My list... 1. I'm going to listen to Mansfield Park on audio book. It's the only one I haven't read this year and it's my least favourite, so wondering if I'll prefer it on audio. 2. Catherine/The Bower. I've read most of her juvenilia and unfinished stories but somehow missed this one. 3. It's more Georgian as a whole than strictly Regency but I'm going to read Covent Garden Ladies. 4. Mortal Follies, a Regency romantasy and I also want to try a Bridgerton novel. 5. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister too! 6. The 2020 Emma, I haven't watched it yet! 7. Playing it safe here and going for the 2024 Sense and Sensibility series adaptation.
S&S is my second favourite: "Persuasion" being my first. S&S with Emma Thompson is being shown in our cinema's this month (Classic movies summer) and I'll definitely will be seeing that. I still had "Miss Austen" by Gill Hornby on my TBR and I'm also going to read Lucy Worsley's book "Jane Austen at home". As for the 5th prompt I decided to read something quite different and chose "The school for scandal" by Richard B. Sheridan. For the adaptation I'm going to watch the RU-vid series "Rational creatures", a retelling of Persuasion". I'm so looking forward to this month!
Thank you for not raving about the Chiltern edition. I feel like I’m the only one who thinks the Chiltern editions are aweful and tacky (because of the golden edges). I also think the Marjolein Bastion (or something like that) editions have nothing to do with the story.
Made a new list of classics I own to prevent buying doubles, and I found I own 14 Wordsworth books. And those are just the ones I could easily remember the location of. I love charity shops, so none of them were ever more than £3.
Mary Bennet was given far more characterisation than Kitty. We know that she is proud of her accomplishments and works hard at them. She reads, extracts and quotes moral texts without really understanding their meaning. Mary is quite proud but does not keep her pride under good regulation, she also believes that she enjoys a real superiority of mind without this being even close to the truth. She has, on at least one occasion wished to say something very sensible but been unable to do so and it is fair to say that the narrative voice wishes us to believe that this is not an unusual occurrence. She is exactly the sort of person who would talk about offering the balm of sisterly consolation then continue by offering exactly the opposite. We know that Mary is attracted to Mr Collins and would be open to an offer, she noted his solidity more than once. Mary seems to view solidity as the cardinal virtue. Comparatively, we know that Kitty seems to like what Lydia likes and do what Lydia does but with less 'success'. We can infer a fair bit but we know very little. I agree with what you say about Mary being isolated by her status as the middle child but the text provides some support to the idea that Mary is isolated, at least in part, because she is not very pleasant to be around. In Mary's defence, she was raised by the least effective parents in literature by parents whose treatment of her would be called emotional abuse today. Perhaps Mary and Kitty Bennet should be commended for not developing into the Regency equivalent of bond villains.
i just finished the book, its one of the first books that ive read in general. I suspected the killer from the beginning cause I was thinking of many real-life cases were the murderer helps the authorities and wants to be around during the investigation so they learn the new information and also misguide them but then the phone call changed my mind
I mostly read old books so I don't pay attention to new releases. I either come across a book that intrigues me in shops, or I go based on recommendations from videos on here. There's a lot of recommendations videos and lists out there.
Sense and Sensibility may be my favorite Austen novel, having been greatly swayed by Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Colonel Brandon in the 1995 adaptation of S&S.
Having given up physical books for audio ones this year just so that I could combine reading with my current obsession with ‘slow stitching’ ( go on, I dare you to enter that rabbit hole - it involves embroidery), I MUST get that Jane Austen embroidery book. I look forward to hearing about your sewing adventures. 🪡🧵
I'm a rather casual JAJ participant. Sense and Senisibility is the only one of the big 6 that I haven't read yet, so that has got to be a read for me this year. I am also planning on the Rosamund Pike audiobook. I'm also planning to read a recent Australian retelling of Pride and Prejudice called Stuck Up & Stupid by actress Angourie Rice and her playwright mother Kate Rice. Angourie is actually a committed reader, and has a lovely reading podcast called The Community Library, so I have high hopes for SU&S. I also have a beautiful book called Jane Austen's Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson, it's such a gorgeous volume that it comes Wrapped in Plastic. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies back in the day when it came out, and remember it as quite fun. I don't think I knew there was a movie, I've certainly not seen it. Might have to check it out, as well as at least one screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.
What a wonderful TBR! I loved that embroidery book! You're making me want to pick up my embroidery from a few years ago... but I'll probably use any spare time for reading in print if possible. If you need any embroidery tips or assistance just let me know. I admire your sensible TBR. Mine would be doable for some people, but is an unrealistic fantasy for me at the moment. 🥰
I'm a Jane Austin newbie. I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about earlier this year, and watched the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice. It did take me until the last five minutes or so of the first episode before I started to get it but then I was hooked. Bought the book and set it aside for Jane Austin July. So many prompts to choose from but happily I also watched Gentleman Jack recently and loved it so the Anne Lister diaries have been on my tbr since then, so this seems the perfect time to read the first volume. Looking forward to savouring these two books over July. Thank you, love your videos.
I believe Ann Listers diaries are written in code. I just read The Watsons and I am reading a commentary on Janes writing. And I read Sense and Sensibility last year so I wont be reading it again. I may read one by her contemporary, Maria Edgeworth or a regency romance . I used to read fan fiction adaptation but I don't enjoy it.
