Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2022 discussion

Starting this year off with something from Jane sounds just the thing. Perhaps you haven't had the opportunity to read all her completed novels or you want to dive into her minor works or letters. Maybe you want a re-read...or enjoy in a new format like audio. All are welcome.

Make your pick from among her fiction and non-fiction writings then leave a comment here with your choice. Spend the month of January immersed in Jane Austen's writing.

Feel free to choose an incomplete novel or one of the completed versions by Austen and another author.

Interesting... especially since I don't currently have
any bookclub rereadings scheduled except maybe Persuasion for a virtual one.

Hmm, I'm leaning toward my unlistened to Emma on audio, but then again, I have my Sense & Sensibility annotated version calling to me... decisions, decisions.

I just bought all the Shapard annotated editions (because the R. W. Chapman and Belknap/Harvard University Press editions somehow aren’t enough??) and have only read the Shapard Northanger Abbey, so I’ll try to read another Shapard edition sometime in January, whatever my real-world Jane Austen reading group decides is our next book. I won’t know till sometime during the month of January when we have our next meeting.

Yay! Northanger Abbey for me!

Abigail wrote: "I just bought all the Shapard annotated editions (because the R. W. Chapman and Belknap/Harvard University Press editions somehow aren’t enough??) and have only read the Shapard Northanger Abbey, s..."

Team Shapard!!!(he signed my NA!) I own 5 of 6 of his. You might try his S&S next as he is VERY critical of certain heroine!!! Grrr! Do you own the Harvard Press MP? I consider the annotation on that one to be "thin gruel".

Kirk wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I just bought all the Shapard annotated editions (because the R. W. Chapman and Belknap/Harvard University Press editions somehow aren’t enough??) and have only read the Shapard Nor..."

I've heard so many good things about Shapard's annotations! I really want to get my hands on his edition of Sense and Sensibility, which might be my first read for 2022.

Triscia wrote: "Kirk wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I just bought all the Shapard annotated editions (because the R. W. Chapman and Belknap/Harvard University Press editions somehow aren’t enough??) and have only read th..."

Enjoy! Laugh at myself... perhaps I'll reread it in 2022 too and just ignore his comments about Marianne! :)

I own the Pride & Prejudice audiobook narrated by Rosamund Pike - 2005 Jane reading Jane as Elizabeth (and Jane?) I couldn't pass it up! Great version.

Can someone recommend a good audio version of Persuasion? I work remotely and tend to listen to audiobooks while I'm slaving away at my desk.

Melissa wrote: "I own the Pride & Prejudice audiobook narrated by Rosamund Pike - 2005 Jane reading Jane as Elizabeth (and Jane?) I couldn't pass it up! Great version.

Can someone recommend a good audio version o..."

The Naxos editions of Austen are always good with Juliet Stevenson narration- just be sure you snag the unabridged one if you try b/c there are both that she narrated (unless you want the abridged version, LOL).

Hi, Kirk, sorry I didn’t see your query before today. I own all the Harvard/Belknap annotated eds as well as all the Shapards now and all the R.W. Chapmans (proving how ancient I am). Yes, the Belknap MP was a bit thin, especially for such a rich book, but the Belknap ed that really fries me is the NA—calling my dear Henry Tilney abusive!! The editor must’ve been an only child, she has no grasp of teasing. Catherine Morland was not so deceived.

Abigail wrote: "Hi, Kirk, sorry I didn’t see your query before today. I own all the Harvard/Belknap annotated eds as well as all the Shapards now and all the R.W. Chapmans (proving how ancient I am). Yes, the Belk..."

Wow!!! I have a story about that editor I'll write here at some point. I'm not a Tilney fan but "abusive" is.... stunning and wrong. Yikes!

She seemed to think he was well on his way to becoming his father! Look forward to seeing your story.

Abigail wrote: "She seemed to think he was well on his way to becoming his father! Look forward to seeing your story."

Unbelievable! So I took the short(ha!) bus ride up to JASNA-VT. She was giving a talk on NA(the previous year, I think, David M Shapard gave a general JA talk there and signed my NA!). I arrived early and was given permission to ask people their view of Knightley-Emma's future for a blog post as part of a series on Emma. I don't think I asked her as she was getting ready for her talk. Somewhere about 1/2 way thru her talk she turned to me and gave her gloomy view of the Knightley-Emma future(it was about 50-50 among the dozen or so people I asked, alas)! That certainly was...surprising. I certainly included that bizarre moment in my post.

She sounds like one of those professional contrarians. Good to know!

Might listen to an audiobook while I work. (sigh- that is difficult getting used to - working full time again)

Hmmmmm, can someone recommend a Sanditon version? I listened to the one finished by Juliette Shapiro a few months ago abs would love to compare how another author will finish the story.

I haven't read Sense and Sensibility in years, and have been meaning to revisit it so I'll jot myself down for that.

I have the Rosamund Pike audio of P&P. That will be fun for the New Year!

