Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Luís that is remarkable!
Have you read any of them since December that we can add to our list for Austen's celebration?

Hi, Lesle. I've only read since December the following:

Jack e Alice . Amor e Amizade

Perhaps I've misunderstood this topic. Sorry.

Luís wrote: "Hi, Lesle. I've only read since December the following: Jack e Alice . Amor e Amizade
Perhaps I've misunderstood this topic. Sorry."

Nope we are good. I will add that one to our list!
Thank you Luis

Lesle wrote: "Luís wrote: "Hi, Lesle. I've only read since December the following: Jack e Alice . Amor e Amizade
Perhaps I've misunderstood this topic. Sorry."

Nope we are good. I will add that ..."

Good.

I've done the abridged audio of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. Only Persuasion to go.

Piyangie I decided to watch Persuasion tonight.
It is the 2022 adaption with Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis.

The 1995 adaption, I think is the closet to Austen's book.
2007 the BBC adaption, the pair express their feelings more but the ending totally different, kind of a What!.

Lets see what the 2022 adaption is like!
Have you seen any of the three?

Jarvis as Wentworth had a charm about him that was a bit on the rough boy side. I didnt care for the parts where Anne would look directly into the camera to either talk to the audience or just a quirky "Can you believe that" look. I liked it a 3 star watch.

Over all I still prefered the 1995 adaption still.

The 1995 adaptation of Persuasion is excellent indeed! One of my favourite Jane Austen adaptations ever.

I haven't watched the 2022 adaptation yet, but I did not like the 2007 version.

Lesle wrote: "Piyangie I decided to watch Persuasion tonight.
It is the 2022 adaption with Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis.

The 1995 adaption, I think is the closet to Austen's book.
2007 the BBC adaption, the ..."

I've watched only the 2007 adaptation, Lesle.

Piyangie the 1995 is one you need to see at some point in time.

Lesle wrote: "Piyangie the 1995 is one you need to see at some point in time."

Thanks, Lesle. I'll try to find a free copy to watch online.

I started reading Persuasion. It's my favourite Jane Austen. Everytime I read it, my heart breaks for Anne.

Anne is a very strong and resilient once she found out who she really is.

I completed my abridged listening of the six novels by Jane Austen. It was a fun experience though I won't recommend it to the first time readers. It is always better to read the originals first.

Congratulations Piyangie!!

I have finished my re-read of Pride and Prejudice, re-establishing it firmly at the top of my list of favourite Jane Austen novels. Though Anne Eliot is my favourite Austen heroine, Pride and Prejudice is just the perfect novel. (And the 1995 BBC miniseries the perfect adaptation.)

I have also finished the short story collection mentioned above by Lesle: The Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote: First Anniversaries. A bit of good sugary fluff, though rather modern in style and content.

Lindenblatt wrote: "I have also finished the short story collection mentioned above by Lesle: The Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote: First Anniversaries. A bit of good sugary fluff, though rather modern in style and content.,..."

I have only been able to read 3 chapters at a time. You are totally spot on about the sugary fluff!!
So far the only story I would have like to seen continued is Edmund and Fanny Bertram and Edmund's brother Tom he is bored with home life and visits his brother and sister often.

Hi everyone, my name is Anusha. I've just joined the group and am excited to participate in this challenge.

Coincidentally, I started reading "Northanger Abbey" last night, so that will be my first read for this challenge.

Welcome Anusha - we're delighted you're joining us in the enjoyment of Jane Austen's books. I hope you enjoy Northanger Abbey.

John I found a coloring book of Jane Austen when I was out shopping yesterday!!

I have a book that I have not read yet that I hope to get to and share with everyone.

Jane Austen on Love and Romance

Lesle wrote: "John I found a coloring book of Jane Austen when I was out shopping yesterday!!

I have a book that I have not read yet that I hope to get to and share with everyone.
[bookcover:Jane Austen on Lov..."

Wow, a colouring book! You have some Jane Austen treasures with you, Lesle. I'd like to check out the book.

I might share pages of the coloring book. I actually got it at our Dollar General store. The have all kinds of adult coloring books! I just happened to find this one and it actually was the only copy on their shelf!

Lesle wrote: "I might share pages of the coloring book. I actually got it at our Dollar General store. The have all kinds of adult coloring books! I just happened to find this one and it actually was the only co..."

There have been a variety of Austen commemorative items already this year - it'll be interesting at year end to assess what have been the strangest! A Jane Austen colouring book sounds like fun.