Strangely enough, reading Pride & Prejudice and Zombies is what made me want to read the real Pride & Prejudice! My grad-school friend was letting me sleep over on his couch on one day a week so that I wouldn't have to do my big long commute just to get to the 8:30am grad class that we both had to attend. I noticed the book on his shelf, and I asked him if he minded if I read it on the days I stayed over. He didn't mind, and I read it because it seemed like it would be strange and ridiculous (which it was, and I was vaguely amused). But it was obvious that the original had be very, very good at minimum -- so after years of avoiding Austen, I finally read Pride & Prejudice! And it was SO GOOD. I then went and bought a set of her complete works, having read only Pride & Prejudice and Emma. I love them all, except for Mansfield Park. The Pride & Prejudice and Zombies movie is an interesting adaptation of the premise of the book, and does depart further from the plot than the book does. It's ridiculous, but somewhat enjoyable and interesting if you are prepared for that. Happy watching!
I looked at the embroidery book but decided it was a bit ambitious for my level! I chose a much more modest colouring book instead 😂 I have the Anne Lister diaries on my list and Jane Austen Investigates just because I have it. Love seeing your suggestions!
I'm so intrigued by "Jane Austen Embroidery". I'm still a novice at embroidery but I've been wanting to order this book for months now. Naturally, I'm looking forward to your project(s) and your verdict on the book.
It had not occurred to me that audiobooks were an option! My choice for the first challenge was Mansfield Park because it's the one Austen book I actively dislike and I wanted part of the challenge to be really challenging. But I think listening to it will be easier than reading it, so maybe not that challenging. 2nd challenge: Lady Susan. A refreshing little snack after MP. 3rd challenge: Regency Christmas Traditions, by Maria Grace. Taking it easy with this one too. 4th challenge: The Heiress, by Molly Greeley. I found a lot of choices here, including 2 Regency murder mysteries I hadn't read yet, but I decided to stick close to Austen and settled on a book about Anne de Bourgh. 5th challenge: Belinda, by Maria Edgeworth. Because Austen admired her. 6th challenge: Persuasion (1995). Sheer indulgence, that's my favorite Austen book and this is my favorite film version. 7th challenge: Rational Creatures, at this point I just have to.
Claudia I have this grand image of you skillfully embroidering as you listen to novels for time to come 🎉❤ I’ve seen the film the secret diaries of Anne Lister it’s wonderful! Can’t wait to share Austen July with you. I’ll watch pride and prejudice and zombies with you I haven’t seen the whole thing.
There are no "Looking for a Baronet," either! Because that would be more like "Settling for a Baronet." So many classics were meant to be read aloud, around the fireplace, as a family for entertainment. I think that's why those long descriptive passages were so prevalent, as well, because they didn't have the visual medium of film/TV like we do. Can't wait for your Sanditon review! I have a whole Jane Austen shelf and I'm not sure what I'm doing . . . we'll see!
I am planning to do the group reads: Sense and Sensibility, Sanditon and The Watsons. For a book set in her time, I am going to read The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I also chose Jane Austen Embroidery - I don't embroider but was intrigued. I may finally get to Frankenstein for a book by a contemporary. I think my movies will be Bride and Prejudice and the Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson. I am really looking forward to July!
My former sister-in-law was pretty much a late 20th-century Fanny Dashwood (the step-son's wife). Sense and Sensibility was a touchstone that helped me in real life when dealing with her.
And we’re back! I’ve already got a head-start on Sense & Sensibility so hopefully I should finish it by July 16. Luckily I have the audiobook too! Ps: I’m planning on only three of the challenges; because there some other books I want read in July. Challenge 1. Group: Sense & Sensibility Challenge 2. Read a retelling: Where The Rhythm Takes You Challenge 3. Watch a Jane Austen adaptation: Sense & Sensibility
This sounds wonderful! I too will be reading Heyer as well as a more modern romance. (I have never read a romance novel before.) Can’t wait to see your embroidery project!
That embroidery project sounds like lots of fun! I'm planning on learning chochet while listening audiobooks during July 😃. I'll be rereading Mansfield Park this year and for the contemporary I was thinking on Pamela by Richardson (stretching timeline a bit) but now I'm considering The Vicar of Wakefield as it's much shorter, I believe 😅 PS: I forgot to mention I'm also planning on reading Barnaby Rudge for a book set in Jane Austen's time 😁
July will be quite busy for me, but I think I'll listen to the BBC Radio Drama Collection from 2016 on my commute. I might not get to all 6 novels, but S&S is the third one and that should be doable. Rewatching all the adaptions is always a treat, but I probably won't have the time. On the nonfiction side, I might read The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling, about paleontologist Mary Anning.
Sense and Sensibility is my favourite. Am I the only one? 😮 And Marianne is my favourite character. ❤ It is the story that made me fall in love with the world of Jane Austen.
It's definitely my second favorite, right below Pride And Prejudice, and I think it's a fabulous book. Love Claudia, but I don't agree that it's noone's favorite Austen book.
Since I read a lot more audiobooks these days, I think I'll listen to a BBC dramatization of Jane Austen's work this July. It should be quite enjoyable :)
Lockwood helps you to grasp the atmosphere of the story, just like the railway compartment in Idiot, this is the moment when you get hooked and dragged on to the end
