***BOOK CLUB: Discussion of "The Jane Austen Book Club"***

[septbride2002]

4. What is your opinion of the book overall?
I liked it. I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen with a husband that's a sci-fi reader so I could identify with a lot of the book. I do wish there was a bit more character development. I thought Prudie was left hanging towards the end of the book like once her anecdote was told the author didn't know what to do with her

I also thought Prudie was just left hanging in the wind. And I wasn't sure what to make of her story line at all.

The break-up and back together of Sylvia and Daniel I thought was quite tangled. Obviously she was hurting which is why they put of Sense and Sensibility for so long. I think he didn't realize what he had until it was gone and then he desperately wanted it back. I don't think the story for them is over at the end of the book and they will need to work on their marriage. However I felt Sylvia was the character with the most growth through the novel. In the beginning she reminded me of a fragile bird and she learned what she was strong at and really to come into her own. Which is why in the hospital she tells him she is happy.

Grigg amused me because I think of all the characters I identified with him. I have never read Jane Austen - although I think I will give it a try. And I could see myself buying the complete works

~Amanda

 

[phisigprincess]

Refresh my memory, what was Prudie's story? (I read the book about a month before we decided on it for the book club, so I'm a little fuzzy on some parts. )

 

[Crankyshank]

I liked Grigg the best too.
Prudie was the French teacher that had the perfectly nice husband and thought she loved Jane the most. Her mother died and she had computer problems and a student that kept hitting on her. It was very weird.

 

[phisigprincess]

Riiiiiiiiight. Thanks! That was a rather odd story. I thought she was going to end up with that student actually. That struck me as rather odd.

 

[Gwene65]

Prudie's story was about her and her mother if I recall. Her mother always lied to her about events in her life. I didn't quite understand that and I don't know why a mother would want to even do that to her child.

Then she was at her school and she had notecards full of notes for that nights discussion. Then her mother died.


Can anyone explain why her childhood was the way it was? And why they put it in the book? That reason was lost on me.


I liked Grigg too. He was like a breath of fresh air next to the other characters.

And I think Allegra's ending was left open. So maybe that was the Austen-esqe ending? They had her with the doctor, then back with Corrinne.

To the person who thought Prudie's husband was gay-why do you think that?

 

[phisigprincess]

Which JA book name was Prudie's chapter? (I feel so lost without my book next to me!! )

 

[phisigprincess]

P.S. I'm really enjoying the book club. Good idea, Amanda!

 

[septbride2002]

The book for Prudie was Mansfield Park.

 

[phisigprincess]

Ok, I never read Mansfield Park and I was hoping that if I had her part would have made more sense to me. Has anyone read MP?

 

[Crankyshank]

I just thought Prudie's husband was just too "perfect". Especially when the author went to great lengths to explain how Prudie really wasn't all that great looking. There didn't seem to be much interaction or romance between the 2 of them plus with the whole student thing, I just thought that Prudie's husband would wind up gay and having an affair with the neighbor.

 

[LoraJ]

Ok, I never read Mansfield Park and I was hoping that if I had her part would have made more sense to me. Has anyone read MP?

I have never read it but saw the BBC version and a more recent movie version of it. I can't remember the story that much though. I just remember the main character liked to write a lot and she had a relative who was constantly sniffing something to keep from fainting or calm her nerves. Can't recall exactly.

 

[septbride2002]

** Bump**

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Wow i didnt even know this was the book club choice.
I started reading it today at jury duty.

 

[phisigprincess]

Hmm, I was hoping to draw a similarity between Prudie's story and MP.... did you notice anything, LoraJ?

 

[LoraJ]

Hmm, I was hoping to draw a similarity between Prudie's story and MP.... did you notice anything, LoraJ?

Not that I could catch on to or remember. I actually just purchased the audio book for mansfield park and am going to listen to it once I finish Time Traveler's Wife.

I can't remember what the main character's relationship was with her mother. I think they were poor and she sent her off to live with rich relatives.

