Bronte or Austen ?

[herethereeverywhere]

Just that really. Just had a debate with my sister regarding them both (all Brontes vs Jane Austen ). I said that although I do love P&P and Persuasion for me it's the Brontes every time. DSis thinks you can't beat Austen for escapism though. Apologies if this has been done on here before but DSis and I have decided to bow down to the mumsnet vote

Austen every time for me. I love them all.

(except Mansfield Park)

It's pretty evenly split then I agree with the pp who said it depends on your mood. With the weather being rainy and windy and it getting dark earlier I am definitely more in a Bronte mood.

Don't read George Eliot. Trust me, you'll never get those hours back.

Why do you have to make an either/or choice? And the Brontes are 3 different people. I loved Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall but was disappointed by Agnes Grey.

Another one for Austen here. Love the mickey-taking of the Gothic horror novels in Northanger Abbey. Of all the Bronte works I prefer the ones penned by Anne. What a shame they all died before their genius was appreciated.

Hardy for me. If I'm pushed, I'd go for Brontes.

Austen
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Austen

Forget wittering about on the moors. Give me sparkling conversation and little bits of ivory any day.

Austen all the way. If wuthering heights was written now it would attract venom on MN a la twilight. Jane eyre is if anything even more fucked up.

Bronte for me - Austen is too mannered - I like all that passion.

Love Austen on the telly though - especially with ole Col' (intelligent me)

I also thought this was a baby name thread

Austen, any time.

I have to be feeling virtuous to attempt a Bronte, although I like Tenant when I get into it - I relate to him better than her though

Hardy? He's the literary equivalent of music to slit your wrists by.

I can cope with Hardy but Geoge E makes me want to shred up the books and THEN slit my wrists - soooooooooo tedious.

I must be immature because I don't get Austen. Haven't managed to finish any book by her other than Northanger Abbey.

Wuthering Heights - A bunch of terribly rude people being unfriendly with each other. Didn't finish it either.

Jane Eyre was a great read though.

Austen. I have read them all several times over, but can't be doing with all the wailing and gnashing of teeth with the Brontes. Agree with BOF, Mansfield park is grim: Fanny is such a wet lettuce.

Thackery/Vanity Fair is another good one for me. Would I do ok with Anna Karenina next, d'ya think?

I find myself liking Henry Crawford more and more with each re-read. Fanny would have been much more fun if she'd had at least a quick shag with him. :)
Edmund is such a prig.

Austen, definitely.Every time I re-read her books I wish she'd lived longer and written more.

Only Bronte book I'd give shelfroom to is the Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Austen by a long mile.

If you think she's akin to chick-lit, you're misreading. They're funny, frightening and viciously observant.

Brontes. Angst. Boring. Also, the heroes are so misogynistic. In Austen the women are cleverer than the men, which we all know to be true .

Hmmm maybe I should try Austen again since you all love her writing so much.

Which book would you recommend?

Austen

Oh, Vanity Fair is superb.

P&P or Emma or S&S

So hard to pick

Difficult to say - in some ways to go chronologically would make sense, but I would suggest you read Sense and Sensibility first or maybe Pride and Prejudice - but P&P is probably the best one, so I'd leave that for a bit later.
I've recently re-read them all and still love them.

Persuasion makes me cry, every time. I re-read recently and the on-the-shelf heroine is, erm, 26 . Then again life expectancy for women was only 42 at the time.

Anyone else read Sanditon by Jane Austen and 'another lady'? I think it is high time for a reread of that one.