Any Jane Austen Fans out there?

>I adore Jane Austin. I've read all her books & I'll watch
>any movie version of them. Crap, if Tori Spelling were in it
>I'd still watch it..........just saw the most recent version
>of Sense & Sensibility w/that goofy chick from the X Files &
>still loved it......
>
>And the Bronte sisters & Edith Wharton too. How come no one
>writes like that anymore? Now colleges have entire courses on
>Stephen King & I'd be surprised if most students graduate
>having read even one Austen, Bronte or Wharton
>book.............x(

Jane Austen is incomparable, nou doubt, but there are some fantastic contemporary woman writers out there. Three of my faves are Amy Tan, Annie Proux and Chitra Divakaruni. I find myself enjoying ethnic fiction more and more these days.

Sparrow

__________________
www.scifichics.com
 
>Jane Austen is incomparable, nou doubt, but there are some
>fantastic contemporary woman writers out there. Three of my
>faves are Amy Tan, Annie Proux and Chitra Divakaruni. I find
>myself enjoying ethnic fiction more and more these days.
>
>Sparrow
>
>__________________
>www.scifichics.com

I suppose I should give contemporary novelists a chance. I loved Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, but then never read anything else by her. I confess I never heard of Chitra Divakaruni, but I'm not a fan of Annie Proulx. Maybe it's because I didn't like the Shipping News--I picked that up and didn't like it at all so I never read anything else by her. One of my friends recommended a novel by Anita Shreve called The Pilot's Wife and I actually threw it in the trash--I thought it was that awful. This same friend loves Nicholas Sparks and reads every one of his books. Again, I picked up The Notebook and threw it in the trash. I felt like I was doing the world a favor by removing these copies from circulation-LOL!

I tend to read biographies more than anything else.

Michele
 
>
>>Jane Austen is incomparable, nou doubt, but there are some
>>fantastic contemporary woman writers out there. Three of my
>>faves are Amy Tan, Annie Proux and Chitra Divakaruni. I
>find
>>myself enjoying ethnic fiction more and more these days.
>>
>>Sparrow
>>
>>__________________
>>www.scifichics.com
>
>I suppose I should give contemporary novelists a chance. I
>loved Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, but then never read anything
>else by her. I confess I never heard of Chitra Divakaruni, but
>I'm not a fan of Annie Proulx. Maybe it's because I didn't
>like the Shipping News--I picked that up and didn't like it at
>all so I never read anything else by her. One of my friends
>recommended a novel by Anita Shreve called The Pilot's Wife
>and I actually threw it in the trash--I thought it was that
>awful. This same friend loves Nicholas Sparks and reads every
>one of his books. Again, I picked up The Notebook and threw it
>in the trash. I felt like I was doing the world a favor by
>removing these copies from circulation-LOL!
>
>I tend to read biographies more than anything else.
>
>Michele
>

Michele,

LOL re: The Pilot's Wife.

I actually think that The Shipping News is AP's weakest novel. I would recommend Accordion Crimes and Postcards before The Shipping News.

I do agree that there are a ton of substandard novels out there. I blame it on Oprah's book club :p. It seemed to me that almost every book she recommended was about some dirty-toed, semi-literate Southern girl and her incest lovin', booze swillin', religion addled backwater daddy. I think that's why I turned to ethnic fiction.

Can you suggest any good bios of Susan B. Anthony? :)

Sparrow

___________________
www.scifichics.com
 
>Michele,
>
> LOL re: The Pilot's Wife.
>
>I actually think that The Shipping News is AP's weakest novel.
> I would recommend Accordion Crimes and Postcards before The
>Shipping News.
>
>I do agree that there are a ton of substandard novels out
>there. I blame it on Oprah's book club :p. It seemed to me
>that almost every book she recommended was about some
>dirty-toed, semi-literate Southern girl and her incest lovin',
>booze swillin', religion addled backwater daddy. I think
>that's why I turned to ethnic fiction.
>
>Can you suggest any good bios of Susan B. Anthony? :)
>
>Sparrow
>
>___________________
>www.scifichics.com

Maybe I'll take a look at the other novels you mentioned. I suppose it's not fair of me to judge an author's entire body of work based on a samll part. I did think of 2 other books I enjoyed over the past 2 years--Ahabs Wife (the author's name escapes me at the moment), and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I thoroughly enjoyed them, however, Ahabs wife is veeeeerrrrrry long and a bit tiresome in places. I didn't like the ending either, but it has many bright and shining passages and a good book overall.

I have never read a biography of Susan B. Anthony. I bet a good place to start though, would be checking the list of contributors to the documentary.

ETA ditto what you said about Oprah. :7 :7 :7 :7 :7 :7 I view her recommendations as an indicator of what not to read.

Michele
 
>Michele, give Anne Tyler a try. "Ladder of Years" is an
>awesome book.
>
>Marie


Thanks Marie. I looked at it on Amazon. I think I might like this one!

Michele
 
I also saw the movie and liked it, but as with most everyone else here I feel the BBC version is the best!

Love JA novels as well.

Marie--I agree, Colin Firth was a perfect Mr. Darcy (yum :9 )! Oh, and I think your idea of having Clive Owen play Heathcliff is brilliant (we could use an updated version of Wuthering Heights anyway!). Speaking of the Brontes, I forgot who was in it but there is a fairly new (within the last 10 years) version of Jane Eyre that was pretty decent.

-Thea
 
I love, love, love Jane Austin! The dialogue is so smart. I'm also a huge fan of the BBC adaptation of P & P (have it on DVD) and would have a hard time not being too judgmental of any other version.
 
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