Group Read: Jane Austen - General Discussion

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Group Read: Jane Austen - General Discussion

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1christina_reads
Editat: des. 15, 2015, 1:44 pm

If you're a newcomer to this group read and just want the basic info, here's what you need to know!

We are reading the six major novels of Jane Austen in 2015, with two months allotted to each book. The schedule is:

Jan-Feb -- Pride and Prejudice -- discussion is here
Mar-Apr -- Mansfield Park -- discussion is here, tutored read is here
May-Jun -- Sense and Sensibility -- discussion is here
Jul-Aug -- Emma -- discussion is here
Sep-Oct -- Northanger Abbey -- discussion is here
Nov-Dec -- Persuasion -- discussion is here

The discussion thread for each book will be posted on the 15th of the second month. So for example, the Pride and Prejudice thread will be posted on February 15. At that point, the entire book is up for discussion, so there will be spoilers! You've been warned. :)



Earlier this year I proposed a Jane Austen group read, and several people expressed interest, so let's talk about it! :) My original proposal was based on the movie (and book) The Jane Austen Book Club, where the characters read Austen's six major novels in the following order:

February - Emma
March - Mansfield Park
April - Northanger Abbey
May - Pride and Prejudice
June - Sense and Sensibility
July - Persuasion

If people like this idea, I think it would be fun! But I'm definitely open to other scheduling choices as well. For example, someone had suggested reading them in chronological order, which would be (1) Northanger Abbey, (2) Sense and Sensibility, (3) Pride and Prejudice, (4) Mansfield Park, (5) Emma, and (6) Persuasion. Or perhaps we could schedule them seasonally, reading Northanger Abbey in October (it's a gothic novel spoof) and Persuasion sometime in the summer (there's a key scene on the beach).

There are a few other issues to be decided as well...

- Is one month enough time to read and discuss each book? Since there are 6 novels and 12 months in the year, we could spread each book out over 2 months if people would prefer.
- Should we start in January or wait to see when the other group reads are scheduled?
- Do we want to read anything besides the six major novels? There are also some unfinished works (like Sanditon and The Watsons) and the juvenilia (Love and Freindship)...not to mention the endless sequels, spinoffs, and modern interpretations of Austen's works!

So, what do you all think? Please share your opinions and suggestions below!

2PawsforThought
nov. 6, 2014, 2:43 pm

I mentioned it in the Group reads general thread but since this is the dedicated thread I'll reiterate it here. I think it might be a good idea to spread the books out a bit more and do one book every other month. Otherwise there's a risk of getting a bit fed up. Better to have people longing to read books, I think.

3sjmccreary
nov. 6, 2014, 2:55 pm

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never read anything written by Jane Austen. I'll be watching the organization of this group with interest, and hope I can finally discover for myself why JA is so well-loved.

4sallylou61
Editat: nov. 6, 2014, 3:08 pm

I am interested in reading some Jane Austen, but am not sure how much with so many other books to read. I am particularly interested in reading Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park, none of which I have read. The order of reading does not make any difference to me. I definitely do not want to read books which might be considered sequels or spinoffs of Austen's works.

Books about Austen's impact on others such as A Jane Austen Education or criticism of her writing might be interesting toward the end of the year after we have read most of Austen's novels.

(So far, I have read Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sandition by Jane Austen -- and also The Poetry of Jane Austen and the Austen Family and Celebrating Pride and Prejudice : Two Hundred Years of Jane Austen's Masterpiece by Susannah Fullerton.)

5japaul22
nov. 6, 2014, 3:13 pm

I like the idea of doing every other month for each book just to space it out a little more. I'm not really interested in the spin offs, but I am planning to do some reading of literary analysis that I own on her books. I'll also be reading annotated editions. One thing I've found though is that when you have a long period to read a book everyone finishes at different times and discussion never really gets started because everyone is waiting for everyone else to finish so as not to give spoilers. Maybe if we pick a longer period like two months per book, I think we could pick a date to begin discussion, like Feb 15 for the first book, April 15 for the second book, etc. I've done this in the past and found that it creates a nice flurry of everyone discussing at the same time.

Just ideas, though. I'll participate any way it ends up being set up. I love Jane Austen and they will all be rereads for me.

6luvamystery65
nov. 6, 2014, 3:52 pm

I love the idea of pacing the books every other month but not discussing them until the 15th of the second month! Great ideas >2 PawsforThought: & >5 japaul22:

7christina_reads
nov. 7, 2014, 10:05 am

>5 japaul22: I like this idea too! Setting a specific discussion date will be a good way to stimulate conversation without having to worry about spoilers.

