It’s February and if you’ve been around for a year or more, you know what that means! If you’re new (or you dgaf) it’s Austen Month! I dedicate the majority of the month to reading and watching Austen’s books, adaptations and inspirations.
This month I’m likely setting some ambitious goals, considering my ongoing TBR Tear Down and the fact that I’m doing a couple buddy reads. But I’ve made priorities within my TBRs to accommodate the reality that I might not get around to reading everything.
Here’s what I’d like to read:
The two priority reads are Pride and Prometheus, which I’ve received for review thanks to Geek Girl Authority, and The Jane Austen Project, which Nicole and I have been meaning to read for quite some time (it was also a gift from Sweetbeeps from over a year ago and I’m a terrible slacker.)
I’d like to get to Bespelling Jane, even though I suspect it will be terrible, and Dear Mr. Knightley because I’m hoping it will be cute. I want to reread Northanger Abbey now that I have a good understanding of the tone Austen was going for and looking through the Jane Austen Cover to Cover shouldn’t take long, though it will undoubtedly make me lust for editions I can’t have. As though the 30-something editions I do own aren’t enough!
Here’s what I’d like to watch:
The 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey because JJ Fields. Scents and Sensibility because it will definitely be cheesy as hell and it’s free with my Prime subscription and the 4-episode Emma miniseries because it seems promising. I will likely also make time for Austenland because it’s probably been a month (or maybe two -gasp!-) since I’ve watched it and I’m having withdrawals. I might watch the 2005 P&P because it’s decent and I don’t think I’ll get to rereading the book this year. I’d like to restart the Lizzie Bennet Diaries because I got partway through years ago and it was cute, but there is a fuckload of episodes and I’m just not sure I can pay that much attention, so it’s last on the list.
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So feel free to join me in my quest to devour all things Austen. If you’ve seen or read any of these, let’s chat! Or, if you like to focus on a different author in a similar way, we can talk about that too! Please, talk to me!
*movie images from IMDB
Milliebot Reads 
I’ve never finished LBD! I mean, I guess I know how it ends, but still. 😉
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Haha yeah I know the story and it’s cute…But Idk if I’ll sit through it all
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I’m fairly certain I made it to the Darcy reveal and then I stopped. But it’s hard for me to remember… It just didn’t seem like there was anything to keep me watching. I was interested in how they would modernize the work (especially Lydia’s storyline, since our society is not shocked by too much anymore), but I think the series was just too long for me to continue. I did the same thing with their version of Emma–only made it partway through.
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I didn’t even know they had a version of Emma. Yeah Lydia was tedious. I can’t recall how far I got….But like the number of episodes was too many to commit even though they weren’t terribly wrong. I know it’s psychological, but if they just gave me them all strung together like a movie, I could probably sit through it. I really liked the modern blogger thing, but Idk…something just keeps me from being hooked
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I liked the modern blogger aspect. However, I have difficulty suspending disbelief in these fictional vlogs because…why are they spilling their innermost secrets to the Internet? “I LOVE DARCY!” she yells to thousands of subscribers and is confused when Darcy and Co. find out. 😉
At least in LBD they try to trick Lizzie sometimes, like when Charlotte will add in things or Lydia will take over without her knowledge. But…Lizzie doesn’t review the final edit before posting?? I just can’t help but wonder these things!
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Haha you’re right! I did wonder why she would be so personal and I can’t recall for sure but I think she’s using everyone’s real names. Seems that all would be better suited for an anonymous blog.
I never thought about the extra bits from her sisters but you’re right! Lol. Are we to assume that they’re editing something after she’s edited? But one assumes she’d post after edits…
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I liked the number of small videos of the Lizzie Benner Diaries! I just watched it during breakfast and my break at work. And I’m a sucker for everything that has to do with Pride and Prejudice, so I wanted to see who Mr. Darcy was and by that time I was too invested.
I wasn’t a big fan of the whole multi-platform thing though. It might have been cool if watched when the series aired and it would take a week for the next episode to air, but by the time I was watching, they were just posting about their 5-year anniversary.
About the posting, didn’t Charlotte do that? Like, Lizzie was the creative part and the face (obviously) of it all and Charlotte the technical side so she did the editing (at least in the beginning) and maybe the posting?
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I can’t recall who did the posting – you may be right! It’s been years since I tried watching. Maybe I can watch a few episodes a day and get through it. I was enjoying it, just not enough to keep up
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Yesterday I was in front of my bookcase and noticed a book I got a couple of years ago, called ‘Longbourn’ by Jo Bakker. It’s based on Pride and prejudice but then written by one of the servants. Don’t know if you know the book or read it, but I figured it was worth mentioning.
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Yes, I read that one, maybe two years ago and really enjoyed it. Thanks for thinking of if!
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I’m planning on reading Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld this month, so I guess I am accidently participating! I think I remember you not enjoying Eligible though… we shall see how it goes for me.
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No, I did enjoy it! It had some awkward bits, but over all it was a very good adaptation
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