Jane Austen discussion

Tell us a little about your self...we want to get to know you!

How old were you when you first read Jane Austen?

What is your favorite Jane Austen book?

Hi, I'm Kelly.

I'm relatively new to Jane Austen. My husband's cousin played Mary in a production of Pride and Prejudice about 2-3 years ago, and that was my first exposure to anything Jane Austen. I can't believe I made it to 35 without ever being asked to read any of her work for a class, or even having any desire to seek it out on my own!

I was hooked after that, and read P&P and have since read Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

I think P & P is my favorite, probably because it was my first, and having seen the play first, I have such a vivid picture of the characters in my mind. (Plus I love the film version with Colin Firth!)

Hi. My name is Madisen. I'm 15-- I read my first Austen about a year ago (of course Pride and Prejudice) and have read it again since. Just this week, I read Mr. Darcy's Diary, which was an enjoyable read, but I believe from a skewed perspective (considering that a man's diary was written by a woman, and we already know that women are ill judges of a man's sentiments.) I'm excited to read all of Austen's works; however, and hope I can get through each one of them.

Dear Madisen, I, too, was 14 when I read P & P and I'm now in my 60s. I've read it so many times. The sequels cannot compare to the original but they help w/day dreaming about their life after marriage. Yes, read all Jane Austen's books. She wrote only 6 because she died at age 41 while working on a new book. Read her juvenilia too - she wrote some very funny work while just a teenager like you. Think about joining the Jane Austen Society too. It offers scholarships for young people's thoughts and opinions about JA. It's great fun to belong. There are almost 4,000 of us in Canada and the U.S. England has their own Society too. Dream and plan and someday you will visit Bath and see where Jane lived and you can visit Chawton to see the cottage her brother provided for his mother and Jane and Cassandra. His mansion (saved and owned by an American) is across the road and houses a library. In back of the house you will see the graves of Jane's mother (Cassandra at age 80) and sister (also Cassandra, at age 75). Jane is buried in Winchester Cathedral, in the poets' corner. Enjoy your readings by JA and read the sequels only after you finish her finer writing. All the best to you.

Hi I'm Kathleen and I am 21 years old. I go to Albright College and am a partial English major. Of course my favorite classes are the ones that study Jane!! I am doing a thesis on her this fall and spring. I love being in this group to share ideas and learn new perspectives of all her wonderful stories. They all still relate to modern day...possibly my topic for the paper??

I'm a 40 something Special Education teacher, wife and mother of 3 (17, 19, 20). I believe I read Jane Austen in my teens and twenties. There are times when I feel I should have become an English teacher because I love the classics - especially those written by women.
I am a new member of JASNA and look forward to participating in their activities!
I'm also excited to be part of this group too!

Hi, I'm Kayla. I'm fourteen, and I first read Austen when I was about hmmm ... nine or ten. I LOVE sense and sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and I'm about to read Persuasion. I have read lots of others, these just happen to be my favorites, even though they are a little cliche.

I'm fairly new to this group. I'm Phillip, I'm a musician and composer and I teach music in the SF Bay Area, where I live.

I think I've already commented on favorite Austen and the age I discovered her elsehwere, but...

I, like others, have a pretty hard time deciding which book is my favorite. Pride and Prejudice was the first one that I read, after picking up an edition of the complete novels in my late 20's (I'm now 49). Since then, I have read all the books except Northanger Abbey (sp?) and Emma.

Perhaps because P & P was my first Austen experience, it has a special place in my heart. I loved book, as I did Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion and Mansfield Park. Those books are hard to fuss over...they all have really great qualities, and as always, Austen has a way of carving those characters into your heart, and you fall in love with them and want to visit and re-visit them again and again.

Angela, you user image is very chic, except for the smoking. What is it from please?

I recognized it was Audrey. I was wondering about when it was taken. Is it from a movie?

