Jane Austen

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Jane Austen is my favorite author, so I’m wandering if there are any other Jane Austen fans on this site?
Share you’re thoughts on her books, on movie adaptations.
My favorite Jane Austen book is Pride and Prejudice (my favorite book period). The 1995 mini series in my favorite movie as well. Though I do prefer Keira Knightly’s portrayal of Elizabeth to Jennifer Ehl’s. But really, no one can even come close to Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy.
Another of my favorite JA books is Persausion. It’s just a beautiful story.
 
Yup, studied* P&P* and Persuasion in high school and instantly fell in love.

And yes, well, Colin Firth … hubba hubba

… where was I? Oh yes. I think Emma is my favourite after Pride and Prejudice - she has some of that same cheekiness that Elizabeth Bennet has in P&P. And I really liked the movie of Sense and Sensibility.

*Persuasion *is actually pretty dark in a lot of ways.
 
If I had to choose a favorite author, it would be Jane Austen. P&P and S&S are amazing. Okay, all of her books are great, but those two are incredible, and both have such wonderful movie adaptations.
 
I actually just read S&S for the first time about a month ago. It almost shoved Persausion out of the second place on my favorites list.
The movie adaptaion was really wonderful.
I liked the adaptation of Persausion as well, but while the two main actors were very good, I did feel they were miscast. I felt they were too old for the roles.
 
child_of_God85 said:
I actually just read S&S for the first time about a month ago. It almost shoved Persausion out of the second place on my favorites list.
The movie adaptaion was really wonderful.
I liked the adaptation of Persausion as well, but while the two main actors were very good, I did feel they were miscast. I felt they were too old for the roles.
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Remember Anne in Persuasion was getting on - she was 27 I think. I thought she was fine. There’s no real indication in the book of how old Captain Wentworth is, but he could have been a fair bit older than her as Mr Darcy was.
 
My two favorites are P&P and* Mansfield Park*. No one ever mentions it but it is very good too and I wish there was a good movie of it. I found S & S a bit slow both the movie and the book. I don’t remember Persuasion, so I guess I’ll have to read it again 😉 🙂 .

I love reading Jane Austen in the summertime! I don’t know why. It wierd how one can associate certain authors with different times of the year (probably because that’s when I first read them and continue to do so).:o
 
What, am I the only guy here who’s an Austen fan? 😛

(Altho I do sometimes get tired of the Privileged People who are the main characters in her stories–everything is about family and station, rather than about what the person has actually accomplished. Guess that’s just the Yank in me.)
 
we had a JA thread a while back and Teresa, a member who is no longer active, posted photos of the “Pemberly” house and grounds, shot near where she lives, for the A&E miniseries. way cool. For the manners of day on courtship, can’t beat S&S, also Eleanor is Jane’s most sympathetic character. For the place of women in the family, Persuasion, which is also probalby most auto-biographical. For a look at literary fashions, Northanger Abbey, and for a true picture of the upper clawses at play, Emma. P&P remains my favorite novel in the English language and probably always will be. Cannot stand Mansfield Park, Fanny is such a whiner.
 
I liked Mansfield Park, but the movie version I watched was terrible. I don’t usually review movies on Netflix, but I gave that one a rather scathing one. Thumbs down; don’t waste your time or money.
 
there is a film director whose name I can’t recall, but she does those goofy chick fliks like Clueless that are based on JA plots and character types (Emma in this case). Help me out here.

I agree the Mansfield Park film was trash, no relationship at all to the novel except some character names. The A&E P&P is the best. the Greer Garson version was a good movie, but week on following the plot and with gowns and language entirely out of the period. S&S is probably the best movie, although Persuasion is very well done. Gwyneth’s Emma is not much like the book, IMO.
 
I think “Clueless” was directed by Amy Heckerling.

Bridget Jones’ Diary is loosely based on P&P. And if anyone’s a Bollywood fan, “Bride and Prejudice” is a lot of fun, although a bit watered down, story-wise. Of course I’m a sucker for any film with a traditional Indian wedding: colors, flowers, music, elephants. 😃
 
**Bridget Jones’ Diary was written just after the BBC presentation of P&P, the author stated that she wrote it specifically to mimic the show.

