This month’s book is: Pride and Prejudice!! It’s Jane Austen’s 200th birthday this summer so why not feature her? She’s on a new bank note in the UK–move over Your Majesty, it’s “Queen” Jane now…..
Source (click to see source)
Plus, this month I went to my first-ever Jane Austen Festival at Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky, Yes, the city with the Kentucky Derby. That’s right. I attended a fascinating talk on “Dressing Mr. Darcy,” and no, Colin Firth didn’t emerge from the pond. A very nice young reenactor did a great job explaining a gentleman’s clothing in the Darcy’s Day. The other wonderful talk I heard was the “Eulogy That Jane Austen Should Have Had.” That one was excellent. You can read more about the festival here on its website. And, how cool that a friend’s daughter was one of the reenactors!
But enough about me. On to the Six Degrees of Separation!
The Chain of Books
This month’s chain lacks any spark of originality! I have to here confess that I prefer WATCHING Jane Austen to reading her. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, listened to Emma, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey and watched various BBC/PBS Masterpiece versions over the years.
But I also love to poke fun at a stuffiness and there’s a lot of that surrounding poor Jane Austen! So, I picked some fun titles like Austenland (both the book and the movie) and P & P Zombies (I haven’t read it, but its the only publication with the word “zombie” that I’d consider reading so it’s included). There’s a new series of re-tellings out as well. I’ve read two–Sense and Sensibility and Emma (to read my reviews click on the titles). Neither did much for me, so I’m not planning on reading Eligible which is the P & P retelling. You could really just lump all the fun ones together, right? Afert all Texts From Jane Eyre really only contains a few fun texts from P & P characters.
The idea of Jane as radical is a great one so I’ve included that biography.
I love fictional diaries and have been meaning to read Mr. Darcy’s Diary for some time. I had to include it. I did. I had to.
Now the Extras: My Favorite Jane-ish Movies
I’d own all three of these if I could spare the few bucks each. Austenland is so fun! I’d so want to do a vacation like that if it was the Edwardian Era, but of course, I, too, would get the Crappy Copper Package! The other two are lovely. Hugh Bonneville is so sweet in Miss Austen Regrets and everything about Becoming Jane is great.
Need more Austen in August?
Here’s One post that caught my eye:
The Many Sides of Jane Austen at Booker talk.
And now for the essential question:
My Favorite Austen Guy?
Colonel Brandon
You can read all of this month’s chains of Six Degrees of Separation
Ah, the wonderful Alan Rickman! Thanks for the video – I must dig out the DVD and rewatch the movie tonight. Wonderful stuff!
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I just saw him in Love Actually for the first time last night. So sad that he’s gone
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Is Austenland about a theme park based on Jane Austen? Sounds like fun indeed.
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Like an “immersion experience” into the world of the books. Its very fun.
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Echoing fictionfan – how lovely to be reminded of Alan Rickman!
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So sad that he’s gone.
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Indeed it is. Such a fine actor and so adaptable. He stole the show in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
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My fav Austen man is Mr Knightley. I like his patience and gentle humour. But I’m also partial to Captain Wentworth’s deepness and sense of loyalty.
My plan is to watch Love & Friendship now that I’ve just finished rereading Lady Susan 🙂
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I haven’t gotten to either of those. Soon!
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I wonder what Jane Austen would think if she knew all the books, films and television her work would inspire …
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Probably pissed she m8seed out on the money and I don’t blame her! Lol
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Very clever – we had a library sponsored Jane Austen tea a couple weeks ago to celebrate her birthday. Didn’t get to go but saw some fun pictures. I’m going to have to revisit a few of her books – it’s been a long time since I ready any of them!
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I went to the Austen Festival–it was a hoot! Another librarian and I went. We didn’t do costumes, lol. I friend from out-of-state had a daughter re-enacting there so I went to see her. It was unexpectedly a lot of fun!
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I would have enjoyed the tea but I was posted at the Reference Desk!
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Oh goodie, I haven’t done a 6 degrees of Separation for a year or more because I’ve never read any of the books they start with until now. I am going to hop over and start my own list. Thanks.
Here is my post for the the first review of the Austen in August Challenge: Longbourn
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