I'm glad you aren't picking up the habit. It makes me a little sad and a little angry whenever I see people smoking.

I love the pic too...I am a huge Audrey fan as well. :)

I heard this wonderful quote from Joy Bahar from The View awhile back...She said that if Audrey Hepburn was still alive she would have shown the world how to age gracefully. I thought it was so true and I wish I would have wrote down exactly what she said. Thought I'd share!

Hey guys! I'm Annette. I'm 26 and I live in Minneapolis with my husband and cat. I've been reading Austen since I was about 13. My favorites are P&P and Emma because of the wonderfully quirky characters and unconventional, witty heroines. One of my favorite classes in college was a Jane Austen literature class. A whole term of studying Austen's works! It was heaven.

Hi, I'm Shayne. Since my name is ambiguous, let me add that I'm female! I'm over 35 :-) I'm married, I live in New Zealand, and write historical novels. Fortunately my husband is also a Jane fan.

I first read Austen when I was 18; it was P&P for a university course (I majored in English). It was love at first sight.

My favourite Austens are "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice". When I was younger P&P was my favourite, but I've become fonder of "Persuasion" as the years go by.

Hello everyone! My name is Heather and I'm almost 30 (next month...yikes!). My first experience reading Austen was in high school but I first saw the old 1940's P&P (with Laurence Olivier) in junior high and loved it. I finally read P&P in high school after watching that movie for probably the 100 millionth time.

I didn't branch out to Austen's other works until about 5 years ago and I would have to say that even though P&P will always have a special place in my heart as my Jane Austen first, Persuasion is probably my overall favorite.

I liked it as a pre-teen but I have to tell you that the 1940's version isn't very accurate. The costumes are completely wrong (poofy dresses like in Gone with the wind). Along as some other storyline changes.

I have the same opinion of the 1940's P&P as I do for the Kiera Knightly version: A good movie on it's own, but doesn't follow Jane Austen's story line as good as it should. If you watch either one for a good romantic movie-great, but if you watch as a Austen fanatic-you might be disappointed.

Hi, I'm Emily! I'm 20, and a college student. I discovered Austen in 5th grade when I saw the version of 'Pride and Prejudice' starring Colin Firth. After I fell head over heels in love with him (how could you not as an impressionable young girl?) I read P&P and have been an avid Austen fan ever since. When I was younger, P&P was my unquestionable favorite, but now I think Persuasion is a much truer portrait of love, so it's probably surpassed P&P. Emma is my least favorite Austen novel, simply because I think she is the least likeable of all Jane's heroines. I have a soft spot for Northanger Abbey, however. Does anyone else put this one in their top three Austen novels, at least?

Yes Emily, I love Northanger Abbey as well and would put it in my top three. I love Henry Tilney and Isabella and John are so frustrating...it just brings you right into the story! I love Pride and Predjudice, of course. And I don't know which one would be my third favorite....Sense and Sensability has great characters, Emma, I think is funny, and Mansfield Park and Persuatsion are bittersweet. All of the novels are just so good!

Hi, I’m Jen, I’m 22 and I’m from the UK (near the area where Emma is set in fact – I’ve even been on a school trip to Box Hill!). I studied English Lit at university and took a class on Austen in my final year, which was amazing, even if I did have to suffer through three months of her contemporaries first. My favourite Austens would have to be Pride and Prejudice and Emma.

Hello! My name is Jamie and I'm a SAHM of 4 (11,7,5,& 2). Both my DH and I are from Minnesota. I just started reading Jane Austen last year (a little late at 28), beginning with P&P. I think P&P will always be my favorite, but I also LOVED Northanger Abbey. I've read S&S, too, but I'm actually not a huge fan of it. I don't know, I guess I somehow just didn't feel for the characters very much. I'm now reading Mansfield Park, and I plan to finish the rest of her stories ASAP.

