Jane Austen Appreciation Year
I ADORE Jane Austen's stories. The romance! The tension! The period clothing!
But here's the thing.
I've never actually READ a Jane Austen book before.
Sure I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is the original P&P text, with Seth Graham-Greene's graphic zombie goodness sauced over the top of it, but I've never sat down with an original Jane Austen story and read it.
I've just watched all the movies obsessively. (And yes, I do prefer Matthew McFayden over Colin Firth. Fight me.)
Then ever-clever Elley said hey, why don't we spend 2019 reading all the Austen books, and discussing them over tea in fancy-ass teacups, like the romance-obsessed ladies that we are?
That's my 2019 plan, y'all. Read the seven novels of Jane Austen.
This month's is Northanger Abbey. I've seen the fabulous movie, staring Felicity Jones and J.J. Fielding.
Basic premise:
Jane Austen's first novel—published posthumously in 1818—tells the story of Catherine Morland and her dangerously sweet nature, innocence, and sometime self-delusion. Though Austen's fallible heroine is repeatedly drawn into scrapes while vacationing at Bath and during her subsequent visit to Northanger Abbey, Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature. The satirical novel pokes fun at the gothic novel while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex. (Stole this shit from GoodReads.)
I decided to listen to this one, with the fabulous Juliet Stevenson as narrator, and I am really enjoying it so far! I definitely identify with Catherine's need to feel like a heroine in a novel. (I may or may not have been doing that for as long as I've had conscious thought.) Henry Tilney, our hero, just showed up, and is being sassy af in the ballroom, and already he might have moved his way to the top of my "Jane Austen heroes I'd like to marry" list. He's a beta hero. Not brooding and grumpy (I'm looking at you, Darcy!) but just a sweet dude who knows a lot about muslin, enjoys taking walks, and is cute as hell.
I am really about 30 minutes into the audiobook, and have a long ways to go yet, so I'll keep you updated, but I am really excited to finally explore Austen's works as I should have done ages ago.
Yours in muslin and excitement,
The Right Honorable Lady Peekaboo
But here's the thing.
I've never actually READ a Jane Austen book before.
Sure I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is the original P&P text, with Seth Graham-Greene's graphic zombie goodness sauced over the top of it, but I've never sat down with an original Jane Austen story and read it.
I've just watched all the movies obsessively. (And yes, I do prefer Matthew McFayden over Colin Firth. Fight me.)
Then ever-clever Elley said hey, why don't we spend 2019 reading all the Austen books, and discussing them over tea in fancy-ass teacups, like the romance-obsessed ladies that we are?
That's my 2019 plan, y'all. Read the seven novels of Jane Austen.
This month's is Northanger Abbey. I've seen the fabulous movie, staring Felicity Jones and J.J. Fielding.
Basic premise:
Jane Austen's first novel—published posthumously in 1818—tells the story of Catherine Morland and her dangerously sweet nature, innocence, and sometime self-delusion. Though Austen's fallible heroine is repeatedly drawn into scrapes while vacationing at Bath and during her subsequent visit to Northanger Abbey, Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature. The satirical novel pokes fun at the gothic novel while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex. (Stole this shit from GoodReads.)
I decided to listen to this one, with the fabulous Juliet Stevenson as narrator, and I am really enjoying it so far! I definitely identify with Catherine's need to feel like a heroine in a novel. (I may or may not have been doing that for as long as I've had conscious thought.) Henry Tilney, our hero, just showed up, and is being sassy af in the ballroom, and already he might have moved his way to the top of my "Jane Austen heroes I'd like to marry" list. He's a beta hero. Not brooding and grumpy (I'm looking at you, Darcy!) but just a sweet dude who knows a lot about muslin, enjoys taking walks, and is cute as hell.I am really about 30 minutes into the audiobook, and have a long ways to go yet, so I'll keep you updated, but I am really excited to finally explore Austen's works as I should have done ages ago.
Yours in muslin and excitement,
The Right Honorable Lady Peekaboo
This is one of the Austen novels I haven't read yet, so when Drunk Austen assigned me as Catherine Morland last time they did the Sorting Bonnet, well, I knew it was HIGH TIME TO ACTUALLY READ IT. I'm excited to start. :) HOORAY FOR FINALLY READING ALL THE AUSTEN NOVELS!!! :)
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