Kelly wrote: "Hmmmmm, can someone recommend a Sanditon version? I listened to the one finished by Juliette Shapiro a few months ago abs would love to compare how another author will finish the story."

I read this one years ago so I can't remember details, but I remember enjoying it. There is also one that her niece, Deirdre finished, too.
Sanditon: Jane Austen's Last Novel Completed

Kelly wrote: "Hmmmmm, can someone recommend a Sanditon version? I listened to the one finished by Juliette Shapiro a few months ago abs would love to compare how another author will finish the story."

Apparently I thought more highly of this one than most others....

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Fanfiction.net has some enjoyable Sanditon stories including...

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13877141...

I’ve got a penguin classics combo of sandition, lady Susan and the watsons that I’m planning to tackle for this challenge. Never read any of the three so I’m looking forward to it! Glad to see others joining me with sandition.

I just joined a Goodreads group that’s going to be reading Lady Susan in February, so I’ll make that my January read here. When you’re in as many groups as I am, sometimes you have to double up!

Kelly wrote: "Hmmmmm, can someone recommend a Sanditon version? I listened to the one finished by Juliette Shapiro a few months ago abs would love to compare how another author will finish the story."

My favourite Sanditon completion that I've read (so far at least) is from 1975. It's titled as being completed by 'a lady' but the lady's name is Marie Dobbs who also wrote as Anne Telscombe. It's a quite Heyer-y novel but it's really lovely, it won't give you any of the Sanditon mini-series vibes, Sidney is more Henry Tilney than a rude version of Mr Darcy and there is an entirely satisfactory ending.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Thanks for the recommendations, Sophia, Kirk and Ceri!

I try to read Pride & Prejudice each year, but was unable to complete it last year. And, I have been listening to it, rather than reading it so I think I will read it this month.

I’m toying between listening to the Rosalind Pike P&P and reading Lady Susan (the only Austen novel I haven’t read)

Just finished.... Persuasion!!!!!!

Kirk - you are super-duper fast!

Sam wrote: "Kirk - you are super-duper fast!"

Thanks 😊!!!!

Craftyhj, Lady Susan is quite short and has some great lines in it! Very different from her other works though—no romance. I’ll be reading it this month in case you want a buddy read.

Well done, Kirk!

Abigail wrote: "Craftyhj, Lady Susan is quite short and has some great lines in it! Very different from her other works though—no romance. I’ll be reading it this month in case you want a buddy read."
Sounds good!

Way to go, Kirk! I still need to start my annotated S&S read.

Craftyhj wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Craftyhj, Lady Susan is quite short and has some great lines in it! Very different from her other works though—no romance. I’ll be reading it this month in case you want a buddy rea..."

I’ve dug out my old folio society “shorter works” book so I shall start it in the next week or so. As you say it is very short so isn’t going to take long.

Abigail wrote: "Well done, Kirk!"

Thank you!!!!

Sophia wrote: "Way to go, Kirk! I still need to start my annotated S&S read."

Good luck! I broke down and purchased an used copy of Shapard's S&S(despite his anti-Marianne comments-grrrr). It has arrived and is in very very good shape. JASNA GA and maybe JASNA MD are going to do slow reads of it...starting on Zoom and then probably in person alas.

Oh neat. Maybe they'll post extras for their slow reads on their websites.

Abigail wrote: "Craftyhj, Lady Susan is quite short and has some great lines in it! Very different from her other works though—no romance. I’ll be reading it this month in case you want a buddy read."
HA! There is the romance of .... & ....! I even wrote a fluffy one-shot for them. See also the movie....hahahaha(ok, not like the book but....) :)

CindySR#snowday! wrote: "Yay! Northanger Abbey for me!"

Finished! So I listened to the audio as I read. I listened on
https://librivox.org/
Has anyone else used Librivox? I can't say much for the quality and it was weird listening to a different voice for each chapter. I'll give it another try soon.

Way to go, Cindy!

I've listened to a book on it once. Yes, it is an adjustment.

Success! I enjoyed listening to the Rosamund Pike version of Pride & Prejudice.

Well done, Wose!

Fabulous start, Rose!

wosedwew wrote: "Success! I enjoyed listening to the Rosamund Pike version of Pride & Prejudice."

Yeah!!

I would really love to listen to that.
However, I have been reading Sanditon for now.

Sanditon for me!

Just reread Lady Susan. I do love it! The old gal is so cocky and outrageous, and I do like the occasional story told from the villain's point of view. What amused me most this time around was that the characters who are supposedly virtuous, like the de Courcys and Mrs. Vernon, are just as manipulative as Lady S. herself, they’ve simply convinced themselves that they’re manipulating in a good cause.

That is a very good point, Abigail. Everyone works to have things line up with their own way. Lady Susan is sparkling and hard to see as a dyed in the wool baddie. :)

About half way through P&P audiobook, with Rosamund Pike.
It is very good, but so strange to hear the classic after so many different variations.