Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Classics Challenge January Prompt: The Author: Jane Austen!

Our questions for January's classic book over at November's Autumn are all about the author we are reading this month. My first classic of the year is a re-read of Persuasion and currently, I'm about half way done. Even though we are all quite familiar with this author I will go ahead with this fun challenge prompt!

So, here are the questions (in different levels according to how far we are in the book) along with my answers:


Level 1
Who is the author? What do they look like? When were they born? Where did they live? What does their handwriting look like? What are some of the other novels they've written? What is an interesting and random fact about their life?


Jane Austen
Born December 16, 1775 in Hampshire, England
Died July 18, 1817 in Winchester, England
Her novels include:
Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Mansfield Park (1814)
Emma (1815)
Northanger Abbey (1818, posthumous)
Persuasion (1818, posthumous)
Interesting fact: Northanger Abbey, though published after her death, was actually the first novel she wrote.



A sample of her handwriting

Chawton Cottage, where she lived with her sister starting in1809.


Level 2
What do you think of their writing style? What do you like about it? or what would have made you more inclined to like it? Is there are particular quote that has stood out to you?

LOVE her writing style! It always takes me a few chapters to warm up to it, to get into the flow of the style and wordiness, but once that happens, wow, it clicks in, and I love it. I feel like going around talking like that! I like that it's so flowery and witty and blunt, yet subtle at the same time. Ah, I don't know what it is about her writing, but it's truly amazing.

A quote that stands out? Wow, there's many and my mind goes blank! What is one of your favorite quotes, particularly from this book, Persuasion?


Okay, I'm off so I can do what needs doing today, so I can jump back into this book and finish it soon. And when I do that, then yes, I will re-watch the movie, and then when I do THAT, I will find a modern version of this story to read for Melissa's challenge! See the fun I'm having? :)


11 comments:

  1. I love the letter captain Wentworth writes. I cried like a baby when I read it. I haven't seen a movie version that I like yet. I don't think it's been made.

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  2. Just FYI: watch the 1995 movie, not the 2007 one. The 2007 one ruins the letter, ruins the ending..., even though the 2007 actors get the smoulder a bit better.

    As for modernizations, the only one I know of (other than my June book) is the sequel to Bridget Jones ("Edge of Reason"), and that's REALLY loose.

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    1. Thanks for the info. Perhaps I'll watch BOTH! :)

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    2. Diana... your June book? As in a book you have coming out in June? (Looking at your Amazon list right now...) This is a re-telling/modernization of Persuasion? If so, I will be on the lookout for it!

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  3. Mm...love this. I must reread Persuasion again - and wait for Diana's For Darkness Shows the Stars to come out, which is the retelling I'm planning to pair with it.

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    1. Isn't there also a retelling called Captain Wentworth's Diary? I think I had my hands on that one once.

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  4. I can never get enough of Jane Austen's wit. Way to combine challenges!

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    1. Yep! Combining is the only way to do these things!

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  5. It really is amazing how Austen could blend bluntness with subtlety. She was just so biting without being mean at all.

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  6. Persuasion is one of my favorites of Austen, beautifully written. I'd recommend watching the 1999 adaptation, I loved it. Isn't Chawton just beautiful! They've recently started up a blog. Thank you for participating in this month's prompt, Suey! :)

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