My love of Jane Austen...

I must say that I never read Jane Austen as a child... I only became really interested in her writing, I am ashamed to say, after watching the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen  (I had previously seen the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson)...  Since then Jane Austen has become one of my most favorite authors...  I think the main appeal that I find in her writing, is that most of the characters in her books can be found in daily life...  I've sure had my share of John Willoughby's, George Whickam's, Henry and Mary Crawford's, and not enough Mr. Darcy's, Edward Ferrars', Henry Tillney's, and Captain Wentworth's...
Given that the novels were written in the early 1800's, it is good to see that they are still relevant in today's world...

I have read almost all of her books, and I like some better than others.  The order of books, with my most favorite at top and least favorite at bottom is as follows:
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey
Emma

I have become quite in love with her work, and I have an entire bookshelf dedicated to her books and "spin-offs"...

I have read quite a few of the "spin-offs", and there are some that are very well done, while others I wish I hadn't wasted the money on....  I really like the Diary series by Amanda Grange, which tells each story from the perspective of the males in the individual book...  Captain Wentworth, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightley, Edmund Bertram, and Colonel Brandon...  (I am excited to find out that she has at least 2 new books coming out in 2011, Henry Tilney's Diary and Wickham's Dairy)... The only other book of her's that I have read is Mr. Darcy, Vampire, and it definitely was NOT worth reading...   I mean, the fact that Lizzy would not have known until after the wedding that Mr. Darcy was a vampire???  Come on, she is way more astute than that!!!

The spin-off that I hated the worst of all was Mansfield Park and Mummies...  I think what completely ruined the book for me were the "scholarly footnotes and appendices" because I felt that it completely undermined the intelligence of the reader...  Most of those who would be reading these parody books have read Austen, know what the uncommon words actually mean, and don't need to be told to "not have a dirty mind" when the book is talking about being "fagged"...  The book would have been much better without those little "additions"...


Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is definitely one of my favorite spin-offs...  Although the prequel Dawn of the Dreadfuls is good, the theory presented as to why Lizzy is the way she is is not quite plausible enough for me...  The other vampire spin-off that I DID like is Vampire Darcy's Desire by Regina Jeffers...  I liked it because it stuck enough to the original story line of P&P, while at the same time being a completely different novel of it's own...

The other series of books that I have gotten into are by Stephanie Barron, Jane Austen Mysteries, these deal with Jane Austen herself and different "scrapes" she gets herself into...  So far I have read the first book in the series Jane and the Unpleasantness of Scargrave Manor...  Although the book moved a little slowly it was a rather quick read, which sometimes is a good thing...

I have also watched every Television/Movie adaptation that I can get my hands on...  The BBC has become one of my favorite networks...  I have also fallen in love with many Regency Era adaptations, and by watching these I have become more interested in reading literature from that time period...  I have read Jane Eyre, Charles Dickens (Our Mutual Friend, Little Dorrit, and Bleak House), and Elizabeth Gaskell (North and South, Wives and Daughters)...  I am not one to shy away from watching a 3 to 9 hour movie adaptation of book, in fact I say bring it on...

And here is a little something for your enjoyment: