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

[LoraJ]

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"?

This author is nothing like Jane Austen.
I would suggest "Pride & Prejudice".
Have you ever seen the movie "Sense & Sensibility"?

 

[Gwene65]

I have one of her books in my garage. I have never read it, can't get past the first couple of pages for some reason.

I have not seen any of the movies. Do you suggest Sense & Sensability? Mansfield Park seems interesting. A girl gets sent to live with her rich relatives. Seems kind of like Great Expectations but I'm sure it is more exciting.

 

[LoraJ]

I think of all the movie versions of Jane Austen books, Sense & Sensibility is the best. I would rent that. If you have trouble getting past the first few pages of her books, I would watch the movies first. That's what I have done. There is a really good BBC/A&E version of Pride & Prejudice that is very true to the book and it is about 5 hours long. It stars Colin Firth. I would check out those two DVD's and not worry about the books.

I haven't read Mansfield Park yet, but I have seen a movie version of it and a BBC version. Neither were as good as Sense and Pride, but i have heard that the book is so much better.

Sense & Sensibilty is story about 4 women, a mother and her 3 daughters, who are forced out of their large estate to live practically penniless after the father dies. Will the daughters ever be able to find suitable mates now that they no longer have money?

I believe Sense & Sensibility won Best Screenplay the at the Oscars.

 

[DD2Disney]

I'm sorry I could not get into The Jane Austen Book Club. I did read it but thought it not worth the time. I do think your questions and answers here are great though. My comment is for the poster who asked what Jane Austen book to read first .... My personal favorite is: Persuasion.

Tricia

 

[septbride2002]

Bump!

 

[phisigprincess]

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?


I don't think Bernadette is really capable of having a happy marriage. She seems to take it so lightly and as a matter of whim instead of a commitement. I don't see her lasting with this guy any longer than the others.

Allegra and Corinne is a toss up. I think Allegra is too much of a drama queen for most people to stay with for a very long time. I was just happy she got rid of the other girl who was stealing her stories.

Jocelyn and Grigg seem like they're together because they feel like they should. Sometimes when you spend a lot of time with someone it gets to the point where you feel like you "should" be in a relationship with them. For example, has anyone else ever have a friend who you spend so much time around that you think, this would be a great person to be in a relationship with! It's great already! And then you start dating and find out it's all wrong? That's what I think with happen with these two.

Sylvia and Daniel are the relationship that seems like it would have the most success... though it's also the relationship that annoys me the most. Sylvia made such great leaps in her personality throughout the book and then at the end she caves so quickly and goes right back to Daniel. That really annoyed me that she could be so wishy washy after all she learned about herself.

 

[phisigprincess]

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"?

There is only one Jane Austen. I think your best bet (and I know this is a cheesy cop out), is to rent a movie or two of hers and see if you like the tone, style, etc. before you delve into her books. I saw Pride and Prejudice first and fell so in love with it I ran out to read the book. Perhaps Colin Firth had a bit to do with that.

That being said, I would suggest either the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle or Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, and Alan Rickman.

I didn't really like any of the movie adaptations of Emma.... it could be because the character of Emma annoyed me.

Don't immediately dismiss Jane just because of the JABC - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Crankyshank]

Jane Austen's books are nothing like this book. At all. Pride & Prejudice is my all time favorite book.
IIRC I thought Mansfield Park was a better movie than a book. Emma got rave reviews, but I haven't seen the movie yet. The A&E mini series with Colin Firth was very good, but Sense & Sensibility was the best movie. Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, and Kate Winslet were in it. Kate Winslet was nominated for an Oscar for her performance and it won best adapted screenplay.

As far as which books to read, I would go with Pride & Prejudice or Emma first

 

[septbride2002]

I may try to rent Sense and Sensibility and see what I think. I have to admit I'm not a Colin Firth fan.

Grigg and Jocelyn did seem like an odd couple - but I have hope they will be together for the long haul. I think they are one of those couples that have a lot more in common then they realize.

Did anyone think the ladies were book snobs?
~Amanda

 

[Crankyshank]

They were book snobs for sure, but I can be a book snob, so I guess I could identify with that

 

[septbride2002]

They were book snobs for sure, but I can be a book snob, so I guess I could identify with that

LOL! I just found it ammusing that I started a book club reading a book about book snobs! That was what I hated about the last book club I was in.

~Amanda

 

[phisigprincess]

Does anyone else have any opinions on the discussion questions?

 

[septbride2002]

When push comes to shove, while I'm glad I read the book - it is not one that I would re-read. Which is how I measure the quality of a book. The characters seemed to fall flat to me. It will be a book that goes on ebay and hopefully sells

If anyone has any suggestions for our next book selection please PM me! I'm putting togerher a list of 5 to choose from.

~Amanda

 

[phisigprincess]

I would agree with you on this one, Amanda. I'm glad I read it because I really was intrigued by the structuring of the novel, but I wouldn't go back and read it again. I'm looking forward to the next selections!!!!

 

[Gwene65]

Pm'ing you for a book suggestion Amanda.

 

[septbride2002]

Bump

 

[Crankyshank]

What kind of books are we interested in reviewing next? I have a ton to suggest

 

[septbride2002]

What kind of books are we interested in reviewing next? I have a ton to suggest

Anything and Everything - except Non-fiction (because I don't like it )

~Amanda

 

[Crankyshank]

Off the top of my head....
Mists of Avalon
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Anything by Tracy Chevalier (I'm reading Lady & the Unicorn now)
House of the Spirits by Isabel Aliende

 

[septbride2002]

Does anyone think we should do a theme books for July - it seems to me we can do 2 books per month (unless they are really thick) so for July we could do Historical Fiction and then in August we could do Classics, and so one..... or will that get WAY to complicated?

Also - who is going to be reading the new Harry Potter book in July? Because we might as well not do a book club book for 2 weeks after the new HP is released. I know I'll be reading it.

~Amanda