Jane Austen discussion

Any questions, or ideas, or news, or theories or anything you want to share Austen related, post it here :)

Must say I love the new group picture!

Yes, thank you for getting it active again.

I'm glad you do. :)
And your welcome!! Its my group now :D so nice to have it more active.
But, saying that ;), my cousin is staying with me so I may be a little quieter from now until the 22nd... But I will try!! :D

Stephanie wrote: "Must say I love the new group picture!"

The Wentworth picture lured me into the group at once (I'm a newbie) - Mr Darcy is very dreamy and all, but Wentworth will always be my favourite Austen man! Especially in the form of Rupert Penry-Jones... Dashing, he is! :)

Sophie......I am with you on that one. I prefer Wentworth to Darcy as well.

I really love Knightley and Tilney!!!!

I love Knightley as well. Tilney I think will need a reread before a decision is made.

My favourite Austen man is Mr Knightley without any doubt. He is so gentleman-like, he has such a moral integrity and a constant devotion to Emma that is impossible not to love him.
I've read some good retellings, written from Mr. Knightley point of view, that are worth the reading.

I can't pick!!
Love Wentworth (and prefer Penry Jones!)
And Darcy and Tilney and Knightley... And Brandon actually! :)

Talking about male characters... Amanda Grange wrote a series of diarys: Mr. Darcy's diary, Captain Wentworth diary and so on.
They tell the story from the male character point of view, obviously in a diary form.
They're quite good and Captain Wentwoth's diary is one of my favourite because the first part is a prequel of Persuasion.
Have you ever heard about them?

I was going through some of these type of "diaries" and trying to understand which is the best to read. I don't want to read one that changes my opinion or destroys a bit the original, but I am also so curious. In the reviews half like it a lot..others put them 1 star. What do you suggest, because I am confused? Which is better to read?

I really liked Amanda Grange's works. She is respectful to the original novel and she doesn't put sex in her retellings (sometime it's really annoying because I don't think Jane Austen never thought about sex between her characters), just a bit of physical attraction.
Moreover she is not too sugary. I found some P&P retellings in wich the author feels the need to tell every few lines how much Darcy loves Elizabeth and after a few chapters I started thinking "ok, I know they love each other... pleas, go on!"
This is not the case with Amanda Grange.

Oh my gosh! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE DIARY SERIES!! I have read them all and they are all wonderful!! I was worried they would ruin them but they most certainly do not!! Colonel Brandon is one of my favourites due to the diary!! I couldn't recommend them more!! Any Austen fan has to read them!! I love... (not in this order!) Darcy, Brandon, Tilney, Bertram, Wentworth and Knightley... Wait that's all of them!! ;)
They are really good!! :D :D :D seriously!!

By the way, Amanda Grange wrote even Mr Wickham diary. It's an interesting reading because it covers Wickham's life before Pride & Prejudice.

It sounds like I need to get my hands on those diaries. I would love to read Wentworth's - I have realized these last couple of years that Persuation is my favourite of the books, but it's just too short! :)

Wentworth's was good!! Really good and I want to read Wickhams!!
Have you heard about her new one coming out soon or even just out, Dear Mr Darcy? I want to read that !!

I've heard about it... I can't wait to read it too!!!
Another author I really like is Abigail Reynolds. Her style is different from Amanda Grange, her novels are much more erotic, but she writes in way that glues to the pages from the start to the end.

What has she written?
I will have to investigate her...

I'll write about her in the new discussion about sequels and retellings!!!

Brilliant!! Yes, I will start a new thread... Now...

I'm thinking about this for some time... I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I've done it on another website and it was funny.

Why don't we read together something. It can be one of Jane Austen novels (but maybe it was done already in this group) or a sequel or a retelling. We can discuss every chapter or decide to divide the novel in section (i.e. 5 chapters at a time).

As I said in another discussion, I planned to read Norhtanger Abbet, but I won't mind read another novel.

Let me know what you think about this suggestion.

I'm game! It sounds fun!! :D let's see what some others think and then we can sort out some details!! Nice idea!! :)

Sounds like fun :)

Ideas for the group discussion:

1. If we decide to start with Jane Austen's novels, I suggest to start with Northanger Abbey, not only because I already planned to read it ;-P, but also because it's her first novel, it would be interesting to talk about her style and it would leave some suspence. If we start with Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion then we'll get bored with the others!

