Jane Austen discussion

Have yet to read it. Is it worth it? I hear mixed opinions ...

I agree with your assessment Steph. It does pick up I promise you. :)

I am in Chapter 10. I am having a really hard time with the aunts in this book. The Bertram sisters are kinda annoying too. Really like Edmund and can't wait to see where the story is going with them.

Steph, I agree....I was able to finish Persuasion and Northanger Abbey pretty quickly, but this book just seems to be draging...normally at this point I would give up, but I want to keep going so I am glad to read that it does get better.

Do carry on!! It is worth it!! I promise!!

Said it would!! :D glad I wasn't wrong :)

Steph, i am a little farther then you, I am up to chapter 20, which is in volume 2 and I am still struggling a little. It is starting to pick up. Thinking I need to not read as much at night when I am tired, but that seems to be the only time I have right now.

I'm glad Steph!!
And Stephanie, I hope you begin to enjoy it more!!!

So I am liking the uncle and counsin edmund a lttle more today! The aunts still need to go away!

Oh I'm glad!! :D
Mrs Norris is awful!!!

I finally finished the book. I then watched the movie with Jonny Lee Miller as Edmund!

Overal thoughts?

Whats that one like? I have yet to see it. Some love some hate ...

It was the only version I have seen, there are some parts that didn't seem to stick with the book..Tom's illness & Fanny coming back to Mansfield Park, the whole relationship with Henry Crawford & the cousin. But you can't beat Jonny Lee Miller as Edmund...

I think I will watch it :) thanks.
Did you like the book?

It was okay. I think i did a lot of skimming towards the end, but i liked the way it ended.

Yes I like the way it ended. But the poor Bertram family!! (I won't give anything away for Steph who is still reading it)

I found Mansfield Park... boring. I just couldn't get into it. :/ Oh well, not every JA book is as good as P&P. :P

I just finished reading Persuasion, and I have Mansfield Park to read. Do you think I should just move on to M. Park or I should read another one and then move to it?

Well I don't think it matters and I recon you could (and should ;) ) I read the 6 Austen novels one after another.

And give MP a chance when you start reading it. It took me a while to get into but then it was a great book!!

And what did you think of Persuasion?

I liked it. Though I have a feeling Jane Austen's work is somewhat similar in certain cases. At least with the three I read with are S&S, P&P and Persuasion. This doesn't mean I don't love Jane Austen. Especially P&P, a favorite of mine. Anyways Persuasion I didn't either like it nor dislike it. I found it an interesting, pleasing classic to read. I think that probably other Jane Austen's work is more "catchy."

Fair thoughts.
I can safely say Mansfield Park isn't like them or any of them!! It is very different, well I found it a contrast to most of the others (and I found Emma different and Northanger Abbey being a parody of gothic novels)

Right, I've read Emma too. If you say that is different, I'll probably read it now then! Thanks for your advice. Which is your favorite?

your welcome, Im worried now that you won't think it will be different! ;) no, i will stand by my original opinion, it is different. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think of it. :)

and i think my favourite would have be Pride and Prejudice... but i also love Emma and Northanger Abbey (and Persuasion... and... yeah well i like them all really!!)) :) how about you?

I am in love with Pride and Prejudice. The story, Mr. Darcy's thoughts, the environment, the build - up romance ect. I am not the romantic type, but I just admire Jane Austen's way to connect the couples. The respect, and beauty, more or less not the Lydia - Wickham or Charlotte and Mr. Collins type. Mr. Darcy respects Elizabeth, and this is something I love about the story. Even in Persuasion or Emma, both based on the couples keeping an equal balance between. Ops, I must have exaggerated! haha Anyways, if its different, the better! :) I shall be honest, I was getting a bit annoyed with those similarities, that I found, but maybe others didn't. Probably Ma. Park will evoke back again completely my passion for Jane Austen.

Couldn't agree more!! It's so wonderful!! MP is less romantic btw :) but that might be good for you!! :)
I love the Austen couples!! They are so likeable and also real!!

Persuasion really is wonderful!!
But I think for me at my age, P&P and NA are good to relate to for me, and then as I grow up, Persuasion will take over I'm sure, but I still LOVE IT now!!
Glad you agree about MP Steph :) glad all my recommendations haven't failed to please!! ;)

I am about halfway thru reading this for the first time and all I can say is that Mrs Norris is some piece of work.

Isn't she awful?! I cannot stand the woman!!

Oh, Mansfield Park, along with Persuasion, are my favourite!

But we have all known a Mrs. Norris!

I read an analysis once which said that MP was basically about Edmund's decision to become a clergyman or not. If he were anything else, Mary Crawford would have been happier about the prospect of marriage with him.

Even though Jane's father was a clergyman, and a couple of her brothers, it's interesting how poorly most of the clergymen in her books. I'm thinking mostly of Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton. Dr. Grant seems most interested in his dinner.

Good observation about the relationship between Jane's brothers and fathers versus her characters. The clergymen in her books were comical except for Edmund. I remember reading (one of the memoirs of her relation)that a Mr. Clarke from the Prince Regent wanted Jane to write a serious tale about clergymen but she was not interested in that route at all.

I love the Crawfords. And the more that time goes by and I read about Fanny, the less I like her. I read somewhere that Austen's mother despised Fanny for being such a goody-goody. She is ragingly judgmental! I think she and Edmund needed to marry the Crawford siblings to jazz up their lives a little! I cannot help picturing Mary very modern, in high heels with short bouffant hair, makeup, earrings, etc.!

Ahahahaha!! To jazz their lives up a bit!!

Marcy wrote: "I love the Crawfords. And the more that time goes by and I read about Fanny, the less I like her. I read somewhere that Austen's mother despised Fanny for being such a goody-goody. She is ragingly ..."


Well I like Fanny :) Everyone cannot be flamboyant.

Marren wrote: "Marcy wrote: "I love the Crawfords. And the more that time goes by and I read about Fanny, the less I like her. I read somewhere that Austen's mother despised Fanny for being such a goody-goody. Sh..."

I love Fanny too! I think she was very brave, in a way. It mustn't have been easy to live as the poor relation among her wealthy relations! She was a great heroine who refused to be manipulated by them.

Exactly in the ending she stood up for herself, when she refused to marry that rake.

Yes! And that demonstrates the nobility of her character, because even though she didn't particularly like him, she could have chosen him for the sake of money and title, but she didn't.

So true.