Saturday, August 8, 2009

Everything Austen Challenge #5 and #6

I'm really loving Librivox, which is allowing me to listen to great works of literature while I'm working including "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice."

"Emma" was really well read by a Brit whose only flaw was a major emphasis on the "t's" at the ends of words and even a greater emphasis if, heaven help us, there were two t's together. I love the story of Emma Woodhouse and the cast of eccentric characters that surround her. Having children nearly the same ages as Emma and Harriet Smith, I'm surprised to find that not much as changed, since Austen's time, in the way young people view their world. Twenty-year-olds are never as bright as they think they are. Girls still try to hook their friends up with the "right" guy. And young people still think they are more worldly than their elders.

"Pride and Prejudice" on Librivox was something of a disappointment. The reader did a fine job, better as the book went on, but there was a sense that she was reading it in a closet and a bit of a background hum throughout the reading. Fortunately, I love this book and was more than willing to live with this if it meant getting to listen to the story while I was working. The sparring between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy always brings a smile to my face. And, let's face it, Mr. Darcy is pretty much too good to be true. He's rich, admits when he's wrong, and has no parents, thus no in-law problems for his wife.

Technically, I could now call this challenge completed since the goal was to complete six Austen-related things. But I have yet to crack a book and I'd feel as if I cheated if I didn't read anything. Besides, I have three books lined up to read and I'm always game to reread any of Austen's six completed novels. So, I'm calling this the half way mark.

9 comments:

  1. That is too bad about the P&P audio. I love that book as well. I am glad Emma's narrator was better. I still need to read that one.

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  2. I totally love the book, so the Zombie edition of it was a bit too much for me! :D
    I also tried to listen to the audio P&P from Librivox a while ago but then I just decided to reread the book again. :)

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  3. Hi, thanks for commenting at my blog http://booktryst.blogspot.com/ Since you're a Jane Austen fan, you might find this book interesting - Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World. I read about it in an author highlight where she "channelled" Jane Austen in this question:
    What would you choose: wealth or beauty? Answer: Either would do. One leads to the other.

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  4. Oops I may have forgotten to put in this link to the book (Jane's Fame) I was mentioning in my previous comment. Here it is
    http://www.claireharman.com/austen.html

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  5. I just did the second pick for the Random Book Challenge. I think I will finish with Cecelia Ahern's book tonight, it has been really good so far. You are ahead of me on the Everything Austen challenge! :)

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  6. Wow - you have finished the original challenge??? Amazing!

    I am still working my way through Pride and Prejudice and then have 3 more to do after that!

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  7. I've never listened to a book on CD before. Maybe I should give it a try!

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  8. I'm in the middle of P&P right now. Listened to Sense & Sensibility on cd and really enjoyed it.

    Congrats on finishing the challenge!

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  9. Great review! I've never read (or listened to) Emma, but that may be a good option for me (the audiobook, that is). I seem to be piling books onto the heap for this challenge and others...it seems unmanageable at times! Good luck with the remainder of your list!

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