8DeltaQueen50
nov. 9, 2014, 2:27 pm

Just popping by to say that I am very interested in reading some Jane Austen next year. I like the every other month approach with discussion starting on the 15th of the second month. Don't know how many of her books I will be able to join in for but I will definitely be around for a couple. I have no idea of what order we should read the books in, whatever is decided will be fine with me. I have only ever read Pride and Prejudice and as much as I would love to re-read that one, I think it's time to try some of her different works!

9BookLizard
nov. 11, 2014, 10:31 am

The only problem with spacing them out so far is that we wouldn't start discussing the last book until December 15th. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to be shopping and housecleaning for the holidays. What about reading it one month and discussing it the second month?

10PawsforThought
nov. 11, 2014, 10:53 am

>9 BookLizard: Fine with me. I think one month to read ought to be enough for most people. Austen's books are THAT long.

11japaul22
nov. 11, 2014, 11:07 am

>9 BookLizard: That's fine with me as well. We could even wait til closer to decide on actual dates for the last book or two. That way we could see how it is working first. I'll participate no matter what form this group ends up taking.

12mstrust
nov. 11, 2014, 11:38 am

I'm glad I found this group, as I have yet to read Persuasion or Emma. Whatever timeline is agreed on, I'll fit these in.

13BookLizard
nov. 11, 2014, 8:31 pm

10> Did you mean aren't that long? Mansfield Park is the longest and that's still under 500 pages.

11> I agree about waiting to see how it goes before setting strict dates for discussions. Also, it might help to schedule our books around other group reads so we're not reading Mansfield Park the same month as another chunkster.

14PawsforThought
nov. 12, 2014, 3:46 am

>13 BookLizard: Baha! Yes. I was writing on my phone and it apparently doesn't like negative words!

15majkia
nov. 12, 2014, 7:35 am

so, what's the plan? I'm (as usual) confused.

16cbl_tn
nov. 12, 2014, 8:02 am

I'm planning a Jane Austen category for my personal category challenge. I'm not sure I want to reread all of her novels next year, but I'll follow along on the group read threads. I have lots of Austen inspired fiction as well as essays or books about Austen in my TBRs. I'm thinking about reading a book that corresponds to the Austen novel the rest of you are reading. For instance, I might read Val McDermid's Northanger Abbey while the rest of you are reading Austen's, Jane Fairfax while you're reading Emma, Longbourn while you're reading Pride and Prejudice, etc.

17MarthaJeanne
Editat: nov. 12, 2014, 9:27 am

I'll be reading Longbourn in September for the HistoryCAT, so if I reread P&P next year it will also be around then.

18streamsong
nov. 12, 2014, 9:32 am

I'm planning on joining in, too. I do like the every other month schedule and the idea to start discussion the middle of the second month, with an adjustment forward in December.

I also have a few spinoff's & related stuff on Planet TBR - Death Comes to Pemberly, Dear Cassandra, and dare I confess? P & P & Zombies.

Costco had a pretty volume of 4 of the novels when I was there yesterday called Jane Austen: Four Novels. Nevermind that I already have other copies of several of them. The pretty binding came home with me. :-) Gilt edges and (faux?) leather. I am all set.

19christina_reads
nov. 12, 2014, 9:56 am

Looks like it's time for some voting!

So far, it seems like most people are on board with making this a year-long read, allotting two months for each novel, with discussion (including spoilers) taking place sometime in the second month. For example, if Northanger Abbey is the first book we read, we would do it in January and February, with a discussion thread being set up sometime in February. Does this sound good to you?

Voteu: We should allot two months for each Austen novel, with discussion (including spoilers) occurring sometime in the second month.

Xifra actual: 24, No 1
All votes will count. "Yes" means you're in favor of this basic structure. "No" means you want some other scheduling arrangement (perhaps one book every month). If you vote "No," please feel free to share alternative suggestions for scheduling! Voting will close in one week, on November 19.

I think the next topic to discuss is the order in which we read the novels, so please start thinking about that if you have a strong preference!

20streamsong
Editat: nov. 13, 2014, 10:57 am

I see that lyzard is doing a tutored read of Mansfield Park over in the 75'ers in March, so that might make the perfect matchup month.

21christina_reads
nov. 24, 2014, 12:09 pm

OK, so it looks like the unanimous opinion of the group is to allot two months for each Austen novel, with discussion occurring sometime in the second month.

