Love and Freindship

Love and Freindship

by Jane Austen

★★★★

At this point I’ve read and reread all of Austen’s novels. Each time I dive into her work I discover new things to reflect upon. This was my first foray into her juvenilia and I was surprised to find her sharp wit and sense of humor were already developed. She clearly improved her character and plot development with age, but these early works still have her tone.

I’d already read Lady Susan, which is included her, but the rest was new to me. I have to say the Penguin Clothbound Classics edition was excellent. The introduction includes information about the pieces in the book and Austen’s life, which provides context and depth.

"A remarkable feature of the juvenilia is its ability to subvert limitations imposed on young women, especially in the field of education."

Each of the tales focuses more on a single plot point than on character development. There's the girl who accidentally gotten engaged to two different men, and then commits suicide because she felt so bad. Another flirts at a ball and is scandalized. There are also quite a few glimpses of her later novels. In "From a Young Lady crossed in Love to her freind" we meet a young woman who is overwhelmed with heartbreak when she is betrayed by a man named Willoughby, just like Sense and Sensibility.

Austen’s sense of humor is particularly obvious in “The History of England”. She declares it is written by "a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant Historian". It includes lines like…

"During his reign, Lord Cobham was burnt alive, but I forget what for."

Her dedications at the beginning of each story became one of my favorite parts of the book. They’re intentionally overly serious and very amusing.

BOTTOM LINE: Austen’s juvenilia is playful and fun, but it also shows the promise of the writer that she will become. I loved having the chance to learn more about one of my favorite authors through her early work. A must for any true Austen fan!

Longbourn

Longbourn

by Jo Baker

★★★★

What an utter and unexpected delight this was. I’m so wary of any books that latch on to Jane Austen’s success, trying to spin their own best seller out of her characters, but this one is a great novel on its own merit. Yes, the story is set in the Bennet household, made famous in the pages of Pride and Prejudice. We do see the ever-recognizable characters we’ve grown to love, but Baker achieves something unique with this book. She’s created new characters that we care about while at the same time giving an added depth to the ones we already knew.

A housemaid, Sarah, has spent most of her life employed at the Bennet home. When a new footman named James appears, their small staff is thrown off balance. Soon everyone’s pasts and futures come into question as the story unfolds.  

I love Austen’s novels and I know many people had problems with this book because they didn’t love the light it cast on their beloved characters. For me that wasn’t an issue. I didn’t think that the book changed them in significant ways. Wickham is still a cad; Mr. Collins is insufferable, etc. I think the key is to remember that this is not Pride and Prejudice; it should be treated as a completely different book.

I did feel like the story came undone a bit at the end of the novel. When James leaves Longbourn I lost interest a little and felt like the book never quite found its footing again. The tone of the novel changed dramatically and didn’t seem to synch with the rest of the story. It lost the close knit feel that the world of Longbourn radiates.

I did love reading about the practical side of that time period. Baker did a great job describing the inane duties that any maid would have in a house full of so many women. I also like the way Mary’s quiet role is expanded. Her role in Pride and Prejudice is a small one, but she’d given more depth in this story.

BOTTOM LINE: A great piece of historical fiction. As long as you go into the book remembering that this is NOT an Austen novel, I think you’ll enjoy it. Treat it as a completely separate story instead of as retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen
★★★★★

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sisters but their temperaments are wildly different. Marianne is full of fire and enthusiasm while Elinor is more reserved and logical. Despite this the two sisters are devoted to one another. When their father dies and they find themselves moving into a new cottage with their mother and younger sister they must find a balance between their divergent natures as they fall in love.

At its heart, S&S is a book about the relationship between sisters. You love them, you want to protect them and you want them to be happy, but often there’s no one more different from you. There is romance, but it takes a back seat to the unique bond shared by the Dashwood sisters.

