Jane Austen discussion
Newbie Corner
>
Introduce Yourself Part Two
There are a million and one Pride and Prejudice type romances out there. Everyone wants to be Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. I can't even count how many P&P copycats I've read but many of the Signet and Zebra paperback Regency romances feature similar plots. Marian Devon's Regency romance novels feature love/hate relationships Mistletoe and Folly and A Season for Scandal are both good examples of that.
Hi!My Name is Sarah and I´m from Germany (which is why my english might not be perfect all the time). I´m 18 years old, and have been loving Jane Austen for 5 years now. The first book I´ve read by her was Persuasion, though since I was 13 at the time, it took me a second read a year later to actually understand it.
By now I have read all novels of Austen at least once, but I believe and have experienced that Jane Austens books are stories that grow with you.
Because of that I´m really looking forward to re-reading and discussing her works with you!
Mod
Reading Austen's novels more than once and discussing them are one of the best things about being a fan of her work.
Glad to have you here!
Hi Alittlehaze! Welcome to the group!
Hi!My name is Eider and I'm from Spain. First of all, I apologise for my por English, I'll be doing my best.
I started loving Jane austen when I watched Sense & Sensibility movie. When I realice it was based on a book (in Spain we do not study English literatura), I went straight to the bookshop and I bought, I was 12. Since then I have read all Jane Austen books, but my favourite always will be P&P.
Thank you!
Hi, Eider. Welcome! Funny that you came to know of Austen through S&S, which is also the first book of hers I read and until last year it was the only one I'd completed reading. I'm on my way to finishing all her books this year! :)
That´s a coincidence! I hope you enjoy all her books as much as I did! I'll be willing to know which book of hers is your favourite!Marquise wrote: "Hi, Eider. Welcome! Funny that you came to know of Austen through S&S, which is also the first book of hers I read and until last year it was the only one I'd completed reading. I'm on my way to fi..."
Eider wrote: "That´s a coincidence! I hope you enjoy all her books as much as I did! I'll be willing to know which book of hers is your favourite!"Indeed. :) For now, I've held off on ranking them until I'm done with all. It's a tad difficult to single out just one at the moment. I've promised to post my pick and rank all 7 novels when I'm done, though, so that's when I'll be able to answer. I've got 2 pending, "Emma" and "Mansfield Park."
Hello! I've read all of Jane Austen's books. I was first introduced to Austen by watching Sense and Sensibility in 1995 on a VHS tape from the library.
Welcome James! Glad you're here!
Mod
Glad to have such diverse Austen fans joining us! We hope you like it here!
Hello, everyone! My name is Isabelle, and I am seventeen-years of age. I'm very new to Austen's works, but I've always had a passion for the classics. I'd love to really become part of this community and hope to bond closely with all of you! I'm open to learning all I can about this community. Oh! and my favorite book by far is Pride and Prejudice. I think it is because I feel so relatable to the eldest Bennet sisters. Much thanks!
I'm older than Mr. Bennett and have struggled a lifetime to get through P&P. Primarily because I want to understand the Austen references that crop up like the daisies in the lawn - everywhere in fiction. I might just make it this time. I'm 35% of the way through a narrated edition by Emma Messenger.
I'm trying very hard not to stamp TSTL on most of the ladies. And, on most of the guys, for that matter. I was hoping that Elizabeth would be considerably more insightful than she has proven to be so far. Standing up to Collins at least takes her well out of the TSTL crowd.
Jon - it's good you are trying to understand Austen! She does turn up in a lot of places these days.
Mod
Pride and Prejudice certainly does stand out among the best of the best, doesn't it?
Glad to have you with us!
The place that Austen turned up in fiction recently that finally got me to try again is Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley which I found absolutely enchanting without knowing Austen.She has two more books out since:
Lizzy and Jane
(recognize those names?) which I've put off reading until I finish P&P, andThe Brontë Plot
. It is my hope that I can read this last one without learning anything about the works of the Bronte sisters. :)
Hello to everyone. My name is Louis and I just recently (last year) discovered the world of Pride and Prejudice. Admittedly, I was curious because the book is considered a classic 19th century romance that has stood the test of time. And much to my surprise, the book lived up to all the hype. My reading interest cover a wide range, history, non-fiction, sci-fi, science, classic literature, etc. I try to keep an open mind and step outside my comfort zone ... and books like Pride and Prejudice make me glad that I take that approach. I am currently reading Little Women ... and throughly enjoying it :)
Hello Louis! Welcome to the group!
Welcome Louis. I'm appreciative of your comment that the book [P&P] lived up to all the hype.I'm about 70% through, up to the part where Jane writes Elizabeth about Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Other than as a comedy or commentary on manners, I am not yet getting the attraction of this book to generations of women and not a few men, either, apparently.
That said, it is certainly holding my interest sufficiently, this time around trying to read it, that I'll finally finish it.
Jon wrote: "Other than as a comedy or commentary on manners, I am not yet getting the attraction of this book to generations of women and not a few men, either, apparently.."That's why it's so brilliant! 200 years later and people are still the same. You have no idea how often I feel like I'm living in a Jane Austen novel. Mr. Darcy isn't my ideal hero but I like him better than most of the other heroes who are either boring (Edmund, Mr. Knightly and Edward), don't have very strong characters (Edward, Edmund). Henry Tilney teases poor Catherine who can't understand his jokes. Captain Wentworth is my personal favorite hero.