The next issue to decide is WHEN we should read each book! Would people be interested in reading the novels in chronological order? If so, the schedule would be:

Jan-Feb: Northanger Abbey
Mar-Apr: Sense and Sensibility
May-Jun: Pride and Prejudice
Jul-Aug: Mansfield Park
Sep-Oct: Emma
Nov-Dec: Persuasion

Personally, I would be fine with this schedule, but I'm also open to other suggestions. As noted above (>20 streamsong:), there's a tutored read of Mansfield Park in March at the 75-ers group. So if people are interested in doing that, we could schedule MP for March-April. I also want to hear from the people who have expressed interest in reading just a couple of Austen's novels, because I'd like as many of you to join us as possible! I know 2015 is already becoming quite crowded with CATs, DOGs, and group reads. So if you have strong preferences about specific books going with specific months, please share them here!

22sturlington
nov. 24, 2014, 12:25 pm

I am only planning to join in on Sense and Sensibility, although if the timing works out, I may reread Emma. My only preference is that it not be the first book, as I already have a ton of books lined up for the first of the year.

23MarthaJeanne
nov. 24, 2014, 12:58 pm

I'll probably read all of them except Northanger Abbey, but when isn't really important.

24luvamystery65
nov. 24, 2014, 1:40 pm

>21 christina_reads: I would say stick to chronological order.

As far as the tutored read in the 75 group, I am following an old tutored read of The Monk from 2012 in January and she has graciously offered to answer any new questions I have.

25electrice
nov. 24, 2014, 3:28 pm

>21 christina_reads: I'll read all the books, whichever order is decided is fine.

26mstrust
nov. 24, 2014, 4:16 pm

I think chronological order is a good idea. Then we can see Austen's progression as a writer.

27DeltaQueen50
nov. 24, 2014, 6:02 pm

I would really like to read them all, but count me in for sure with Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. I like the idea of reading them in chronological order and have made sure to add the two I am planning on reading in the appropriate months (January & November).

28japaul22
nov. 24, 2014, 8:05 pm

I love the idea of reading them in chronological order and will most likely read all of them except Sense and Sensibility. And that's because I just read that a few months ago so I'll be ready to discuss it anyway. I probably won't participate in the tutored read so that doesn't affect me. If others want to match that up, though, I would be ok with switching up the order to accommodate that.

29sjmccreary
nov. 24, 2014, 9:02 pm

So far, my planned reading schedule for 2015 is very light in June and December, so I'm going to add Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion to my list.

30streamsong
nov. 24, 2014, 10:43 pm

Oh, well, I guess I'm the odd one out here, but the original schedule worked better for me.

I'll join in on Northanger Abbey in January and then take a right turn to the tutored read in March. I'll probably be back in September for Emma.

31klarusu
nov. 25, 2014, 4:33 am

These are all re-reads for me but very pleasurable old friends so I'm going to try and join in for everything except Northanger Abbey which is my least favourite Austen work.

32majkia
nov. 25, 2014, 7:20 am

I'll join in. All many time re-reads for me.

33Fourpawz2
nov. 25, 2014, 11:06 am

Would like to do all - 3 of which will be the first time for me. Order is fine as it is.

34christina_reads
nov. 25, 2014, 12:54 pm

Looks like we have significant interest in reading the novels chronologically, but let's take a vote to make sure!

Voteu: Should we read Austen's six major novels in chronological order?

Xifra actual: 10, No 12, Indecís 3
Again, chronological order would be the following schedule:

Jan-Feb: Northanger Abbey
Mar-Apr: Sense and Sensibility
May-Jun: Pride and Prejudice
Jul-Aug: Mansfield Park
Sep-Oct: Emma
Nov-Dec: Persuasion

So if that looks good to you, vote "yes"! If you would prefer some other order, vote "no" and give us your alternative suggestion! All votes will count, and I'll leave the vote open until this Sunday, November 30. If you have a strong preference about this, let your voice be heard!

35BookLizard
nov. 25, 2014, 12:58 pm

It's fine with me. I just hope any new people realize that Northanger Abbey isn't her best work - although I seem to have liked it more than most people.

36sturlington
nov. 25, 2014, 1:50 pm

>35 BookLizard: I liked it too, but I haven't disliked anything by her. And I believe it's also shorter so that makes for a nice start. I just read it last summer, so it will be fresh in my mind for a January discussion.

37christina_reads
nov. 25, 2014, 2:53 pm

>35 BookLizard: That is a good point...if we end up doing Northanger first, we'll have to make sure to encourage people to keep reading Austen! (That said, I like Northanger, especially Mr. Tilney! :))

38MarthaJeanne
nov. 25, 2014, 3:10 pm

Certainly important to point out that it is a different genre from the others.

