Contemporary YA discussion

This film is based on Jane Austen's Lady Susan.

Set in the opulent drawing rooms of eighteenth-century English society, this film focuses on the machinations of a beautiful widow, Lady Susan Vernon, who, while waiting for social chatter about a personal indiscretion to pass, takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate. While there, the intelligent, flirtatious, and amusingly egotistical Lady Vernon is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica - and herself too, naturally. She enlists the assistance of her old friend Alicia, but two particularly handsome suitors complicate her orchestrations.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.goodreads.com/videos/1022...

1. Which was better book or movie?
2. What are the differences between the book and movie?
3. Would you recommend them both or just one of them?
4. Did any characters stand out to you?
5. Were there any lessons learned?

Read...Watch...Discuss and have Fun!

I love Jane Austen and I think I will love this one. The trailer is great.

Confession! I`ve never read a book by Jane Austen...Which one would you recommend? A quick but awesome read?

Erica wrote: "Confession! I`ve never read a book by Jane Austen...Which one would you recommend? A quick but awesome read?"

Pride and Prejudice or Emma.

I stole this from People magazine:

Kate Beckinsale

The actress, 42, stars in the Jane Austen adaptation Love & friendship.

Was it fun to play your character, Lady Susan?
Yes! I loved the fact that she’s kind of naughty and difficult and witty.

Did you love getting to wear such ornate costumes?
There would be this excitement going to the trailer every day, like,
“What extraordinary outfit is going to appear this morning?” But they are quite cumbersome to wear! It’s hard getting a hat that size on your head in the first place, but it was so windy, so everyone was just chasing their hats.

When you’re not working, what does a perfect day entail?
I love to start the day working out and really sweating—running up a mountain or doing yoga or circuit training.

And then when you want to unwind?
I’m English, so that all tends to take place in the bathtub. We’re a bit religious about bathing!
—GABRIELLE OLYA

I love Jane Austen's novels but I have yet to read Lady Susan. I want to see the movie, though, it seems fun!

I'm listening to Lady Susan now. It's different from her other books because it's written in letter form. Letters are being exchanged back and forth. For example, Lady Susan writes to Reginald De Courcy - then the letter is read.

I had to pull up Wikipedia to keep the characters straight. This one probably would have been better to read, which I may do since it's so short. The audio is only about 3 hours and it's considered to be a "non finished" book (evidently some disagree) that was never intended to be published. The introduction also said that Jane Austen was estimated to be 20 when she wrote Lady Jane. So it is on of her earliest works.

I can't wait to watch the movie when its out in DVD. It does look fun and I love Kate Beckinsale. Because the book is written in letter form, I'm sure the movie will be fairly since there are no actual conversations in the book.

I wonder what Jane Austen would think about all these movies and countless retellings of her books. A few of my favorites are
Jane and Austen by Stephanie Fowers
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James (also a UK mini series)
as well as, Bridget Jones's Diary I've only watched the movie,

Clueless (movie) and

YouTube series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and book which I haven't listened to yet .

I can't leave out BBC's/PBS epic 1995 mini series "Pride and Prejudice" starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. And Emma (movie) starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Anyone else have any favorite Jane Austen retellings?

Ugh, I have yet to read Lady Susan, but i'm definetely watching the movie!

I also love Jane Austen's retellings! I saw/read quite a few too! Some of my favorites are:

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (I LOVE THE YT SERIES SO MUCH, I KEEP RE-WATCHING IT ALL THE TIME! Have yet to read the book, though). Also Emma Approved, the Emma retelling by the same people who wrote TLBD.

Bridget Jone's Diary and Clueless NEEDED TO BE ON MY LIST, because they are on my list of favorite films ever.

Emma (movie) starring Gwyneth Paltrow as well as "Pride and Prejudice" (movie) starring Keira Knightley. I have yet to watch the mini-series, but I definitely will because Colin Firth.

I'm currently watching Death Comes to Pemberley (I'm on episode 2 of the miniseries) so I can't comment on it yet, and have to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (I LOVED the movie though).

Jane and Austen seems so cute and it gave me Emma Approved feels, so it's going straight to my TBR read!

Natália wrote: "Ugh, I have yet to read Lady Susan, but i'm definetely watching the movie!"


The Lady Susan book is kind of boring and hard to follow because of the letter format.

I watched Death Comes to Pemberley a few years ago..I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Everyone should watch the mini series with Collin Firth- it's the best. I need to re-watch the movie with Keira Knightley. I know I watched it, but I don't remember it at all.

I wish they would put the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (from YouTube) on CD it would be so much better and easier to watch. Those actors and the creators/writers are brilliant.