I don't know how I never encountered JA in high school or college, but I picked up P&P around the time that the Kiera Knightley version came out. I hold a different opinion than most people, I've noticed, in that I actually enjoyed this version more than the Colin Firth one. While I love Colin Firth, I think my opinion would be different had some other casting decisions been made. I just didn't see Elizabeth or Jane in the actresses they chose, which has always been distracting to me. I know that the more recent movie isn't particularly accurate, but it was more believable to me.

Hi, My name is Catie- I'm a senior in high school, homeschooled, and the oldest of 8. I first encountered JA with the 1940's film version when I was 11...which I liked before I found the 'real deal' and saw how innacurate it was (though still cute). I have read all of JA's books, both P&P and S&S are my favorites...though Persuasion was very good as well. :)

I saw the Keira Knightely version of P&P before I saw the BBC one and loved it. Overall I thought it a lovely adaption- short and sweet. Great cinematography and it hit the more modern audience without discrediting Austen. Then I saw the BBC one: at first I had to keep myself from judging it against the newer version, but once I stopped that, I loved it as well -much more character development. Though I have to say...the actress who played Jane in that one wasn't my favorite.
I also enjoyed the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet version of S&S...

Hello! I'm 21, a college student, and a huge fan of Jane Austen! :-)

I think I was about 14 or 15 when I picked up Pride & Prejudice and read it all the way through. I've been a fan ever since! My favorite of Jane's novels are P&P and Emma.

I enjoy both the Keira Knightely P&P and the Colin Firth one. I adore the GP version of Emma. I really enjoyed watching The Jane Austen Season this past spring.(It got me through my speech class!)

I love the characters in Jane Austen's novels, and often find myself comparing those characters with people I meet in life.
Every time I re-read one of Jane's books, I discover something new.

Welcome everyone!

I've noticed that in regards to P&P, the favorite is usually the first one that someone has seen. Interesting!!

Happy reading!

I was 10 when I first read Pride and Prejudice, my favorite! Since then, I have read others and become a huge fan.
When I'm not going to school, I am reading, writing, traveling, wishing I was traveling, watching Gilmore Girls, and working out (I am a competitive rock climber, weird I know).

My name is Ashley and I am a newbie to this group.

I have not yet read an Austen book but I own Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. I have recently taken an interest in Austen and can't wait to read her novels!

Hello everyone,

I'm really looking forward to joining this group! I've read "Emma," "P&P" and "Sense and Sensibility" (so far at least).
I'm a fan of the BBC "P&P," the Paltrow/Northam "Emma" and Emma Thompson's "Sense and Sensibility."

:)

Greetings--

I've been a JA fan since I was a teen. I've read all six of her major novels--my favorites are P&P (for Elizabeth/Darcy), Emma (for the delicious plot, tangled romances and dear Mr. Knightly) and S&S (for the Dashwood sisters).

I also enjoy movie adaptations, some more than others!!!

Looking forward to the discussions!

Hello,

I'm a new member of this group and also relatively new to Goodreads.

I was 12 when I first read Persuasion and it is my favorite among the six major Austen novels that I've read. (It's probably my favorite because my first copy was a gift from my grandmother, among other reasons.)

I've also posted a question for everybody in the "Jane's Books" section under Pride & Prejudice if you're interested.

Hi Charmless! Welcome to the group - and to Goodreads! I hope you find both enjoyable!:)

Hello! I'm brand new to Goodreads and I think I first read Pride and Prejudice when I was about 18 or 19. I had balked at reading any of her stuff because it all looked so "stuffy" but then I saw the movie version with Colin Firth and thought well maybe she wouldn't be so bad.

I have been hooked ever since. I've read Emma, Northganger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite, I usually read it at least once every 18 months or so and have gone through a few paperback copies as I tend to give them away. =)

I don't know if anyone of you have seen this site, but it's fabulous for Jane Austen fans! =)

http://pemberley.com/

Oh, I'm a 33 year old, once again student. I am working towards an degree in Elementary Education with a Math emphasis.