2. If we decide to read some sequels and prequels, maybe it's better start with something not too controversial. Amanda Grange (maybe Captain Wentworth's Diary) can be a good option or... I don't know...any suggestion? :D

3. Whatever we decide to read, we can set a date for the beginning and a date for the end. Then we can set some intermediate steps. For instance:
- from 1 october to 28 october
- chapter 1-10 from 1 october to 7 october
- chapter 11-20 from 8 october to 14 october
and so on.
We begin on 1 october and, from the 7th we can start discussing chapter fro 1 to 10. Then if someone wants to go on reading, can do that but can't discuss followign chapter untill the 14th.
In this way slower readers won't have the surprise spoilted. Obviously this is not necessary if we read Jane Austen's novels, because we already read them. But it would be easier to have a schedule.

I don't know if you understand what I mean. Today my English is quite bad.
Let me know what you think!

That all sounds brilliant!!

1. Northanger Abbey sounds like a good place to start!!

2. I would say the Amanda Grange Diaries as well!!

3. A schedule would be good :)

Your English is brilliant!! And i understood it all!!!

This all sounds great! :)

Thank you for approving my ideas and my English.
Now we should wait to see how many users are interested!

Yes :D

(Irene, can I have a link to your blog again ? Thanks for commenting on mine :) )

@Steph: I studied it at school, then being a Janeite I wanted to read sequels and prequels and for the most part they're not translated in Italian, so I had to read them in English.
Moreover I met several friends and Indie Authors through the Internet; they're from several countries but they speak English.
In short, lot of exercise and a good on-line dictionary!

@Soph: you're welcome! http://writingsformatrain.weebly.com/

I am too very impressed!!

No worries ;)

Here's a slightly new 'general chit chat' topic. Last week I went to Bath and had afternoon tea in the Pump Room. It was wonderful. Beautiful music, yummy food, great atmosphere. I kept imagining Catherine Morland there, and then even Jane herself :)
We also went to the JA centre, where I bought a magnet 'Keep calm and read Jane Austen'.
It's well worth a visit, if anyone has never been!

I would love to go to Bath!!! Maybe some day...

Where do you live Sarah? I live in England, guessing you do?
I am going to bath soon! Can't wait!!
I have been recently to Jane Austen's House in Chawton and it was amazing!
Can't wait for the JA centre!!

I really envy you too!!! One time or another I must go to visit my relatives in England, even if they live quite far from Bath.

It is wonderful - one of my favourite cities. They have a Jane Austen festival every September - one year I am going to have to go. They have a promenade where everyone wheres regency costumes :)
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/festivalh...

I am going one year as well!!
Anyone who comes, I wanna meet ya!!

Ooh good idea! :)

Thank you Sophie for visiting my blog!!!

Welcome! And you mine!!

It's on my bucket list :)

I have a general chitter chatter. I guess I have been speaking about Jane Austen around the house so much, that my baby sister ask to borrow a copy of my Sense and Sensibility. I ask her why, she said, just cause so I sent her to get it. She loves book but I did not she dabbled in Austen. I told her, she is not like the other books you have. She started reading, I saw she pulled out her dictionary, a pen and an index card. Alas, my friends she gave up in the introductory pages. I said, you gave up, she grinned and said, "you have any other book on your shelf, that I can read." There I was getting exciting, dreaming of the discussions we would have. Well I guess, a few more years and she may change her mind. She is priviledge to be exposed to Austen at 13, whilst my introduction was at 17.

Aww that's a shame!
I was introduced to the book at 15.

Well, advice to her would be to not start with S&S. The language I found the hardest in S&S, especially in the first few chapters or pages even!!
I would start with P&P or... NA.

I started with P&P and I'm now reading Persuasion. Probably going to read NA next.

Nice!! Love all Three!!

:)
Although so far Persuasion doesn't seem quite as good as P&P, but maybe that is just because Wentworth hasn't really come into the picture yet- I'm only on chapter 7.

You wait!! ;) although P&P is still my favourite. But it is still early days for you!

:)
Well, I can't wait to read it now. TO THE KINDLE!!!!

;) :D