In 2011 I wrote 9 posts! 9! That’s just pathetic.

This year I am determined to turn over a new leaf – I have P.D James’s Death Comes to Pemberley in my reading pile, plus I have downloaded various ‘gothic horrors’ to my kindle – things like The Mysteries of Udulpho and The Monk.

Look P D James is writing a mystery set at Pemberley – more information here. You can pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk.

On January the first last year I wrote some resolutions namely, …

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.

So it’s time to take stock: I didn’t re-read all of the novels I still have Northanger Abbey and Persuasion to go, I read one book of criticism (but not the Malcolm Day book) and I did read a prequels, sequels and re-interpretations. Although I now think deciding not to read them was a bad decision as it means I could be missing out on something fabulous (like The Three Weissmanns of Westport).

This year I did manage to read Lovers Vows (the play mentioned in Mansfield Park), watched Lost in Austen, two versions of Pride and Prejudice (1995 and 2005 – I even changed my mind about the 2005 version), read The Improvement of the Estate and Helen and I even read a couple of regency romances.

I’m disappointed I didn’t achieve more and this year one of my goals will be blogging more often.

My plan this year is to review the items in my collection (quite substantial) and to read (or watch) any Austen related material that comes my way – starting with A Truth Universally Acknowledged – 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen.

This lovely book arrived in the mail – I’m looking forward to reading it…

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.

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.

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…