John wrote: "commemorative items already this year - it'll be interesting at year end to assess what have been the strangest!..."

Well John I think you are right fun for sure but not strangest at all!

My "favourite" of the strange items are the naff necklaces with incorrectly attributed quotations.....but there are strong challenges from the Jane Austen socks or the Jane Austen Anniversary Rubber Duck.

I don't get what's so strange about Jane Austen socks, but maybe that's because I owned a pair myself? 🤣 Dark blue with the famous Peacock edition motif. I loved those socks and clinged to them longer than I should have...

Lindenblatt wrote: "I don't get what's so strange about Jane Austen socks, but maybe that's because I owned a pair myself? 🤣 Dark blue with the famous Peacock edition motif. I loved those socks and clinged to them lon..."

Well Lindenblatt, I'm sure your socks are very tasteful....and many must agree with your sentiment, since astonishingly you could probably wear a different pair of JA socks every day of the month. Some with her face, lots with quotations, some with various forms of Cassandra's portrait of Jane, a pair displaying Jane Austen heroines, a pair reproducing the "Lizzy on the Cliffs" watercolour, a pair with the "what excellent boiled potatoes' quote and image, a pair suggesting that the wearer "run like Mr Darcy is at the finish line', and the winner - because of its anatomical reference - showing Emma and Mr Knightley under the mistletoe.

Feet need never be boring again.

Just found the group so I’m joining late but started reading JA this year in recognition of the 250th anniversary of her birth. Have really enjoyed getting to know her works and also reading some of the nonfiction books about JA.

Welcome to the group, Mark!

Mark wrote: "Just found the group so I’m joining late but started reading JA this year in recognition of the 250th anniversary of her birth. Have really enjoyed getting to know her works and also reading some o..."

Welcome to the group Mark . Do you have any favourites among her books so far? Or any non-fiction books about her that you would recommend?

Hi John, very glad to be part of the reading group. So far I’ve read “Northanger Abbey” and “Emma” and enjoyed them both very much. I love JA’s sense of humor and often find myself laughing out loud. I’ve also read a very short book “The Prayers of Jane Austen”. I am currently reading “Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” which is very interesting, and “She Played and Sang - Jane Austen and Music”. This last book was of interest to me because I play the piano as well, and listening to and playing some pieces she would be familiar with has added further context, color, and dimensionality for me while reading her novels. I watched the recent PBS Masterpiece show “Miss Austen” which I enjoyed very much , and I am currently watching the Great Courses series on Jane Austen.

I'm hoping to read Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney in December, parallel to her 250th birth anniversary.

Mark, please share you view on Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend with us. And welcome to our group!

Jane Austen on Love and Romance


I completed this collection of quotes from Austen's many works. They are kind of fun to read soley by themselves. Actually makes me think a bit more.

My review is just some of the quotes that I found her wit in:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mark wrote: "“She Played and Sang - Jane Austen and Music”. This last book was of interest to me because I play the piano ..."

I ran across parts of this earlier in the month. Wasnt sure what it was about or belonged to Austen how. Good to know. Thank you Mark and glad to have you join in with us and welcome!

Hi Piyangie, for someone like me who is new to most of her written works I am finding Jane Austen’s Bookshelf incredibly fascinating. It feels like I’m reading a detective story at times as Romney describes the connective tissue between JA’s novels and the works of women writers she read and who

Hi All, I completed reading Love and Friendship and other early works by Jane Austen. Here is the review:

https://youtu.be/IHEyq48YSc0

I started watching watching Emma (2020), directed by Autumn de Wilde, fantastic sets, and very amusing, I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this.

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I started watching watching Emma (2020), directed by Autumn de Wilde, fantastic sets, and very amusing, I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this."

Ive not seen that one Anisha.
What are you watching it on?

So this is my first contribution to this challenge.

