I Read Therefore I Am discussion

Comment as soon as you like but please hide any spoilers

It's such a long time since I last read this that I think my memories are more of the film than the book. I'll be interested to see if I find the menfolk as annoying as those in the film (wet Hugh Grant and annoying Alan Rickman - does he have to speak so slowly?)

Have to admit I started this a couple of weeks ago and am struggling with it. I've never read it before and haven't seen the film and I'm not sure if I'll get to the end! I'll keep on trying though.

I haven't seen the film but I love Alan Rickman!!

I'm looking forward to reading this one, planning on starting it in the next few days but have a few other things on the to that I need to get through first

@ Tracey - hope it gets more interesting soon - from what I remember there's quite a long bit at the beginning about inheritance and wills before the story actually gets going.

@ Ellie- my sister is a big Alan Rickman fan but .......I ......find.....the .....way.....he .....talks.....a.....bit.....irritating !

Did anyone see University Challenge tonight? I managed to answer one of the questions because it was on sense and sensibility!

Hooray! - did the teams get it right?

No they got it wrong! The question was in the form of a family tree where you had to provide the missing name of the sister of Elinor and Margaret.

Well done Tracey

Just getting in to this now and I'm enjoying it - I love the way that John Dashwood is able (with the help of his wife) to decide that the morally correct thing is for him to keep all the money for himself.
Keep wanting to give Marianne a good shake though.

Mrs John Dashwood does a remarkable job there, doesn't she!

A remarkable woman!

I have just finished chapter 15 and am LOVING every word on the page! This is my second ever Austen and I am really wondering why I've not been devouring more of her works in my spare time? I have no idea what's going to happen but I am feeling wary of this Willoughby character so far.....

Tracey - re university challenge, I thought it was a bit unfair not to give the point to the team which gave Elizabeth Bennet's name as 'Eliza', as she is called this several times in the book.

Angela - it's lovely to hear your enthusiasm at meeting Jane Austen for the first time. Have you read 'Emma'? It's my favourite.

Angela wrote: "I have just finished chapter 15 and am LOVING every word on the page! This is my second ever Austen and I am really wondering why I've not been devouring more of her works in my spare time? I have ..."

So glad you're enjoying this Angela - I don't read Austen very often - but when I do I'm always surprised by how funny she is - and then I forget again till the next time! Pride & Prejudice is definitely my favourite - but I'm quite fond of Persuasion too.

Lee wrote: "Angela wrote: "I have just finished chapter 15 and am LOVING every word on the page! This is my second ever Austen and I am really wondering why I've not been devouring more of her works in my spar..."

I am excited to read Persuasion too, it's next on my list. Her gift for prose is second to none!

Joy, I started reading Emma once while on holiday but didn't finish. I've seen the film though - an apparently the film 'Clueless' is based on 'Emma' too!

I'll definately find my way to all of them :)

I've been putting off starting this as remember being a bit bored by it the first time round, but it's ok so far - will see how we go!

I think it could definitely do with a Mr Darcy - but I'm finding it much funnier than I remember :0)

I'm loving the drama. I just finished Volume 1 and nearly cried!

I'm not that far in yet - but I think I know what was so upsetting - you were quite right to be wary of Mr W :0)

Just started this last night and already hoping that somehow Mr John Dashwood gets what he deserves for his mean attitude to his sisters. Austen never writes mothers well does she? I wonder if she had a clueless mother herself and bases them all on that.

Marianne and Elinor's mother is not too bad though.

Yeah she is ok, but don't you just cringe every time Mrs Jennings opens her mouth! Am about halfway (its a quick read) and am still enjoying it, quite pleasantly surprised.

She's not quite as bad as the Miss Steeles though. Nearly finished and I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would too - just wish the menfolk we're even half as interesting as the ladies.

Oh no, the Miss Steeles are awful. The men are really boring in this aren't they? I wonder if Austen just found women easier to write?

She certainly did a lot better with Mr Darcy and the hero ( I can't remember his name - Captain Wentworth?) of Persuasion.
I think Colonel Brandon is the best of the current lot - though that's not saying a lot.

