Jane Austen Reviews

It’s been a while since I last read Sense and Sensibility I needed to be reminded of Austen’s wonderful prose. For those of you who haven’t read it here is a plot summary (from Wikipedia).

While I was reading it I highlighted a few things I thought brilliant …

They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future.

This was Mrs Dashwood and Marianne after the death of Mr Dashwood.

No sooner did she perceive any symptom of love in his behaviour to Elinor, than she considered their serious attachment as certain, and looked forward to their marriage as rapidly approaching.

Mrs Dashwood’s thoughts on Elinor and Edward.

…and she was reasonable enough to allow that a man of five and thirty might well have outlived all acuteness of feeling and every exquisite power of enjoyment. She was perfectly disposed to make every allowance to the Colonel’s advanced state of his life which humanity required.

Marianne’s thoughts on Colonel Brandon.

…her favourite authors were brought forward and dwelt upon with so rapturous a delight, that any young man of five and twenty must have been insensible indeed, not to become an immediate convert to the excellence of such works, however disregarded before.

Willoughby and Marianne.

In hastily forming and giving his opinion of other people, in sacrificing general politeness to the enjoyment of undivided attention where his heart was engaged, and in slighting too easily the forms of worldly propriety, he displayed a want of caution which Elinor could not approve, in spite of all that he and Marianne could say in its support.

Elinor’s thoughts on Marianne (and this seems to be her guiding principle).

She was without any power, because she was without any desire of command over herself.

Marianne after Willoughby leaves.

… and sometimes displeased ith his uncertain behaviour to herself, she was very well disposed on the whole to regard his actions with all of the candid allowances and generous qualifications, which had been rather more painfully extort from her, for Willoughby’s service, by her mother.

Elinor deceiving herself.

Her thoughts were silently fixed on the irreparable injury which too early and independence and it’s consequent habit of idleness, dissipation and luxury, had mae in th mind, the character, the happiness of a man who, to every advantage of person and talents, united a disposition naturally open and honest, and a feeling, affectionate temper. The world had made him extravagant and vain. Extravagance and vanity had made him cold hearted and selfish.

Elinor’s thoughts on Willoughby after he comes to try to redeem himself in their eyes.

Austen has created charming characters who are witty and enjoyable company but prove to be immoral (the Crawfords in Mansfield Park, Mr Wickham in Pride and Prejudice). This novel contrasts Marianne’s ’sensibility’ with Elinor’s ’sense’ and it’s clear Austen endorses ’sense’. It’s also about being mindful of other people – paying them the proper amount of respect. It is not right of Marianne to indulge her grief because it upsets her family (and makes herself ill).

You can download an e book version of Sense and Sensibility from here. There are also audio books available (a free on from here)

I’m aware of three adaptations:-

Sense and Sensibility BBC (1981)

Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson and Ang Lee)

and the latest BBC version

Sense and Sensibility (2008)

I have these three adaptations and I think I will watch them all again. My current thinking is that I prefer the latest version, but we will see.

You might also be interested in the Sense and Sensibility page at Pemberly.com.

It’s new year’s day time to make resolutions. This year I plan to re-read Austen’s novels – starting with Sense and Sensibility. I’m going to read one of the biographies I own (possible the one by Claire Tomalin). I’m also going to read some of the books of criticism I have – starting with Malcolm Day’s  Voices from the World of Jane Austen.

I’m also going to watch the adaptations I have – starting with Emma (E1).

What I’m not going to do is read any prequels, sequels or re-interpretations.

My local Jane Austen group are reading the Juvenilia for our next meeting. I’ve always liked Lady Susan and thought it would be good to try an ebook on my Ipod Touch (I have the ereader application).

I found a copy at Girlebooks - I do like the portability of an ereader. My ipod goes everywhere with me (it has my calendar as well as contact details in it), so I always have a book with me. The application is great – you can change things like the font and the colour of the background - however the screen is really too small and I’m not sure I would want to carry around a bigger version (might as well have the book).

Back to Girlebooks – they have a fabulous section of women writers – Austen, Gaskell, Montgomery, Burney etc.

I’ve read the Preface in which Ms Harman states her goal for this book

This book charts the growth of Austen’s fame, the changing status of her work and what it has stood for, or been made to stand for, in English culture over the past two hundred years.

In her own lifetime Austen’s books were not particularly successful – the editions were small and remaindered or pulped after her death. Henry Austen wrote what he thought was a definitive biography of Austen when he published Persuasion and Northanger Abbey in 1818.

A life of usefulness, literature and religion was by no means a life of event.

In the 1820s her novels were out of print considered too restrained and old fashioned for Victorian tastes. Critics had mixed responses; Charlotte Bronte hated the novels, G H Lewes liked them, etc. However, by the end of the century ‘all the reading world is at Miss Austen’s feet’.

And now her fame has reached all parts of the globe. Just to place her name in a book title seems to generate sales (The Jane Austen Book Club, Lost in Austen, etc). Since the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice there has been 15 adaptations (and a new Emma in the making).

Ms Harman observes that there have been two surges of popularity; the first after the publication of James Edward Austen-Leigh’s Memoir of Jane Austen and the second of the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice.

How did a young woman writing in the late 18th and early 19th Century become a ‘pivotal figure not simply in literature of all sorts but in the heritage and multimedia’?

I look forward to reading more…

I’ve always wanted to read The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, but I’ve never managed to finish it or even start it if the truth be told. However, Austenprose have posted a reading schedule as part of their Go Gothic month. There is a lot going on over there – guest bloggers, give aways etc… you should definitely check it out.

Anyway, I must find my copy of Uldopho …

I read on Austenblog that the Regency World Magazine was saved from being closed. I didn’t even know it was in trouble, but I’m glad it has been saved. There aren’t many subscribers, which I guess is part of the problem, but it is beautiful and full of all sorts of interesting Regency details. If you are at all interested in Jane Austen or the Regency period, then you should definitely consider subscribing. Check it out here.

This blog will be my reviews of all of the Jane Austen media I come across and I do come across a lot.  At the moment I’m reading Sanditon

I’ve noticed some similarities with Lesley Castle, but more of that later…

In the mean time check out my cross words at ExcessivelyDiverted.com.