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This edition, with the cover shown, contains editorial notes by Linda Bree. Editorial notes can get in the way of the story when reading, but they've proved really handy this time in finding out which poems Austen pulled her random quotes from, who the heck Miss Larolles is (maybe I should go read Cecilia now), etc.
The story itself never gets old--beautiful writing, beautiful emotion, and it just might be the easiest of Austen's books to read. Lyme Regis and Bath come alive as settings, more so than Meryton or Highbury, and there are a number of very lovable characters.
Sometimes I think this book should have scored higher on my Fifty Favorite Books list (it came in at #8, as I have a lot of most-favorite books.) After all, I identify with Anne Elliot more than any other of Austen's heroines. I'm not as good as she is, and Elinor Dashwood makes a close second, but still.
Have you seen Adrian Shergold's hauntingly beautiful new adaptation of this? You can see a trailer of sorts <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/>here</a> (right side bar, four down). The DVD should be fairly easy to find. I heartily enjoyed it--tremendous sense of journey and a lovely, minimalistic score. Though apparently it's heavily abridged--figures, to fit an Austen novel into a 90 min TV spot.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to be Mr. Knightley when I grew up...almost as cool as Robin Hood...
Jenna, would you have a recommendation for someone who has never read any Austen as to a place to start? I've got plenty of her books loaded on my ebook reader & also an audiobook of Pride & Prejudice. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMr. Pond, I think I may have seen a part of it at one point or another, visiting my parents, but never all the way through. I'll have to rent it some time. It's clear they did a great deal of abridging and rearranging from the trailer, but that would certainly be necessary for time constraints, and it looks like it's beautifully filmed.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a big fan of Mr. Knightley. Good-hearted, no-nonsense gentleman. He's great.
George, I liked your question so much I couldn't resist blogging about it! Hope you don't mind. :)
No problem. I appreciate you taking the time. Dickens & Austen are kind of my blind spots but I've done a little catching up on Dickens so now it's Austen's turn. :)
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