Reading: the Jane Austen Book Club

[sartorias]

I read Karen Joy Fowler's The Jane Austen Book Club last night--or most of it. I will confess that I skimmed some of the latter portion, so I probably shouldn't discuss it, but what the hey.

Comments

[oyceter]

I liked it, but I suspect it's because I've had patchy exposure to Austen. I've read about half of her books and generally enjoy them (and adore P&P), but at enough of a distance that I can have fun with the booktalk. Sort of like watching the LotR movies, I feel -- I haven't read the books for so long that the changes to them don't bother me that much, and I have so much residual love for the books that it sort of carries over.

My favorite part was actually the one on Grigg and sci-fi (heh).

[buymeaclue]

These constant plunges back into MP finally unmoored me from this story and I kept struggling against the urge to put this book down and reread MP...

My strongest impression of the JABC is that it made me want to go reread Austen. Also, to go read LeGuin.

I really enjoyed it, and I found myself wondering if that was at least in part because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading it on the page. It was quite a good recording and some long stretches--Bernadette's--felt like they got a boost because of that.

I, too, would have liked to see much more of the discussions.

[sartorias]

Yes, I could see this being a very good audiobook.

[kalimac]

At the end, Fowler gives a precis of the novels (leaving out Lady Susan which I found odd, as Northanger and Persuasion were also unpublished by Austen during her lifetime, so that can't be her criteria)

The criterion is that there are six canonical Austen novels. Lady Susan is, I guess, too juvenile and too short to make the canon.

I enjoyed JABC, though it seemed lightweight and catty compared to the real thing. But I didn't find my mind wandering and thinking, "I'd rather be reading Jane Austen."