Books and Writing - Jane Austen #2: Because it's time to fall in love again

One Love · 05-21-2009, 01:35 PM

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Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775 to the local rector, Rev. George Austen (1731-1805), and Cassandra Leigh (1739-1827). She was the 7th child among 8 children. She had one older sister, Cassandra. In 1783 she went to Southampton to be taught by a relative, Mrs. Cawley, but was brought home due to a local outbreak of disease. Two years later she attended the Abbey Boarding School in Reading, reportedly wanting to follow her sister Cassandra, until 1786.

Jane was mostly educated at home, where she learned how to play the piano, draw and write creatively. She read frequently and later came to enjoy social events such as parties, dances and balls. She disliked the busy life of towns but preferred the country life where she took to long country walks.

In 1801 Jane, her parents, and sister moved to Bath, a year after her father's retirement, and the family frequented the coast. While on one of those coastal holidays she met a young man where apparently a romantic involvement occurred that ultimately ended in tragedy as the young man died. It is believed by many astute Austen fans that her novel, "Persuasion", was inspired by this incident.

Following her father's passing in January of 1805, which left his widow and daughters with financial problems, they moved several times until finally moving into a small house, in Chawton, Hampshire, owned by her brother Edward, which is reminiscent of "Sense and Sensibility". It was in this house that she wrote most of her works.

March of 1817 saw her health begin to decline and she was forced to abandon her current work of Sanditon, never completed. Jane had Addisons disease. In April she wrote out her will and then on May 24th moved with Cassandra to Winchester, to be near her physician. It was in Winchester where she died, in the arms of her sister, on Friday, the 18th of July 1817, at the age of only 41. She was buried the 24th of July at Winchester Cathedral. Jane never married.

Novels
Sense & Sensibility
Persuasion
Pride and prejudice
Northanger Abbey
Mansfield Park
Emma

kate204 · 05-21-2009, 05:05 PM

TFTNT and nice title.

One Love · 05-23-2009, 12:07 PM

You're welcome. I read that somewhere and I decided to make it the title.

kate204 · 05-24-2009, 02:03 PM

^Well it work great.

So what was the last book of her you read?

One Love · 05-25-2009, 03:04 AM

I'm reading Sense and Sensibility, which is a great book. I loved the film with Kate Winslet and the more recent adaption from the BBC. But Marianne, can truly annoy me sometimes. It's incredible how much passion she has.

Have you read any of her books lately?

kate204 · 05-27-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

But Marianne, can truly annoy me sometimes. It's incredible how much passion she has

Me too.

Yap, Persuasion ,which is my second favorite book of hers.

_Nyx_ · 05-27-2009, 06:15 PM

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife"
Best opening of a book I've read (IMO), equaled only by Dickens' own:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way"
But then I loved Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" more than Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" though both are masterpieces I’ve enjoyed tremendously.

So do I read Jane Austen? Yes, every year the same books. Do I watch monthly A&E's "Pride & Prejudice"...

definitely

TheAngel · 07-02-2009, 11:35 AM

So, has anyone seen this book yet? Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
It actually looks quite interesting and funny, especially since they apparently preserved something like 80% of the original text. I saw it at the library the other day and I may have to buy it or try to find it at the library just to give it a try.

Gabriela · 07-02-2009, 12:18 PM

I saw that at Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago and it literally made me stop and do a double take

They do look interesting

lisztomania · 07-02-2009, 03:59 PM

The title itself is track-stopping. What's it about?

I heard there's even Prada & Prejudice.

TheAngel · 07-02-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SergeantPepper (View Post)

The title itself is track-stopping. What's it about?

I heard there's even Prada & Prejudice.

Apparently it take the actual story of pride and prejudice and puts it against the backdrop of a zombie invasion in England while maintaining much of the original text. Some people are saying that it's a perversion of the original text and is blasphemy, but I think it shows how relevant Pride and Prejudice and be, even in modern society, and to be honest, it looks quite witty and interesting.

One Love · 07-06-2009, 04:13 AM

^Oh Lord, I don't like the sound of that. I think I am going to stick to the original.

TheAngel · 07-06-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Fatima* (View Post)

^Oh Lord, I don't like the sound of that. I think I am going to stick to the original.

I might give it a try, just to see what it's like.

I rented the movie version of The Jane Austin Book Club today. I saw the movie for the first time when I was in London and really fell in love with it so I can't wait to watch it again sometime this evening. I also can't wait to have access to my mom's Jane Austen collection when I get home next week so I can find one to read. I really need to read Pride and Prejudice...before I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, that is.

menz815 · 07-16-2009, 08:06 PM

I read pride and prejudice and zombies. it was HILARIOUS!!! if you don't mind spoofs then you'll love it. P&P is my fav book ever and I don't think it took anything away from the original novel.

and The Jane Austen Book Club movie is amazing! plus Hugh Dancy is gorgeous

TheAngel · 07-16-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menz815 (View Post)

I read pride and prejudice and zombies. it was HILARIOUS!!! if you don't mind spoofs then you'll love it. P&P is my fav book ever and I don't think it took anything away from the original novel.

and The Jane Austen Book Club movie is amazing! plus Hugh Dancy is gorgeous

I agree. He is. And he's such a cute character in that movie that you can't help but fall in love with him because he's such a nice guy.
I'll be sure to get the spoof when I go out to the bookstore next. Like I said, it looks really funny and I don't mind spoofs at all.

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