Day: December 18, 2009

Everything Austen Challenge completed

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everythingausten2My fourth 2009 challenge is done.  Whew!  Wasn’t sure I was going to make it 🙂  I joined this challenge without ever having read a Jane Austen novel and now I can say I have.  I really enjoyed reading Pride & Prejudice and can understand why this is a favorite of many.  Mr. Darcy ranks right up there with romantic heroes.  I listened to Sense & Sensibility and enjoyed this as well, although not as much as Pride & Prejudice.  I watched the 1995 movie version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet as the two sisters and liked it so much it ended up on my Top 100 list.  I read The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler and watched The Jane Austen Book Club movie and was surprised that I preferred the movie.  And for my last task I watched the 1995 BBC production of Persuasion.  I liked this story and look forward to reading the book.

I am so glad I joined this challenge because it introduced me to Jane and now I feel like we’re old friends.  Thanks Stephanie for hosting this great challenge.

You will choose 50 of the books I will read next year.  If you help me you could win a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble.  Go here to vote. (Right now the top vote getter is A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving)

Persuasion, 1995 movie

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Leads- Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds

Anne rejected Wentworth eight years before due to the influence of a family friend and is now considered an old maid at 27.  When Anne’s family is forced to rent their home due to money problems, Anne once again finds herself face to face with Wentworth.  Only he is barely civil and she is more than disappointed.

I have not read this Austen novel yet (although it looks like I will be doing so in 2010 thanks to all of you voters) and only had a vague impression of its plot.  Although I thought the movie was quite slow in parts I still enjoyed it.  The costumes were wonderful and the two leads were very good. 

Because the movie can only be so long I am still left wondering about a few things, like the specifics of why Anne rejected Wentworth and what exactly was going on with her cousin and sister’s companion.  I am looking forward to reading the novel to fill in some blanks, but I thought the movie was beautifully done, as with most BBC productions.

This is my last Austen for the Everything Austen Challenge 🙂  I checked this movie out of the library.

You will choose 50 of the books I will read next year.  If you help me you could win a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble.  Go here to vote. (Right now the top vote getter is A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving)