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View original post1) Which is your favourite Austen novel? Why?
View original postPersuasion. It's a more believable love story, it's tenderly and beautifully written, and I love Captain Wentworth.
Not sure if you read the article I linked to, but I thought it had some valid points on Persuasion (even if I can't wrap my head around the author making those points and then somehow proceeding to praise Mansfield Park). I do like Anne Elliot, and the concept of having a somewhat older heroine (although considering a 28-year old heroine "somewhat older" is rather sad in itself), but not sure I agree that the love story is more believable.
View original postMansfield Park. It's mostly boring, and Fanny Price is not as sparkling as Austen's other heroines.
Agreed. I was furious when Austen threw the Crawfords under the bus and made a big fuss about how Fanny's boring but virtuous character was so superior to them. Not that I expected them to walk out of the story gloriously, they were perhaps a tad too obviously "immoral" for that, but (in my memory, at least) it was really exaggerated. It's definitely much more preachy than any of her other novels, with the possible exception of Lady Susan if you count that.
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View original post3) What do you think of the immense amount of attention Austen and her novels get? Entirely deserved, wildly overrated, somewhere inbetween?
View original postVery much deserved. Her novels have very keen observation of people's character and behaviour.
Agreed with that, though I must admit to being a tad puzzled all the same. I do think highly of her, but then I also think highly of many other 19th century authors who have nothing like her enduring popularity.
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View original post4) Favourite character? Least favourite?
View original postHenry Tilney is lovely. Least would be Mary Bennett.
Interesting choice there. He does have his moments and a number of good lines - more humor than most of Austen's male love interests, for sure, but then Northanger Abbey is a more comic novel than the others. But he also has a few horribly patronizing moments that I recall.
As for Mary, I do feel for her, I must say. Yes, she's awkward, but I think of her as a teenager trying to find her way in a household with a lot of questionable influences - she'll never have the charm and vivacity of Jane or Elizabeth, but perhaps in a few years she can grow up and become sort of like Charlotte Lucas (or Fanny Price).
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View original post5) Favourite TV or movie adaptation, besides the obvious answer (just to keep things interesting)?
View original postI love the ITV adaptation of Emma, with Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong. And Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root.
Haven't seen either of those, but they both sound interesting, going by the actors.
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View original post6) What do you make of the recent craze involving the adaptation of Austen novels with various kinds of monsters added?
View original postI liked P&P & Zombies. But the others just take it too far. Not a big fan of bandwagon jumping.
As I was saying to Nate, I'm tempted to try the Northanger Abbey one, it seems like it might work best there. But yeah, it is quite blatant, the bandwagon jumping.
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View original post8) Do you think of Austen as a conservative and/or a prude, or do you feel that by the standards of her time she could be considered progressive? Why (not)?
View original postNeither, I think she's somewhere in the middle.
Probably a fair answer, if somewhat boring.
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View original post9) Any other observations you'd care to make on this or any however tangentially related topic?
View original postIf I were less tired then perhaps.
Maybe later then.
This message last edited by Legolas on 02/07/2013 at 10:05:56 PM
/Survey: Jane Austen
- 02/07/2013 08:51:08 PM
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It is a truth universally acknowledged...
- 02/07/2013 09:04:07 PM
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Re: It is a truth universally acknowledged...
- 02/07/2013 10:05:14 PM
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Strangely enough, I'm that person who has never read Austen.
- 02/07/2013 09:16:23 PM
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Then I guess the question becomes which one to recommend to you, eh? 
- 02/07/2013 09:43:02 PM
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- 02/07/2013 09:43:02 PM
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