I think S&S is my favorite book with P&P a close second. Emma Thompson’s screenplay was enjoyable, but the book is, of course, much better. I like the character of Elinor as well, I liked that all the men thought she just another “silly” woman, and then they all wound up respecting her. Oh, and can I just get into the story and smack John’s wife Fanny? Marianne would have been able to get away with it I think.

I never really got into Mansfield Park, I’ll have to re-read it.

Bride and Prejudice was a lot of fun, all those bright colors and that music! There was another Indian movie that had good music (I thought), it is called Lagaan.**
 
I suppose I’m a fan. I find the books, at times, a bit verbose, but they adapt well to the movies. I have a VHS set of a 1980 Pride & Prejudice which appeared on Masterpiece Theater, and I can watch it over and over. (Along with Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion and Emma.) But I didn’t like the latest version of P & P with Keira Knightly. Thought some parts were just plain stupid.
 
child_of_God85 said:
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My favorite Jane Austen book is Pride and Prejudice (my favorite book period). The 1995 mini series in my favorite movie as well. Though I do prefer Keira Knightly’s portrayal of Elizabeth to Jennifer Ehl’s. But really, no one can even come close to Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy.
Another of my favorite JA books is Persausion. It’s just a beautiful story.
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I totally agree. I love Pride and Prejudice. I reread it every year. I think Colin Firth was perfect for the role. I didn’t like the newest version because the transitions were weird. But Keira did a good job. I also enjoyed watching the special features of Bridget Jones Diary 2 because she “interviews” Colin Firth and talks about the movie where he has a wet T-shirt on. The movie couldn’t do that because Colin Firth plays her boyfriend so they did it as a special feature since the book has Bridget Jones obsessed with him. It is worth the rental fee to see. Thanks for starting the post! 🙂
 
child_of_God85 said:
Jane Austen is my favorite author, so I’m wandering if there are any other Jane Austen fans on this site?
Share you’re thoughts on her books, on movie adaptations.
My favorite Jane Austen book is Pride and Prejudice (my favorite book period). The 1995 mini series in my favorite movie as well. Though I do prefer Keira Knightly’s portrayal of Elizabeth to Jennifer Ehl’s. But really, no one can even come close to Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy.
Another of my favorite JA books is Persausion. It’s just a beautiful story.
Click to expand...
Absolutely LOVE Jane Austen.:extrahappy: She is my favourite author ever. So romantic.😉 I totally agree with you that the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice is the best adaptation. The BBC always do period dramas the best!👍 I could watch it over and over again. Having said that though, with regards to the books themselves I love Persuasion as much as I love Pride and Prejudice. The whole notion of finding again a lost love - one you thought was gone forever. It’s just the ultimate in romance - even if a little unrealistic!:rolleyes: But isn’t that what novels are all about - escaping from the real world.😃
 
SeekerJen said:
I did too. Can you imagine having to grow up with Maria and Julia Bertram? I think I would have been driven insane.
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And Mrs. Norris treating her little better than a servant!

The part that gets me is that her room never had a fire in it and she never complained! Its not always summer in England. So she either was very cold alone or she had to put herself in the presence of people who were indifferent (or nasty) to her. Her character never seems to resent any of it, just accepts it.
 
DaveBj said:
What, am I the only guy here who’s an Austen fan? 😛

(Altho I do sometimes get tired of the Privileged People who are the main characters in her stories–everything is about family and station, rather than about what the person has actually accomplished. Guess that’s just the Yank in me.)
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No, Dave. You are not. Austen is my favorite author. I love the books and love to watch the film adaptations of them.
I can’t decide who I have a bigger crush on - Jane Austen or Emily Dickinson.
 
*Pride and Prejudice *is my favorite Jane Austen book, and my favorite book to read just for fun. I really like how the two main characters actually become better people through their love; it’s a nice change from a lot of modern “romances” where the main characters have nothing to go on besides physical attraction.

My next favorite book of Austen’s is probably Sense and Sensibility, which I like more for the relationship between Elinor and Marianne than for the romance. I was amazed at how much the two sisters’ personalities are similar to mine (Elinor) and my younger sister (Marianne).

My favorite Jane Austen movie is Emma. I think it’s hard for me to really enjoy *Pride and Prejudice *movies because I’m so partial to the book, and because so much of what I love about the book is Elizabeth’s internal changes, which can only be portrayed vaguely in film. Emma didn’t involve as much internal transformation in the absence of external events, and so it seemed (in my opinion, at least) much more adaptable to film.
 
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