Mod
Glad you loved P and P. Happy to have you with us!
Jon wrote: "Welcome Louis. I'm appreciative of your comment that the book [P&P] lived up to all the hype.I'm about 70% through, up to the part where Jane writes Elizabeth about Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Other t..."
Hi Jon. I hope you get to finally finish Pride and Prejudice. For whatever its worth, my appreciation for books like P&P has come about with the addiction of two teenage daughters and the grey hairs that they have caused me:)
My only advice is: read what holds your interest .... the worst thing is forcing yourself to slog through a book that you don't like (I did that with Atlas Shrugged and hated every minute of it). Enjoy yourself and have fun, you don't fail at life if you don't read War and Peace or Great Expectation's.
Hello everyone! I'm Nathalie and I live in Belgium. I'm a huge Austen-fan, my favourite being Persuasion. I must admit that I still have to read Emma (soon starting!) and Northanger Abbey. Somehow I'm saving these two because I know I'll never have the pleasure again to read an Austen novel for the first time. But I can always reread of course which I love to do with Austen's novels because I'm so familiar with the story and it's nice to go back every now and then. Looking forward to discussing Austen with you!
Please correct me on my English if I'm making mistakes, I like to learn.
Welcome Natalie! Persuasion is also my favorite but love the others as well!
Welcome Natalie! Persuasion is also my favorite but love the others as well!
Hello Nathalie.Welcome to the group. Look forward to your input in our discussions :)
Mod
I love Persuasion too and Northanger Abbey is delightful so I envy you getting to read it for the first time!
Glad to have you with us!
Glad to meet another lover of Persuasion. It's my favorite
Hi, Nathalie. I'm not yet sure if I'm an Austen fan, having just finished this week my first Austen, P & P. I've changed my mind on its quality from I liked it (3 stars) to I really liked it (4 stars) several times. But for Darcy's willingness to write a painful letter, Elizabeth would never have let go of either her pride nor her prejudices. However, as an historical document, and as a part of the background for some many books today, I realize what I've missed not knowing the story in full up to now.Which is a long way of saying I started Persuasion yesterday. So far, I want to purchase Mr. Elliot a debtor's ticket to Australia.
Jon wrote: "Which is a long way of saying I started Persuasion yesterday. So far, I want to purchase Mr. Elliot a debtor's ticket to Australia. "LOL! He's tough to take but in many ways he reminds me of my own dad. Maybe that's why I felt I could relate to Anne so well.
Oh Jon - that's perfect! Mr. E would fit in well with the people who were sent to Australia!
Thank you all for the warm welcome!Looking forward to your further thoughts on Persuasion, Jon! I think it's safe to call yourself an Austen-fan by now, you're allready reading your 2nd Austen in 2 weeks time.
Nathalie wrote: Jon! I think it's safe to call yourself an Austen-fan by now, you're allready reading your 2nd Austen in 2 weeks time.Let's just keep it between the two of us, shall we?
I'm listening to Persuasion on car trips, with a bit of reading on the side. I'm beginning chapter 2, wherein Anne has just been evicted (sic) from home and has gone to live with Mary. We are starting to learn about the Musgroves
Jon wrote: "Nathalie wrote: Jon! I think it's safe to call yourself an Austen-fan by now, you're allready reading your 2nd Austen in 2 weeks time.Let's just keep it between the two of us, shall we?
I'm list..."
Haha, deal! I hope you'll like Persuasion just as much as I do.
Nathalie, I guess I've blown my own cover and fessed-up to enjoying P&P and P to friends in the actual world! Something has taken me over, because I'm now reading/listening to C. Bronte's Villette. I've downloaded and read an Ambrose Bierce short story and have Jane Eyre ready to go.
Do I take two pot-boilers and call the reading doctor in the a.m., or am I stuck with this affliction?
Hello every one. My name is Samantha. I am from Italy. I decided to join the group because I like Jane Austen. I have already read Sense and sensibility and I am currently reading Emma
Mod
This is a great place to interact with other Austen fans as you read her for the first time.
Glad to have you with us!
Welcome Samantha,Glad to have you join the family.
Hi, Samantha. I'm new to reading Austen; this group has been friendly and helpful.
Megan, Rachel, Louis, Jon thank you very much for your warm welcome
Hi I'm Michaela and I'm from Scotland. I Absolutely love Jane Austen thanks to my Gran who got me reading her books a few years ago. my favourite of her books would be Northanger Abbey and I can't wait to get to know more people who are also fascinated by her books.
Jane Austen
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lord of the Rings (other topics)Emma (other topics)
Georgette Heyer's Regency World (other topics)
Pride and Prejudice (other topics)
Sense and Sensibility (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Angela Thirkell (other topics)D.E. Stevenson (other topics)
Georgette Heyer (other topics)
Katherine Reay (other topics)
Marian Devon (other topics)
More...
It is so far, Ceri. I already know how the story goes and don't expect anything especially. That helps in taking it as is and enjoying it free of "pressure" that expectations bring in. I am sure making fun of Darcy a lot more this time! :D