SPOLIERS
Like all of Austen’s novels, there are some wonderfully funny characters and others that it’s a joy to despise (I’m looking at you Lucy Steele). The book also as one of the most heartbreaking love stories, Marianne and Willoughby, and one of the sweetest romantic scenes, when Elinor and Edward finally get together after she’s convinced he’s already married. Austen had an incredibly gift for making her readers fall in love with her characters.
SPOLIERS OVER

I think the reason this book resonated so much with me when I first read it, (10 years ago) and now again as a reread, is because I see my own relationship with my sister in this book. She met her husband and a year later, at age 20, she got married. Now, ten years later she has four kids. She’s not a fan of planning or traveling. She’s late everywhere she goes, she doesn’t like to read and she has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s incredibly sweet and hates fighting with anyone.

I on the other hand, met my husband and we dated for 9 years before getting married. We’ve been married for 2 ½ years and we’re still not ready for kids. I have traveled to 12 countries and obviously love reading. I’m a type A planner and can be very confrontational if I’ve got an issue with someone. In other words, we have polar opposite personalities.

I identified with this book because despite our differences, we love each other so much. Like Elinor and Marianne, we don’t necessarily understand the other’s life choices, but we respect them and support them.

BOTTOM LINE: I love Austen’s work and this one is no exception. Though the plot certainly includes love stories; the passionate Willoughby, pining Col. Brandon and loyal Edward; the real story is about the relationship between the sisters. The unconditional love they share defies their differences. It’s a beautiful reminder to readers that sometimes the things that set us apart as individuals are the very elements that make our relationships stronger. We should learn from our friends and family member’s strengths and weaknesses instead of criticizing them.
 
“Elinor was to be the comforter of others in her own distresses, no less than in theirs; and all the comfort that could be given by assurances of her own compose of mind, and a very earnest vindication of Edward from every change but of imprudence, was readily offered.”

“I have frequently detected myself in such kind of mistakes,” said Elinor, “in a total misapprehension of character in some point or other: fancying people so much more gay or grave, or ingenious or stupid than they really are, and I can hardly tell why or in what the deception originated. Sometimes one is guided by what other people say of them, without giving oneself time to deliberate and judge.”
 
“Between them no subject is finished, no communication is even made, till it has been made at least twenty times over.”
 

p.s. I read the new Bath Bicentennial edition and it is gorgeous! 

 

p.p.s. If you've never seen the 1995 film version of the book (starring Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson) go see it immediately! It's one of my absolute favorites.

Everything Austen II - Complete!

I've just completed Stephanie's Everything Austen II challenge. I don't think I could ever burn out on Austen and so this was fun. Here's what I completed for the challenge...

1) The Watsons
by Jane Austen

I wish this one was a complete novel, but I'll take what I can get.

2) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
by Syrie James

Loved it! It's a treat for any Austen lover.

(Lost in Austen)

3) Lost in Austen
(2008 Mini series starring Jemima Rooper)

This one was delightful. It's a bit cheesy but so fun. Amanda Price lives in modern day England and is obsessed with Jane Austen. She ends up magically switching places with Elizabeth Bennet. Chaos ensues as she tries to fit into the Bennet family and their society.

4) Emma
(2009 BBC starring Romola Garai)

This is my new favorite Emma adaptation. Garai is the perfect Emma, blending selfish naivete and sincere kindness.

(Northanger Abbey)

5) Persuasion
(2007 ITV starring Sally Hawkins)

I recognized Sally Hawkins, who plays Anne Elliot, as the exuberant Poppy from the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. It was strange to see her as the quiet and caring Anne, but she was great. Though it's good, it's not my favorite. I loved the 1995 version starring Amanda Root.

6) Northanger Abbey
(2008 starring Felicity Jones)

Jones makes a great Catherine Morland. She's sweet and innocent and she let's her imagination run wild. But I think that it's JJ Feild's Tilney that makes this such a good adaptation. He's perfect!

So what have we learned from this challenge? You can never have too much Austen!

Etsy Literary Love

Lately I've been finding way too many literature inspired pieces on Etsy.
My favorite is this coffee mug with a quote from Mr. Darcy (P&P), found here.

