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Original poster

Someone tell me which Jane Austen to read

81 replies

Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 18:01

The woman has never appealed. I have started P&P several times but never gotten very far (although a lot of that could be down to it being one of those budget books that just feel horrible ).

I am tempted to just say sod it and go for the Zombie version

(Tis for book group)

OP posts:
popsycal · 18/07/2009 20:11

I haven't seen the billy piper version and now intnd not to! I will re-read over the summer though

MmeDanversAMangeMonIpod · 18/07/2009 20:13

I never watched her janeite, I just couldn't!

HumphreyCobbler · 18/07/2009 20:18

Oh God I saw a bit of that adaptation.

Truly terrible.

MollieOolala · 18/07/2009 20:19

Emma and then you have the choice of watching two films - Emma (obviously) and Clueless!

janeite · 18/07/2009 20:20

It was hideous - as was the S&S in the same series.

janeite · 18/07/2009 20:21

I love Clueless. But fgs don't watch the Gwyneth paltrow Emma.

MmeDanversAMangeMonIpod · 18/07/2009 20:21

Fanny Price does not have a toothy grin or dyed blonde hair

so wrong, in so many ways...

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 21:12

Clueless is fabulous DH was very disturbed after Emma (an ex made him watch it) because apparently Gwyneth has a weirdy belly button

OP posts:
HumphreyCobbler · 18/07/2009 21:14

How did he see her belly button?

They don't get those out in Jane Austen

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 21:18

It may well have been in another film and he just has isshoos with her now I can't remember. I know I pondered watching it and he just kept bleating on about the belly button

OP posts:
janeite · 18/07/2009 21:19

How strange! I have a terrible aversion to both belly buttons and G Paltrow, so Gwynnie's belly button would really freak me out.

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 21:21

He seemed quite bothered by the tennis player who was going out with Enrique Inglesies (spelt completely wrong) too.

I should probably look more deeply into his belly button problem.

OP posts:
ChuppaChups · 18/07/2009 21:23

persuasion awful AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 21:24

aaaaaaaaaaaaah, twas Great Expectations (still a book) and not Emma.

OP posts:
Original poster
Flamesparrow · 18/07/2009 21:24

oh no, don't say that Chuppa!!!

OP posts:
ChuppaChups · 18/07/2009 21:27

aw janeite, gwyneth paltrow is an inspiration non? a real genius

MachuPicchu · 18/07/2009 21:36

Another vote for Persuasion - full of unspoken love and passion, heartbreaking in places, such wonderful characters...

Anne isn't such a strong, outspoken character as Elizabeth or Emma, though, and that can put people off I think

RedLentil · 18/07/2009 22:16

For editions, Flame, the Oxford World's Classics are good with helpful and interesting introductions. Cheap too.

If people go for the Wordsworth's Classics ones the language issues are compounded by small type.

There is an ace and, by now, ancient tv adaptation of Persuasion I think.

janeite · 18/07/2009 22:21

Yep - the old Persuasion is fab. Am so jealous of you being able to teach Austen at uni level. I very occasionally manage to drag a GCSE group through Emma or S&S.

RedLentil · 18/07/2009 22:29

Janeite, even at uni you often need to drag them in by their ears.

Once my students latch on to the fact that sarcasm is in play, they start to enjoy all the other wonderful things that are in play in her books. Then we get to have a proper chat because they stop thinking that me or the books have 'special' powers they don't know about ...

imho, many new readers of classic fiction get tied up by the idea that the people whose works they are reading must automatically be serious and dull. They then try to unread any humour they pick up on.

One student of mine years ago got into a real pickle with Joyce because he wanted him to be serious and just refused to hear gags as good as this one from Ulysses

'Jesus said to Lazarus, come forth, but he came fifth and lost the job.'

I would say Flame that giving people permission to laugh, swoon and struggle with the language before they start to read will make the whole thing a bigger success.

Good on you for not just doing modern stuff.

janeite · 18/07/2009 22:30

Never managed to read Joyce, I'm afraid.

MollieOolala · 18/07/2009 22:36

I did Persuasion for A level. Usual essay question 'Why was the novel Persuasion unfinished'. Answer - Because Jane Austen died before she finished writing it. Not my favourite JA by a long way.

The tv adaptation was done in 1995 and excellent (a long time after my A level experience!).

RedLentil · 18/07/2009 22:45

Posthumously published but not unfinished as far as I know. And I should know

Sir Charles Grandison and Sandition unfinished yes ...

Shall we defer to Janeite on this one?

janeite · 19/07/2009 15:20

Persuasion is deffo a complete novel! It was her final completed one and was published a year after she died.

hocuspontas · 19/07/2009 15:22

My penguin Persuasion gives two different endings - v.confusing for me. Probably why it's not my favourite.