Hi Jenn!:)

I think Colin Firth has probably helped a lot of people get hooked on Jane Austen ;>

Thanks for the link, too!! How delightful! (and best of luck on your degree!!!! :>)

Jenn, I think so too. It was the lake scene in the BBC miniseries that did it for some of the new Austenites. ;-)

Oh, the lake scene! ahhh....lol

I liked all the verbal sparring myself, but the lake scene definitely solidified my wanting to read Pride and Prejudice. I've always been a fan of reading the book movies I like are based on. They are rarely the same but it's the basic story that gets me interested.

I'm glad you liked the link, it's alot of fun! =)

hi, I'm a newbie here...
I read my first Jane austen's book when I'm 13 years old. Pride & prejudice is the first title. I become an instant fans of her the minute I read the book!!!
My favorite Jane Austen's book is also Pride & Prejudice!!!
Nice to know u all here....
Lou family's blog

Hi. I'm Jenna. I first read a little of Emma after seeing the movie w/ Gwnyeth Paltrow. Then started P&P. My absolute favorite, I have since read the other novels. Except, Northanger Abbey still reading that one and Lady Susan. I have read some of the sequels by Elizabeth Aston and others. I loved the 2005 movie of P&P. After reading them I tend to pick up a British accent that drives my husband crazy.

I am Janine. I first listened to Pride & Predjudice on cd read by Flo Rogers at about age 34. She is awesome! I listened to many other Austen books read by her too. Then I had to read each one for myself. Pride and Predjudice is just simply the best novel ever written. I love all of Jane Austen's works, but P & P is absolutely complete. I did not enjoy the latest movie. I felt like I was reading the first sentence of each chapter and skipping to the next. My husband was laughing at me as I filled in and corrected all that was missed in each section. I would have liked the movie if I hadn't read the book though. If only every young person would read P&P and S&S and actually understand some of the finer points, we would have a more responsible society. I wish someone could write like Jane Austen today so I could enjoy another book. I have been a snob to every book since reading her works.

Hi, I'm Jennie...and I LOVE Jane Austen books!! (sooo much better than the stuff out nowadays..) I started reading Jane Austen a few years ago (when I was 14-ish) - starting with P&P - when my drama group did Pride and Prejudice for our spring play. I completely fell in love with it, but I have to say Emma is my favorite. :) The Gwyneth Paltrow version is soo good. :) this group is great!

Jen

I love the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma!!! :D

Hey,im a newbie! :) i picked up an easy version of pride and prejudice when i was six at a yard sale, and have not stopped reading her ever since!!!:)
i also enjoy Shakespeare, so if anybody is interested, come join my new Shakespeare Lovers group. its mostly for teens, but anyone can join!!:)

Hey, Kayla, Im Alexandra and I also loooove Jane Austen! my favorite was Sense and Sensibility, i love the sises opposite personalities! do u like shakespeare? if so, u should join my Shakespeare Lovers book group.

Hi everyone,

My name's Giovanna and I'm 20.

I first read Austen when I was 17 and have been the biggest fan ever since. My favourite is Pride and Prejudice and I went through a scary obsessive phrase where all I read for about 6 months was Pride and Prejudice over and over and over again! And watch Colin Firth over and over and over again! Afterwards I proceeded to read anything Jane Austen related and have thankfully calmed down...just a little :)

Hi I'm MarieBell, 30 and living in Portugal. I think I read Jane Austen in school, but, forgive me, I don't recall anything. I have a craving for the old classics, so a few monhs ago I went and bought 6 classics, 2 of them beeing by J.A. (P&P and Mansfield Park). I'm still finishing another book, but I'm anxious to start with my J.A. books.
I have taken a peak in Mansfield Park, read 2 chapters and I must say I'm having a little difficalty with the english. So I hope I've come to the right place if I get any doubts.

