Bennet girls, and how I perceive Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to be done) but it's still a nice adaptation on the whole and worth seeing.

Ooh, a JA thread!
I've read all of her works except Mansfield Park which I really need to get around to reading. In fact, it's sitting on my bookshelf with all the other books I really need to get around to reading.
I have to say Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of her novels. I really, really loved Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, too. I never really cared for Sense and Sensibility or Emma. I still like them, but they're not my favorites of JA's novels.
As for film adaptions, I've seen two adaptions of S&S, Emma, and Persuasion, and three of P&P. I tend to like the 'older' adaptions better, except for the newest Emma and the '05 P&P.
I'd like to see the newer film version of Northanger Abbey, but I've been told it's 'weird'. I'd like to hear some opinions of it on here. Has anyone seen it?

Hopefully I'll watch the 1995 version of P&P soon.

Do watch it, because I really want to hear your opinion of it. I prefer the '80 and '05 versions of P&P, but it seems most people in the world prefer the '95 version. I'd like to see your take on it.

I'd like to see the newer film version of Northanger Abbey, but I've been told it's 'weird'. I'd like to hear some opinions of it on here. Has anyone seen it?

If by newer version you mean the version that came out in 2007, then I have seen it. In fact that's the only version I've seen and I've never read the book. As for it being weird... I think I know why someone would say that. At several points the movie plays upon Catherine's love for gothic novels; there are a few 'daydream sequences' where she is pitted as a damsel in distress. These scenes are sometimes rather weird; at one point, she's reading a segment from a particular book which is rather lewd (although there is no such 'daydream' here, only a shot of her voraciously reading the book and her voice narrating what she's reading). Like I said, I have nothing to compare this movie to since I never saw any other version or read the book; but I assume that's the 'wierdness' that is being referred to. It's not a terrible movie, though. I liked it for the most part.

Yay! A Jane Austen SF! *cheers*

I second this.

I've read Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I plan to read the other ones sometimes. Austen is an excellent writer. I like her humor and the way she critiques the characters and society.

I absolutely love the 1995 BBC's version of Pride and Prejudice. It is very close to the books - the closes adaptation of any book I've ever seen. I just finished rereading the book and want to watch it again and do an extremely detailed comparison. My sister and I read the book at the same time so we could discuss it and watch the film versions together. I've seen at least three versions of it. One was a black and white version and was rather ridiculous. I think I've seen the the '05 version. Is that the one that has Elizabeth and Darcy sitting on a porch or veranda or something? (I remember such random things. ). I have seen a movie version of Sense and Sensibility but I'm not sure what version it was.

Sometime late last year I started reading Jane Austen to see what all the fans of hers were speaking of. I was actually rather pleased at what I read, even though I was sort of critically looking at it in the beginning. Jane Austen definitely makes it to my list of favourite authors, but not quite the top-five/ten-favourites. Not that I find anything specifically wrong with her or her novels, though.
From the list, I've read Pride & Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. I keep thinking I've read more than that, but I've only started Emma and Mansfield Park but then put them down to finish a book I had waited for some time to arrive. Anyways, I really need to read more Jane Austen.

Brother Eustace, if you don't feel your manliness is insulted by watching the movies, and you enjoy reading novels of that style and time period, I think you should definitely try the books as well. I've read each of them once, and by the time I finish out my Austen class this semester (one of the best classes I've ever taken! ) I'll have read each twice. They're wonderful, witty pieces of literature. Plus, girls are usually pretty impressed when they find out you've read Jane of your own choosing.

It's been about 2 years since I read Jane, but I'm taking a British Romantics class next quarter, so I'll probably read one then.

Really? I'd be surprised if they included her in the syllabus - Austen is really more of a Neoclassicist than a Romantic. The only one of her novels that I've ever heard called Romantic is Persuasion, which might suggest a shift in her thinking since it was her last completed work, but I think it's telling that the following fragment Sanditon returns to a Neoclassical way of looking at the world and satirizes some of the Romantic notions of the day.

I wouldn't call Mansfield Park light at all! Indeed, it's one of her most complex works, and certainly her darkest.

I'd like to see the newer film version of Northanger Abbey, but I've been told it's 'weird'. I'd like to hear some opinions of it on here. Has anyone seen it?

It's not that "weird," at least not compared to the 80s version, which I have yet to see. Take a gander at that version's ending ... WHAT? My main problem with the new film is that they added quite a bit of innuendo to the story, the worst bit being Catherine reading a passage from M. G. Lewis' very racy story The Monk. Once you get past that, it's a very passable adaptation, with a great cast.

I'm not sure if I have a favorite of Austen's novels. The first time around Persuasion was tops for me, with P&P and S&S following closely behind, but so far my rereads have been totally changing my opinion of the books. For instance, I really didn't like Mansfield Park when I first read it, whereas now I love it, and at the moment I'm having a bit of trouble getting through Sense and Sensibility.

Of the movies, my favorites are the Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility and the Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds Persuasion, both from 1995. I'm not sure I have a favorite Pride and Prejudice or Emma ... it's been too long since I've sat through any of those adaptations all the way through, with the exception of the latest Emma miniseries, which I didn't particularly like. As I said, the new Northanger is quite entertaining, but I'm afraid neither of the last two Mansfield Park movies are anything like the book. Oh, and I very much liked the TV biopic Miss Austen Regrets, starring the lovely Olivia Williams as Jane herself. After the S&S and Persuasion, that may be my favorite Austen-related film at the moment.

*does not remember the ending scene of the 80's NA at all* Though the music sounds right, and the actors look right... and yeah, I'm pretty sure he rode up through the mist, but... it must have looked better in context. Really, the only thing the wrong with it was that they forgot that the book was hilarious and the movie was treated as if it were supposed to be dark and gothic. (Oh, and they cut most of Henry's speeches in the beginning which were, in my opinion, the best part of the book. "Muslin can never be said to be wasted. I have heard my sister say so a thousand times when she has been careless in cutting a new garment." )

Brother Eustace, if you don't feel your manliness is insulted by watching the movies, and you enjoy reading novels of that style and time period, I think you should definitely try the books as well ... They're wonderful, witty pieces of literature.

Yes, I am quite secure enough to watch them I think I will try reading them soon. *puts Pride & Prejudice on book list*

Plus, girls are usually pretty impressed when they find out you've read Jane of your own choosing.

Haha! I'm sure. I've already noticed they are impressed when I even know the stories at all.

Oh, and I very much liked the TV biopic Miss Austen Regrets, starring the lovely Olivia Williams as Jane herself.

Fanny had once shared a link with a soundtrack of Miss Austen Regrets (Fanny's Wedding, it was); I immediately fell in love with the piece and that's how I heard of it. I learnt was something about Jane Austen's last years? What is the basic synopsis of it, if I may ask?

Bother Eustace: well we are but that shouldn't be your only reason for reading them .

yay lysander! seems like you've been gone from the forum quite alot lately...

I've been dragging through the 80's version of Persuasion- they do everything so boring. It's like they used the book as a script, which is not always a bad thing, but Persuasion has a very boring beginning for such a great book so filming scenes word for word is does not make for a good movie.

lysander and Bella: ooh I love Miss Austen Regrets! It's basically about Jane's last years. It shows some of her love interests and how she never ends up with any of them. Her love for Cassandra and her friendship with her niece. It's very nice, though a bit sad.