Jane Austen discussion

Our group has occasionally read other classic novels published beyond Austen's time in order to compare later writers with Austen. This past spring we began a compelling discussion of Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South (1855). A few of us were interested in continuing the Austen-Gaskell comparison by discussion of the Gaskell novel Wives & Daughters (1866).

Please join us in a Side Read of this novel, beginning Dec. 1.

****Please don't begin the actual discussion in this thread.**** We will begin to post separate discussion threads in this folder on the start date. You are cordially invited to post any questions, comments, or suggestions here though, and we do hope you join us.

I was just about to ask you about starting this thread, Sarah! Great minds and all, I guess. :)

I hope a lot of you join in. We thought that reading this novel would coincide well with the fact that we are watching the miniseries at the end of December as part of our Fall Movie Discussions. I'm already excited!

Sarah so pumped for this =)

Great Kim -- and yes, Rachel, I knew I forgot to mention something. Thank you for reminding -- that should make for a few more interested readers :)

Ooh, yay! I started reading this one a while back and loved it (I even found a few similarities to Mansfield Park!), but had to put it aside due to length reasons and lack of time. I'd love to start it again and discuss it!

I may or may not get to read this on another site, we are doing two entirely different books, and I guess I have to do those, I do like the video of Wives and Daughters.

Very, very excited!

Me too. I have never read any Gaskell. I am looking forward to it and also seeing what everyone has to say!

Sounds good! I hope I'll have time to read it and join the discussion :D

I think it will be a good discussion. Robin, if you find time, please do join in. This discussion will remain posted too, so if you decide to read a little later the discussions do reawaken sometimes!

Thanks Sarah, I will do that,

I like the idea! I'm new to Gaskell's work and just finished 'North & South' and I liked it a lot. I've seen the mini-series of Wives & Daughters and if it's Dec, I think, I will have enough time to read. (I hope)

If you would like to listen to the book being read aloud by volunteers, you can download audiofiles for Wives and Daughters at http://librivox.org/wives-and-daughte...

Alicia wrote: "If you would like to listen to the book being read aloud by volunteers, you can download audiofiles for Wives and Daughters at http://librivox.org/wives-and-daughte..."

Neat, Alicia! Thanks for the link!

Thanks Alicia. I got the vid of North and South and will watch this weekend sometime.

Wow, thank you, Alicia! perfect. I can read and get some housework done ;).

I didn't care for the brutality portrayed by Thornton to his employees. He seems a cold duck , and his mother is no saint either. I will definitely be returning this one to the library. The video.

Housekeeping :)

We can limit this thread to discussing plans or suggestions for the upcoming Wives and Daughters read. However, there is a pretty extensive discussion of the movie North and South in the Summer Movies folder I believe. Scroll down and check for it. I will link it here too shortly.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

Sorry Sarah, I just posted in the North and South section.

I'm super excited about this! I've always wanted to read this. I'm currently watching the BBC Wives & Daughters dvd. What a fantastic movie!

I liked it as well.

Great, you two. I am hoping for an interesting discussion.

Just purchased my copy of Wives & Daughters today! I'll be starting it as soon as I'm done with my current book.

I don't think my library has a copy of Wives and Daughter, they only had the DVD and that is when I saw dvd. I think the book is different from the movie version.

Great, Jules. Robin, do you purchase inexpensive copies of books? Any used books stores in your area? There are always online sources for that too. Just a suggestion, but you may not be a book buyer.

Robin, try this site for online downloads,

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4274

I just bought some books from a small bookstore in my area, the prices are okay, I usually borrow books since I support our local library and they do have a bookroom attached to the library and we frrequently get good deals in their as well. I am not against buying books, but I feel if you can get it for free, and return it, that works for me. We have so many books in our house, it is laughable, my daughter is a bookworm as well, we have passed the gene on to her.LOL

Oooh I must get!! I'll see if there's a free ebook for Kindle. WOOT!

I love W&D because of the pacing of the love story much as I do with Persuasion.

Very excited!

Tanja - there is a free Kindle download on Amazon or go to the Girlebooks site and there is a free download there as well (that has to be transferred to your Kindle via USB - that's what I did. It is a lovely edition). Free is very happy. ;-)

Thanks! Found it and squee'd!

Squee is good!

what is squee?

A profound feeling of joy and the audible expression thereof, i.e. "WOOHOO!!" "YIPPEE" "YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" etc.

;-)

okay dokey.

Excited about this! Will have to re-read, though, because it has definitely been too long - about 8 years since I read it, right after the 02 US release of the 99 BBC adaptation. And... well... with Andrew Davies and Sue Birtwistle, the dream team for classic lit adaptations, who wouldn't be intrigued? I remember liking both quite a bit.

I need to get a copy of Wives and Daughters, Borders was selling this, but my library doesn't have a copy. Maybe I will look at my little book shop in town.

Tomorrow we begin our discussion of Wives and Daughters!

The discussion will be spread over six weeks, with ten chapters a week. The thread for Part 1 has been opened!

Also, we will delay watching the film adaptation of the novel for our Fall Movie Discussions until after finishing the book discussion.

Enjoy, everyone!

This sounds wonderful. I am familiar with Gaskell and will look forward to the discussion.
Cyn

EEP! Time to read!! Amusing enough I re-watched the series on Netflix (own the DVD too). So in the mood!