My first attempt at Austen was not successful. I tried reading P&P when I was a junior in high school, but I could not get into it. I gave up on Austen until I got to college. There a friend persuaded me to watch the A&E P&P, and I was hooked.

Each of my readings of her major works (except Northanger Abbey) has been preceeded by my seeing a movie version. I believe Jennifer Ehle will ALWAYS be the only Elizabeth Bennett.

My fave is Mansfield Park. I was introduced to it by the Frances O'Connor movie. Say what you will, but I LOVED IT! I watched it repeatedly. When I read the book, I was equally enthralled. Yes, the two stories are different in so many ways, but Fanny Price holds a special place in my heart. She is perfection, and I love her for it.

Now that I've read the Six (and some juvenilia), I am ready to start looking to the sequels and other adaptations.

I am Michaela, 28, I live in Hamburg Germany.I teach business English. I've read every Austen book more than twenty times because they act as a soother to an otherwise insane society. I long to have the biggest decision I make in a day to choose between the sprigged or straight muslin. My favorite book is Persuasion, although I believe I prefer the company of Henry Tilney to any other man, except for my husband, Mr. Darcy.

Hi all! i'm from Jakarta, Indonesia!

i read jane austen's books the first time about 10 years ago. my fave is P&P, Emma, Persuassion, N Abbey, S&S, Mansfield Park, in that order.

it's so nice to meet other fans of jane austen

Hello! I first (started to) read Jane Austen at 11. I finished my first Austen book at 13, Mansfield Park, followed by Sense and Sensibility, and Northanger Abbey. I've read another that just slipped my mind. Anyway, was introduced to Austen by my mom, who started watching the movies. We must have watched the big 3 (P&P A&E version, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma) at least 5 times each in the space of a year, in every version we could find. I started to read P&P, but we moved and the book was misplaced for a while. Anyway, that's my line.

Hi! I'm Liz, I'm from Minnesota but I'm in England this year studying at the University of Exeter. I started off reading Jane Austen for school, but I'd always wanted to read her work...thus far I've read Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. I'm also a big fan of the BBC adaptations. I hope to read the others relatively soon!

I realized I haven't replied here yet...anyways, hi, my name is Li and I'm from Canada! *waves*

How old were you when you first read Jane Austen?
I was 16 years old when I read my first Jane Austen *blushes* (I'm a bit of a late bloomer with classics). We had to read Pride and Prejudice for our English ISU in grade 11 and at the time I didn't think much of it since I had to write a paper on it. When I was in the first year of university, I decided to pick up the book again and fell in love with it. Then I scrambled out to read the rest of Austen's books and watched the adaptations. Now Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors and I try to read her books once a year (or I have started doing that this year, lol) :D

What is your favorite Jane Austen book?
I would have to say Persuasion is my favourite. I think it's the most romantic of all her books and I really felt for Anne and her situation. The entire set up of the novel was just so beautiful and that letter at the end? That has to be the most wonderful moment I've ever read in any Austen moment. Persuasion was also the only book where I really stayed up all night just to find out what happens next, it really excited me.

I am Katie, i am 14 and i have no clue when i started reading Jane Austen but i started with Pride and Prejudice. I was introduced to it through my mom. My dad is an editor and so he had to read them in collage. My mom read the book and then got the movie. the first movie i remember being my favorite was Pride and Prejudice.

All i know is that i can quote parts of the book when ever anyone asks. I have read it that much.

Hello, my name is James Buhain and I am 19 years old. I have read a couple of Jane Austen books. One of them is Pride and Prejudice. That book was the first book that I read and that was a great one as well. Other than that, that's basically about me.

Hello,I'm Elena from ItalY! I've first read an abridged (and translated, of course) edition of Pride and Prejudice in my early teens and it has remained my favourite ever since. Since then, I've read and re-read most JA's books both in Italian and English... Great to meet other fans from all over the world here! :)