I will probably have to re-read Pride and Prejudice at some point - we studied it for GCSE which sort of killed it for me (can vaguely remember it being christened Pride and Prunejuice) and I wasn't as taken with MR Darcy as every one else seems to be (although Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation was a bit yummy). Maybe it might be a better read now that I am a little older and a more experienced reader??? I have got Persuasion on my kindle to read at some point as well.

I agree Lee - so far this Colonel Brandon character seems solid and genuine. The other's males are all sort of 'wet mops'. I couldn't imagine having a crush on any of them!

Persuasion is on my TBR list too Laurel. I hope there is a seperate thread for that one when the time comes :)

I like Brandon the best out of all the fella's as well but he doesn't have much competition.
This is from Reading Group Guides re: Colonel Brandon which is interesting

Note - Spoiler Warning, don't read if you haven't finished the book yet:
(view spoiler)[ Critic William H. Galperin does not like Colonel Brandon. He has characterized Brandon's pursuit of Marianne as "insistent, if sinister."

As one part of his case against Brandon, he refers to two points in Willoughby's final conversation with Elinor in which anonymous informants figure. "Mrs. Smith had somehow or other been informed" Willoughby says, of his affair with Eliza, and later "some vague report" of Marianne reaches his fiancée. William H. Galperin has argued that this unnamed informant can only be Colonel Brandon.

Is it possible that Colonel Brandon is, in fact, the evil mastermind behind the entire plot?

Did you suspect as much? (hide spoiler)]

If Persuasion isn't a group read, we can always have a readalong at some point Angela!

I'm only up to chapter 13 but I already suspect Marianne is going to come a cropper! And yes, haven't come across any miss Steeles yet but mrs Jennings is just the sort of person you don't want to know.

Pardon the bluntness my literate friends, but the question must be asked.....

Is Mrs Palmer on drugs??

Lol - she certainly seems to be on something - perhaps it's a case of mild hysteria caused by finding herself married to Mr Palmer.
We can certainly do a persuasion read along if people are up for it - may be in Jan?

@ Laurel - no I don't agree with Mr Galperin - (view spoiler)[there are so many gossips in the book who could have been inadvertently responsible and Brandon just wouldn't do that <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

Lee I would absolutely LOVE a Persuasion read along! :-)

Ok - would January suit you? And how about you, Laurel and anyone else?

January would be perfect :-) I'm on holidays so can really sink my teeth into it

No I didn't agree with Mr Galprin either (view spoiler)[ it seems pretty out of character for Colonel Brandon (hide spoiler)] - I just thought it was an interesting take on it.
And yes Mrs Palmer is pretty crazy so I'm glad she doesn't have a bigger part.
January is fine for me for a Persuasion readalong!

Ok Jan it is - I'll set up the thread nearer the time.
It's funny the suspicions some people have of fictional characters - theres a book I heard of full of bizarre theories about Mr Rochester, David Copperfield etc - but unfortunately I can't remember the name

I wish I was as far along with this as you are, I'm desperate to find out what you're talking about, but my reading time is being very limited at the moment by the rest of my life.

Hope things calm down for you soon :o)

Just come across the Palmers - what can I say except I couldn't agree more. The Misses Steele are quite something too. Can't wait to find out if Ferars and Willoughby are cads!

Yes It's rather more exciting than I remember it

I'm way behind you all on this :( Been so busy, and then not well yesterday, so my reading time has been severely restricted :(

I am up for a Persuasion readalong in January, though :)

Goodstuff - hope you're staying nice and warm and recuperating :0)

Does anyone else find they start speaking as if they were a character from an Austen novel whenever they are reading one of her books? Is that completely weird?

Can't say I do that, bet you get some funny looks!

No but I might try it tomorrow and see what kind of a reaction I get ;)

I'm done now, have given it 3 stars, maybe 3 and a half as enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would (or did the first time I read it) but Austen is still not one of my favourite classic writers.

Haha let me know how that social experiment goes Laurel!! :)