What Jane Austen inspired movies/shows I watched in 2025 so far (January - July)

📺 Miss Austen (2025 TV Series) - Director: Aisling Walsh, Cast: Keeley Hawes, Jessica Hynes (based on Jane Austen's life)
📺 Emma (1967 Spanish TV Series) - Director: Manuel Aguado, Cast: Lola Cardona, Arturo López (adaptation of Emma)
🎬 Emma. (2020 Movie) - Director: Autumn de Wilde, Cast - Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn (adaptation of Emma)
🎬 Fire Island (2022 Movie) - Director: Andrew Ahn, Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang (based on Pride and Prejudice)
💻 Emma Approved (2014 Web Series) - Writer/Director: Bernie Su, Cast: Joanna Sotomura, Brent Bailey (based on Emma)
💻 Emma Agenda (2018 Web Series) - Creator/Director: Jules Pigott, Cast: Selis Maria Vargas (based on Emma)
🎬 Clueless (1995 Movie) - Writer/Director: Amy Heckeling, Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd (based on Emma)
📺 Jane Austen Regrets (2007 TV Movie) - Director: Jeremy Lovering, Cast: Olivia Williams (based on Jane Austen's life)
📺 Pride&Prejudice: Having a Ball (2013 TV Documentary) (documentary focused mostly on dancing, etiquette, music and food of the Regency era as displayed in Pride and Prejudice)
🎭 Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel (Innocence and Indolence) - a complete recording of one of the improvised comedy shows "in the style of the wondrous and witty Jane Austen". (an improvised stage performance based on Jane Austen's "vibes")

Books by Jane Austen I've read so far in 2025 (January - July)

📕 The Beautifull Cassandra: The Beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen
📕 Emma by Jane Austen
📕 Love and Freindship, and Other Early Works by Jane Austen


Books on Jane Austen or her works I've read so far in 2025 (January - July)
📗 Jane Austen's Families by June Sturrock
📗 Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney


Austen inspired music I've listened to so far in 2025 (January - July)
💿 Sense and Sensibility (OST) by Patrick Doyle
💿 Emma (Original Televison Soundtrack) by Samuel Sim
💿 Emma (Original Soundstage Recording) by Paul Gordon


In honor of Jane Fairfax, I listened to the music that came with the mysterious gift of a Broadwood pianoforte: Johann Baptist Cramer's Etudes and Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies in Emma.
[John Broadwood and Sons 1814]
Emma - vol. 2, Chapter 10:
"He [Frank Churchill] took some music from a chair near the pianoforte, and turning to Emma, said,
“Here is something quite new to me. Do you know it?—Cramer.—And here are a new set of Irish melodies. That, from such a quarter, one might expect. This was all sent with the instrument. Very thoughtful of Colonel Campbell, was not it?—He knew Miss Fairfax could have no music here. ..."

💿💿 Johann Baptist Cramer: Cramer - 84 Etudes in 4 Books & 60 Etudes for Piano
💿 Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies


Other Silly Austenesque activities (January - July)
assembled
🧩 1000-piece The World of Jane Austen jigsaw puzzle
🧩 500-piece The World of Jane Austen Conversation jigsaw puzzle

Wow Zuzana - you've had a busy Jane Austen year so far; that's an impressive list.

John wrote: "Wow Zuzana - you've had a busy Jane Austen year so far; that's an impressive list."

Thanks, John. It's been fun.

Lesle wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I started watching watching Emma (2020), directed by Autumn de Wilde, fantastic sets, and very amusing, I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this."

Ive not seen that..."

Lesle, Amazon Prime, and watched all of it.

A fun production, lavish sets, I especially like the way its been filmed but my favourite has to be all the extras.

There's also a wonderful scene where Emma and Knightley as they are disagreeing they are walking through (I guess) a drawing room, and in the background is Mr Woodhouse (played by Bill Nighy) surrounded by seveal screens to keep out that draft. V funny.

Anisha
That is great I have Prime! I will be looking for it this evening!

I found this https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/Emma includes a link to a readers guide for Emma, produced in 2020 and directed by Autumn de Wilde.

There's also a link to an an ineterview with Eleanor Catton, who wrote the screenplay.

Cinematically this is a fantastic production especially in its details, but if I was to isolatate the story it has definitely been updated. But in finding this page I realize this was released for Valentine's Day (which must have been planned ahead), and I guess explains it.

This weekend I watched the 1995 TV series of Pride and Prejudice.

Pam wrote: "This weekend I watched the 1995 TV series of Pride and Prejudice."

Wonderful! And how did you like it, Pam?

In my opinion, it is the very best Jane Austen adaptation. Ever.

This is the coloring book cover.


This is my sheet.

I have not colored in a long time. This was kind of rough when trying to entertain a four year old lol. Well that is the excuse Im going with for being outside the lines ;)

Lesle wrote: "



I have not colored in a long time. This was kind of rough when trying to entertain a four year old lol. Well that is the excuse Im going with for being outside the lines ;)"

That's wonderful, Lesle! Enjoy your time!