 

[Crankyshank]

I thought Prudie wished her Mother sent her off to live with rich relatives like in Mansfield Park.
It's been about 20yrs since I've read MP

 

[septbride2002]

**bump**

 

[LoraJ]

Here's some book club discussion questions I found for this book on the internet. I'll try and answer them later.


1.The author opens the novel with a quote from Jane Austen, part of which reads, “Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure.” Do you agree with this sentiment? Why do you think the author chooses to open the novel with this quote? How might this statement apply to each of the characters in the book?

2.When the group is first being formed, Bernadette suggests that it should consist exclusively of women: “The dynamic changes with men. They pontificate rather than communicate. They talk more than their share.” (page 3). What do you think of her statement? How does Grigg affect the group’s dynamic? How would things have been different without him?

3.While the group is reading Sense and Sensibility and discussing Mrs. Dashwood, Sylvia mentions that “the problems of older women don’t interest most writers” (page 46) and is thrilled that Austen seems to care. Do you agree with this, that most writers aren’t interested in older women? What about society in general? How does Fowler approach older women? Later, Prudie says that “An older man can still fall in love. An older woman better not.” (page 47) Do you agree? How does Fowler deal with this issue?

4.On page 228 Sylvia asks, “Why should unhappiness be so much more powerful than happiness?” How would you answer her? How does each character find her/his own happiness in the novel?

5.The book club meets from March through August. How does the group change over these six months? “I always like to know how a story ends,” Bernadette says on page 199. How do you think this story ends (the “epilogue to the epilogue”)? Does Bernadette have a happy marriage with Senor Obando? Do Allegra and Corinne stay together? How about Jocelyn and Grigg? Daniel and Sylvia?

6. At the end of the novel, Jocelyn reluctantly agrees to read some science fiction, including the work of Ursula Le Guin, and really likes it. What other authors do you think the group might like? Although they would have to change the name of their group, what author would you suggest for the Central Valley/River City all-Jane-Austen-all-the-time book club to read next? What do you suggest for your own group?

7. If you’re new to Jane Austen, are you now interested in reading her work? Based on what you’ve learned from Karen Jay Fowler, which novel would you go to first? If you are already a “dedicated Janeite,” how has reading The Jane Austen Book Club made you feel about your favorite author? How would you describe your own “private Austen”? What novel would you recommend to first-time readers of Austen?

 

[Gwene65]

4.On page 228 Sylvia asks, “Why should unhappiness be so much more powerful than happiness?” How would you answer her? How does each character find her/his own happiness in the novel?


Thats is b/c of simple human nature. Look at your local news. Do they not spend majority of the show talking about bad news? Mine alots just one small segment a night for good news. Do people not stop to look at a car wreck? For some reason we are drawn to unhappiness.

As for each character finding happiness-I don't know if any of them did. Except for Sylvia who learned to be happy w/o her husband. But then in the end she ended up with him again anyway. I suppose Grigg & Jocelyn did find happiness but I despise Jocelyn so much I could care less what she finds.


Here is a question. What is the significance of Sylvia's husband finding that rose on the sidewalk? I know it fell from Prudie's lapel but why did the author even put this part into the book? Sylvia's husband thought it was a sign, but it really wasn't b/c it was Prudie's rose to begin with.

 

[Gwene65]

7. If you’re new to Jane Austen, are you now interested in reading her work? Based on what you’ve learned from Karen Jay Fowler, which novel would you go to first? If you are already a “dedicated Janeite,” how has reading The Jane Austen Book Club made you feel about your favorite author? How would you describe your own “private Austen”? What novel would you recommend to first-time readers of Austen?


I have never read Jane Austen and based on this book I don't think I will. If this book is any indication of what her books will be like, I will pass. This was such a fluff read with no real character development. I might be in the minority here but what is your own "private Austen"? I don't think I have ever been so into a author that I study and think deeply about them. I really liked "Wuthering Heights" and I find Emily Bronte's life haunting and interesting but I never really went in depth into it. I just read what I like.

So can anyone who is a Austen fanatic tell me which book of hers is worth the read and tell me that it is written better then "The Jane Austen Book Club"?