Do I need this coffee mug? No, of course not. Do I want this coffee mug?
Absolutely! Coffee + quote from Jane Austen = Be still my heart.

Another fun one, a pillow with an illustration from
The Chronicles of Narnia, found here.

And one final Pride and Prejudice item, hand-painted art found here.
They also have a wonderful Jane Eyre bookmark.

p.s. Etsy is dangerous.

Book Reviews: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
by Syrie James
★★★★☆

Written by a Jane Austen scholar, this fictional work begins with the premise that Austen's lost memoirs have been found. The book is written from Austen's point-of-view and covers her late 20s and early 30s. It feels more like a novel than a memoir, but in a good way.

James did an excellent job researching this work and much of it is based in fact, merging real people, places and events of her life with a fictional love affair. She does an impressive job of capturing Austen's writing style and it truly feels like reading another novel from the author.

I loved reading about everything she had to go through to publish her books. It's easy to forget that during her lifetime, turning down a marriage proposal was almost unheard of, especially if you had no money or other prospects. Her true life is more fascinating than any fictional love, but that aspect makes it a fun read.

The plot pulls heavily from Sense & Sensibility and also from Pride & Prejudice, but not without reason. In James' book Austen is inspired to write those things because she experienced them.

It was a delightful, quick read and I can't wait to get my hands on her book, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë.

"I have found that there is never a perfect time or place for anything. We can always find a reason to put off that which we aspire to do, or fear to do, until tomorrow, next week, next month, next year – until, the end, we never accomplish anything at all."

I read this as part of the Everything Austen II challenge hosted by Stephanie's Written Word.

Everything Austen II

(Emma 2009)

Stephanie is hosting an Everything Austen challenge and really, I can't resist that. I've read all six of Austen's complete novels and my TBR list is already overwhelming, so I love that she suggests watching Austen movies or reading Austen themed books as an alternative to re-reading the originals.


So here's what I'm doing for the challenge...

1) The Watsons by: Jane Austen
2) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by: Syrie James
3) Lost in Austen (2008 Mini series starring Amanda Price
4) Emma (2009 BBC starring Romola Garai as Emma)
5) Persuasion (2007 ITV starring Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot)
6) Northanger Abbey (2008 starring Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland)


The first two are books. I read The Watsons in anticipation of this challenge and I'm going to read James' fictional take on Austen's memoirs. The other four are movies/miniseries of Austen's books or related to them.

I tend to love all things related to Austen, so this should be fun. If you want to join in head over here.

Friday Favorites: Persuasion

I've been a Jane Austen fan for a long time. I've read her six completed novels and have loved all of them, but in very different ways. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility introduced me to the brilliant author. They are beautiful odes to love conquering all and the huge blessing it is to have a sister you love, no matter how different you are. Their main characters are shaken by misunderstandings and steered by naïveté.

Northanger Abbey and Emma feature somewhat silly girls that let their imaginations run away with them. You somehow still love them, because though they may be simple or selfish, they really do have good hearts. Mansfield Park is Austen's picture of perfecting one's character. Fanny is just so damn good that it's a bit frustrating.

Of course all of these books are much more complicated than my quick sentences allow me to explain. So you should read all of them!

But Persuasion, this book is different from all the rest. Maybe it's because it was the last full novel she wrote. Maybe it's because she had experienced a bit of love in her life by that point. Whatever it is, it gives this book a depth and soul-shaking intensity that makes it my favorite.

The premise is simple. Anne falls in love with Wentworth, but her family says he's too poor and persuades her not to marry him. All of this happens before the book begins and in the opening chapter we are 8 years in the future. Anne is still single and Wentworth returns to her town. Now they are both older. Any feelings they share or don't share aren't based on infatuation or young love. They are both mature and have had years to decide what they really want out of life. This slow burn is intoxicating.

If you've never read Persuasion you're missing out. I love Austen's more celebrated novels (P&P and Emma), which have been made popular by movies and modern remakes (aka Clueless), but it's Persuasion that won my heart.