Any Jane Austen fans out there?

Tenebrae · #1 Jun 15, '12, 5:37 pm

What do you think of the practice of modern day authors writing "sequels" to the Austen novels? I've looked into a couple of sequels to "Pride & Prejudice," and they were pretty dreadful.

DaveBj · #2 Jun 15, '12, 6:33 pm

I have six of Austen's books on my Kindle. I enjoy reading them, but I do get tired of the concentration on the idle rich. Would love sometimes to take a gang of Welsh or Yorkshire coal miners and throw them into the midst of the Austen society.

I've never read any of the sequels. I know of one, and from the description I would not read it. The Brit miniseries Lost in Austen was pretty good, except for one dreadful moment.

LoyalViews · #3 Jun 15, '12, 6:44 pm

I personally don't like the modern-day author's sequels to her books. I like her books, she's one of my favourite authors actually, but the modern sequels I've seen just don't follow in her footsteps. It might be just me - but I JUST don't like them

jilly4ski · #4 Jun 15, '12, 7:21 pm

Love Austin. I own 6 of her books, and like them all and love a few.

(Really like the BBC's long movie version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth). Got my husband into her books, and he read the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies book, and said it was ok, he liked the areas of the book that were just like Austins plot line and words and didn't really care for the authors own additions. (This is actually a pretty scathing review for my husband, because as long as he was 'entertained' by the book he calls it good). For myself, I have avoided any sequel type books, because I don't think I could put up with any nonsense, but do occasionally enjoy movies based off the stories. (Clueless, etc.).

Waiting · #5 Jun 15, '12, 7:58 pm

Love Jane Austen. Have the DVDs and books. Just have no interest in somebody else's sequels to Jane Austen novels. That wouldn't be Jane Austen.

**LilyM** · #6 Jun 15, '12, 8:30 pm

Love love love her. Also 'excessively diverted'

by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, even though it was a bit of a one-trick pony.

Captain America · #7 Jun 15, '12, 9:07 pm

Jane's absolutely fantastic. Positively the best, hands down.

When you're done with the Austen corpus, get into George Eliot, particularly Middlemarch and Mill on the Floss. She's excellent too, a half-step behind Jane.

**LilyM** · #8 Jun 15, '12, 9:49 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain America

Jane's absolutely fantastic. Positively the best, hands down.

When you're done with the Austen corpus, get into George Eliot, particularly Middlemarch and Mill on the Floss. She's excellent too, a half-step behind Jane.

I've only read Silas Marner, but liked it a lot, so I may just take your advice and read the others.

Hopper · #9 Jun 16, '12, 12:13 pm

Here is another fan of Jane Austen

....I agree with Jilly4ski in that the BBC movie version with Colin Firth is the best! Did enjoy the other one as well though.
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If you like Jane Austen novels - do you like the "Downton Abbey" series?
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Don't know why but I just like that English pomposity

jilly4ski · #10 Jun 16, '12, 12:49 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopper

Here is another fan of Jane Austen

....I agree with Jilly4ski in that the BBC movie version with Colin Firth is the best! Did enjoy the other one as well though.
.
If you like Jane Austen novels - do you like the "Downton Abbey" series?
.
Don't know why but I just like that English pomposity

I thought the new Pride and Prejudice movie was ok. It was entertaining, but I did not care for the Darcy actor or the artistic liberties they took with the settings and the character changes they made with Mr. Bennet (spending time in the barn with the animals instead of spending the time in his book room, pshaw). I think it irks me more than normal because Mr. Bennet is really my favorite character.

I did enjoy Downton Abby, though I liked the first season better than the second, maybe just because It was too much, and I got bored.

I also really enjoyed Sense and Sensibility with Huge Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Kate Winslet. (Trivia: Huge Laurie also makes an appearance as Mr. Palmer). Love the music.

Interestingly enough I enjoyed the Emma movie with Gweneth Paltrow. (Alan Cummings, and Ewan McGregor).

I have decided I don't really like the 1999 movie version of Mansfield park http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178737/. Again the artistic decisions, though I had really enjoyed the book.

I also have a 1995 movie version of Persuasion. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114117/ which I really enjoy.

Now remember ladies, it is father's day weekend, we can't go around making our husbands watch Jane Austin movies on his day.

Havard · #11 Jun 16, '12, 1:30 pm

Male Jane Austen fan here!

Regarding "modern sequels", the only one I have read is P.D. James' Death Comes to Pemberly. I am a huge fan of mysteries and P.D. James's work in particular, so I enjoyed it, but it may not be every Austen fan's cup of tea. Ms. James is a brilliant author in her own right, and I think she did her utmost to be faithful to Austen's characters, but I know a few people who had their complaints.

Catholic1954 · #12 Jun 16, '12, 3:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenebrae

What do you think of the practice of modern day authors writing "sequels" to the Austen novels? I've looked into a couple of sequels to "Pride & Prejudice," and they were pretty dreadful.

The Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron are not too bad. Our Jane is really a spunky, wise solver of crimes!

Tenebrae · #13 Jun 16, '12, 6:00 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catholic1954

The Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron are not too bad. Our Jane is really a spunky, wise solver of crimes!

I've read a couple and enjoyed them. At least the author didn't mess with Jane Austen's characters.

My favorite filmed version of Pride & Prejudice is the version which was shown on Masterpiece Theater in the early 1980's. It was a BBC television production done mostly on a sound stage, so it doesn't have the elaborate production values of the Colin Firth version, but I like the actors better. (Except for the guy playing Mr. Darcy, who's a walking mannequin.) The portrayal of Mr. Collins in this version is closer to the way Jane Austen described the character. In the Colin Firth version they make Mr. Collins out to be smarmy and creepy.

colliric · #14 Jun 17, '12, 12:02 am

I'm going to be in the minority and say that my favourite adaptation was hands down the Keira Knightly one.

Mainly because of the lead, who really showed off her genuine acting chops in this film, and deserved to be nominated for the Academy Award(I was hopeful she would win it, and word is she came very close). It forshadows her later performances in Atonement(same director) and The Duchess.

I agree however that Donald Sutherland was a little odd a choice to play Mr. Bennett.

I really dislike even the idea that someone could come along and write a "sequel" to any classic book. Amoung the worst must be "Heathcliff", "Scarlett", "The Phantom of Manhattan"(probably also inspired "Love Never Dies") and in my opinion "Wicked", which amounted to a petty abuse of a classic childrens novel for the sake of money(especially the Broadway musical).

**LilyM** · #15 Jun 17, '12, 12:51 am

I think Keira Knghtley and Colon Firth would have been great together. Not that Jennifer Ehle wasn't also really good, but physically she wasn't really the right type for Lizzy whereas KK is.