*Really likes the twirling in the swing scene* I think Charlotte's acting in that scene is just phenomenal. Are Darcy and Wickham supposed to be related? I didn't think they were.

*likes that scene as well* I thought the changes were nice as well. The acting was superb and it added more emotion to it I guess. Yeah they're not related, Wickham was just very close to the family.

but Knightley is one of the best Austen heroes.

Are you referring to Kiera Knightley's portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet, or am I blanking out on an Austen character who happens to bear the name of Knightley?

Mr.Knightley in "Emma". George Knightley is Emmas's neighbour from the adjacent estate of Donwell, and the brother of her elder sister Isabella's husband.
And I agree, Lady Arwen! I love Mr. Knightly!

^I do too! But my fave Austen hero is Darcy, then Wentworth .

I think there was a Jane Austen feature the last time I was on Nweb (about a year ago!) Now I feel I've come full circle

My absolute favourite work by Austen, without a doubt, is Persuasion. I LOVE it. I think I realised this only last year, after I saw my sister reading it -was seized with book envy and so had to re-read it. I think Anne's character is amazing, challenging, unique to Austen's other heroines -and Captain Wentworth isn't half bad either! And you know when you're pondering something in life that a book speaks to you on because you happen to be reading it at a time when it's most appropriate to you -well I think that's partly why I like it so much (not that I have some deep estranged love or a cousin after me!).

Following Persuasion, I'm a huge fan of Mansfield Park. Though not that older adaptation (ahh -couldn't even get through it, the acting was so gosh awful!)

Northanger Abbey and Sense & Sensibility I liked; but the former was too light-hearted and rather hard to identify with for me -and the latter I should re-read because I enjoyed it at the time but am not sure what I think of it now. I believe I thought Maryanne needed a good talking to most of the way through the book.

Emma I really struggled to get through, perhaps because I'd just read P&P, and wasn't ready for a slower-paced novel; though I'd echo everyone here who admires Mr. Knightley -he was brilliant! The Emma Thompson version of the book was great as well -I think I sympathised more with Emma there than through the pages of the book (shocking & heretic, I know).

As for other film adaptations, I didn't realise there was a 2007 Persuasion, I'm excited to learn that! I know quite a few people here enjoyed the Hinds & Root version, but I really didn't enjoy it at all. It had its great moments, but didn't really flow as one piece and I could not take Anne's sister in it seriously.

The only other adaptation's I've seen are of the P&P varieties. I loved the Knightley & McFadyen version as a stand alone piece; but have to say I prefer Colin Firth's Darcy to any other I've seen. I have this niggling feeling that there is a black and white version as well that I've seen -but I'm not sure if that really is or not -I saw it years and years ago and it could just be my imagination!

And definitely some Bronte with my cup of Austen.

Perhaps it is because personally speaking, I prefer the keep-calm-and-carry-on approach to life, which is I think some of, at least, what comes through in Austen's work and is the view of some of her heroines, and actually find myself, in many cases, turned off by extreme emotion.

I quite agree with the approach to life, but I must say I prefer reading the emotional. That doesn't mean I don't like Austen, though.

I think there was a Jane Austen feature the last time I was on Nweb (about a year ago!) Now I feel I've come full circle

A little Austen and Brontë is always good for the soul...and I did see that you came back...many welcomes! It is wonderful to see old acquaintances again.

And you know when you're pondering something in life that a book speaks to you on because you happen to be reading it at a time when it's most appropriate to you -well I think that's partly why I like it so much (not that I have some deep estranged love or a cousin after me!).

Yes! S&S was like that for me...I'm going, "Wait! That's me in there! Get out of the book and back into your own life!" And, I also am very happy that you don't have said circumstances. One of my few real "problems" with Austen is at least one, if not more, of the girls in each book ends up in a really strange situation that isn't quite probable...but then again, that's part of what makes the books so interesting, anyway.

I loved the Knightley & McFadyen version as a stand alone piece; but have to say I prefer Colin Firth's Darcy to any other I've seen.

Agreed, I have to view the former version as almost a story separate from the book (same way I [kind of] reconciled myself to PC), and Colin Firth was absolutely wonderful--he plays the part with the same moody-ness I envisioned when I first read the book.

The b&w version, btw, isn't that good. It has some cute changes, but I couldn't quote forgive that

Please note that this Special Feature will be closing on Wednesday evening, March 31. Y'all know which topics to visit for future discussion.

The b&w version, btw, isn't that good. It has some cute changes, but I couldn't quote forgive that

Spoiler

Lady Catherine actually approves of and actively encourages Darcy to pursue a second relationship with Elizabeth

. That and other similar revisions kind of spoiled it.

I could forgive most of the changes in the B&W P&P, after all it was the 40's, we're lucky they didn't make a musical complete with Mr. Darcy doing the cha-cha!

*shutters at the mental image that provides*

My biggest problem with it was the costumes, of course. Austen is not the huge hoop skirt type. As much as I love huge hoop skirts, it's almost seems sacrilegious to put Lizzie in a bonnet three times the size of her head.

Also I didn't like the guy who played Darcy AT ALL. I guess the actor was a big deal back then, but I really did get why, I wasn't impressed.

I started to watch the '95 P&P last night but only made it in about ten minutes before my mom told me to put in another movie the whole fmaily could enjoy *sigh* . Oh well, hopefully I'll start watching again tonight...

I grew up on Jane Austen...my Dad's a fan so he actually pushed me to read "Pride & Prejudice" when I was eleven. I liked it, of course, but didn't really become the fan I am until I was about fourteen/fifteen. For a while, "Pride & Prejudice" was my favorite...I thought Mr. Darcy and Lizzie were the greatest...but that was before I picked up her other novels. Now, "Emma" is my favorite...Emma and Mr. Knightley my favorite Jane Austen heroine and hero...but "Sense & Sensibility" and "Persuasion" tie for a very close 2nd!

Favorite movie versions would have to be: "Pride & Prejudice" '95 (Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle)...couldn't stand the Keira Knightley one...both the '95 and '08 versions of "Sense & Sensibility", "Persuasion" '08 (I didn't LOVE this one, but I prefer it to the '95 version...), the '09 and Miramax versions of "Emma", "Northanger Abbey" '08, and I have yet to see a version of "Mansfield Park" that I like...doesn't surprise me since I never cared all that much for the book anyhow!

^ditto about the Persuasion adaptions . I didn't adore the '08 one but in my opinion it was better than '95 (or the older one for that matter).