Jane Austen discussion

she is a great writer

i need to see that ...

Becoming Jane made me cry :( It's very good.

Oh and Miss Austen Regrets is another good one - that made me cry too!

Oh dear!! Both cry!! I know her life wasn't like her novels...

I don't know how much Becoming Jane is adherent to Jane Austen's life. The affair with Tom Lefroy was something less compromising...

I'm sure both Becoming Jane and Miss Austen Regrets were dramatised to make them more 'interesting'...

Yes, I think so. However, I cried so much when I watched Becoming Jane, that I'm not brave enough to watch Miss Austen Regrets...

I'm sure they did. It is sad though that her life was not like her novels...

In the end I think Austen lived through her characters. Notice how she made sure the heroines got their heroes. Similar to the fair tales of happily ever after. I like reading her novels that give side notes about the characters or events. As a reader you see the dots connecting to Austen's life (well it is up to you to draw that conclusion). The Penguin Classics are equipped with introductory notes and footnotes

It does link up and the books wouldn't be as satisfying if the heroines didn't get their heroes!

I wonder how it would be like if some of her heroines did not get their heroes? hmm

1 word; wrong!!!

lol, I felt that passionate response, hehe. Don't put me in the slap thread, hehe.

I won't I won't ;)

;)

The 'romantic fiction' or 'chick lit' genre is often criticised for being too predictable: you know that the heroine will get with the hero by the end of the book. But I still enjoy them; it's how they get there that's important (and often who you think is going to be the hero, turns into the villain!)
I've read books where the hero/heroine dies at the end, leaving the other half alone: an awful, sad, horrific ending can spoil the whole book, in my opinion. I want some happy escapism, not to close the last page in tears.

I completely agree!
You can always tell the hero and heroine will end up together. But, you can't always tell how it will get to that point.
The twists and turns in the plot often take me by surprise and especially in the subplot. The subplots have often completely surprised me! And , like you said, some characters you think are good but then aren't. Even if you know the ending I think the fact that you don't know how it will get there and what will happen on the way makes up for.
And anyway, I like to know there will be a happy ending. It's so much more satisfying! I don't like sad ending as you finish the book/film and are left wanting more or feeling dissatisfied!! Romeo and Juliet is one example!

I agree... R&J is wonderful but dissatisfying... Happy endings are the best :)

Definitely!!