fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3370 ]

[ SECRET POST #3370 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3370 ⌋

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Let's talk Austen and her works!

I feel terrible saying it, but I've never been able to finish a single Austen novel.

Really, it's the same problem that I have with soap operas. Not that Austen or soap operas are bad, or boring - they're definitely not. It's that I get too caught up caring about the characters and I can see the awful awkward shit they're about to go through and it's just too unpleasant and rough waiting for it to happen and seeing it happen and my heart just hurts.

Sorry everyone, I believe Jane Austen is an amazing novelist but I've never read any of her books.

I haven't encountered it but apparently Emma gets a lot of hate. I recently heard someone argue how it's hypocritical to hate her if you also like Darcy, as they are pretty much the same character. Emma is P&P told from Darcy's POV (with corresponding caveats that this is a general comparison). I thought it was an interesting thing to think about at least.

I'm having a hard time seeing that. Pride and conceit were big faults of Darcy's, absolutely. He was snobbish about Bingley possibly making a match that was beneath him, and had similar reservations about himself and Elizabeth, but that was definitely exacerbated by her family's behavior. In comparison, he was extremely gracious to and liked the Gardiners, despite the fact that Mr. Gardiner was in trade. That'd be a glaring flaw in the eyes of a true social snob, i.e. Caroline Bingley.

Emma, on the other hand, is not only conscious of her social status, but she actually uses it to interfere with other peoples' lives to a much greater extent Darcy merely discouraging Bingley's ardor. Emma's interference has greater repercussions. Bingley, after all, would be fine if he didn't make that match with Jane. Harriet Smith was another story. She's a bastard, lacing any social connections (besides Emma) or famiy to back her. If she doesn't make an advantageous marriage, she's screwed. When Emma derailed her courtship with Mr. Martin, she derailed Harriet's best shot at a happy, financially stable future.

And then there's Emma's insult of poor Miss Bates, who didn't deserve it.

Yes but the whole point of Emma is that she was a total dick, regreted it, learnt from her mistakes and then tried to make amends.

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-26 22:19 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-26 22:24 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-26 22:34 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-26 22:36 (UTC) - Expand

I loved the Lost in Austen tv show, and I've seen a few adaptations and spoofs (like the Red Dwarf Jane Austen parody episode) but I struggle with her actual novels.

My dad just read P&P for the first time at age 70 and couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was, which I thought was kind of adorable.

My dad loves Jane Austen's stuff, especially the BBC P&P. He has dyslexia so he's never read them, but he has listened to them on tape. He loves the language, and he's a Lifetime/Hallmark kind of guy so I think he likes the romance too. It's his go-to thing to watch when he's depressed, and he watches it about once a month.

It's super sweet.

That's adorable. If he hasn't already seen them, I highly recommend these adaptions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_and_Sensibility_(2008_miniseries)
-- there's a bit of naughtier sexy stuff in the beginning, not sure if that'd be an issue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Thorne_(TV_series)
-- this one is very new and not Austen, but Anthony Trollope. But the style/themes are similar and it's very sweet so he might enjoy that as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_%26_South_(TV_serial)
-- based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell and also a great romance.

AYRT - that is sweet!

I think I was surprised in my dad's case because he's not a Hallmark kind of guy. I think he was surprised, too, tbh.

I prefer watching Austen adaptations to reading the books themselves anymore, but damn if I don't still love the books.

I've read Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. I think I'm going to try Persuasion next when I get the time, though I'm curious about Mansfield Park too since everyone says they have yet to do a good adaptation of that.

I have only read Pride and Prejudice, though I started Emma before I lost my copy. Which sucks because I was actually really into it. (Emma was so terrible it was entertaining.) I did finally find it, but by then had moved on to other things and never got back into it. Kind of like being interrupted during dinner and losing your appetite once you finally sit down again.

Anyway, I couldn't get into P&P the first time, but then I started watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and then I watched the BBC P&P miniseries. I actually found the novel easier to get into having seen the miniseries. The irony for me is that my writing professors always told me I needed more description, and yet (as one of my classmates pointed out!) Pride and Prejudice was very much void of it, to the point at which Darcy just starts talking and there'd been no indication he was even in the room. Stuff like that threw me off the first time.

SA - I should note that I meant Emma the character was entertainingly horrible, not the novel!

Well, not having a great deal of description was Austen's style, but that doesn't make it the best choice for a modern piece of writing... for pretty much the reason you've already discovered in Austen's work re: Darcy's presence.

I have not read a single thing of hers I've liked. And I've tried, either through school or just forcing myself to read it because it was a classic. I just am not interested in the genre, in her characters, or in her writing style.

And you know, that's fine, but I've always thought it odd when people who dislike X make a point of posting in a thread that's meant to generate discussion among fans of X.

The thread didn't specify it was about liking her, it just said it was a Jane Austin discussion thread.

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-26 22:35 (UTC) - Expand

Normally I would actually agree, but in fairness, this wasn't posed as a "gush" thread. Plus, Philstar22's post was way less trolly than the "lol I hate that book/show/movie" responses you see in ones more obviously for fans.

Re: Jane Austen Thread

(Anonymous) - 2016-03-27 03:19 (UTC) - Expand

Same. I liked some of the movies, so I started reading her stuff while totally expecting to like it, but it just didn't click with me.

If I think about it for too long I get upset about her dying so young. I read all her books and unfinished pieces last year.
Persuasion was such an interesting development and seemed to reflect her new living situation. Sanditon was pretty nice as well, more societal.

If she had been able to see more of the world as now pretty successful author, I just feel like she'd stayed a great observer of society, but also incorporated aspects she never got the chance to experience until then.

I'd have loved to know her thoughts during the first-wave feminist movement, since it does seem like some of her books paved the way for early feminist fiction.

I've read Sense and Sensibility and while I liked the clever dialogues I disliked how it ended and curtain attitudes and virtues it defended.

I've only read Northanger Abbey, which I don't remember much and Persuasion which I didn't finish. It really put me off how much the narration shilled the main character Anne. Especially in comparison to her sister Mary. Mary was never as pretty as Anne, also her husband wanted Anne, also her children love Anne more.

Maybe those weren't her best novels, but I don't have much interest in trying the rest.

I personally love Northanger Abbey, but it's a novel you need to have a bit of context to properly enjoy imo. Specifically how it's basically a parody, and how it plays with the tropes of the gothic novel that was in fashion at the time. It's Austen's wittiest and very tongue in cheek, which may be in part due to her being quite young at the time she wrote it.

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