So yes, if Northanger Abbey is not your thing (and it's not mine) come back and try Sense and Sensibility!

39PawsforThought
nov. 25, 2014, 3:50 pm

I don't really care much about the order but chronological is fine with me. I'll only be reading the ones I haven't got to before so I'll join in with Sense and Sensibility in March.

>35 BookLizard: I quite liked Northanger Abbey. It's different from the other books, and I found it refreshing.

40sallylou61
Editat: nov. 25, 2014, 6:02 pm

Alternate order for reading. I voted "No" in message #34. Especially in light of comments made about Northanger Abbey in above comments, I would prefer order of publication. This would be:

Sense & Sensibility (pub. 1811)-- Jan. and Feb.
Pride & Prejudice (pub. 1813) -- Mar. and Apr.
Mansfield Park(pub. 1814) -- May and June
Emma (pub. 1815) -- July and Aug.
Northanger Abbey (pub. posthumously, 1817) -- Sept. and Oct.
Persuasion(pub. posthumously, 1817) -- Nov. and Dec.

The two which were published posthumously in Dec. 1817 were published jointly according to David M. Shapard in his The Annotated Persuasion, p. xvi. However, at the beginning of his introduction, he states "Persuasion" was the last complete novel of Jane Austen." (p. xv).

41BookLizard
nov. 26, 2014, 8:05 am

40> That order does have the advantage of putting Northanger Abbey in October.

42streamsong
Editat: nov. 26, 2014, 10:55 am

I like >40 sallylou61:'s order of publication better than the chronological order. I enjoy gothic reads in October, so thank you >41 BookLizard: for pointing that out.

43jnwelch
nov. 26, 2014, 11:06 am

>40 sallylou61: I like that order, too.

44majkia
nov. 26, 2014, 11:07 am

I honestly don't much care. I haven't changed my vote (yet) though. I guess I'll wait to see what happens.

45christina_reads
nov. 26, 2014, 2:13 pm

>40 sallylou61: I do like publication order as well! Then the gothic spoof Northanger is in September-October, and we kick off the year with Sense and Sensibility, a more "typical" Austen.

46DeltaQueen50
nov. 26, 2014, 3:58 pm

I'm only reading a couple of Jane Austen's next year so timing isn't all that important for me but I do like the idea of reading Northanger Abbey in October, so my vote goes to >40 sallylou61: proposal.

47christina_reads
nov. 26, 2014, 5:28 pm

OK, so just to remind everyone -- if you like chronological order (Northanger Abbey first, in January), vote YES at >34 christina_reads: above. If you like publication order as shown at >40 sallylou61: -- or any other arrangement -- vote NO. If the NO votes win at message #34, we will have another vote about publication order. So please go vote if you haven't already!

48Nickelini
nov. 28, 2014, 12:18 pm

Not sure if I have time to reread any Austen next year, but I'll definitely hang around for the discussions.

49christina_reads
des. 1, 2014, 10:03 am

Well, based on the vote at >34 christina_reads:, we will NOT be reading Austen's novels in chronological order. (The "no" votes triumphed by one vote!) An alternative suggestion at >40 sallylou61: is to read in publication order, and several people seemed interested in doing that. Publication order would be:

Sense & Sensibility (pub. 1811)-- Jan. and Feb.
Pride & Prejudice (pub. 1813) -- Mar. and Apr.
Mansfield Park (pub. 1814) -- May and June
Emma (pub. 1815) -- July and Aug.
Northanger Abbey (pub. posthumously, 1817) -- Sept. and Oct.
Persuasion (pub. posthumously, 1817) -- Nov. and Dec.

What do people think of this schedule? Personally, I'm happy with it. Is there enough support to have a vote?

50MarthaJeanne
des. 1, 2014, 10:07 am

Either order is fine with me.

51luvamystery65
des. 1, 2014, 10:20 am

I'll go with the flow.

52majkia
des. 1, 2014, 10:40 am

I'm good either way.

53japaul22
des. 1, 2014, 11:04 am

I voted "no" to the order in >34 christina_reads: only because there seemed to be stronger opinions in favor of the publication order and I really don't care! I'm happy with the publication order in >49 christina_reads: but whichever order gets us the most readers is the one I ultimately want.

54jnwelch
des. 1, 2014, 11:11 am

Happy with the publication order, although I've read all of them, so it'll be enjoying the discussions for me.

55PawsforThought
des. 1, 2014, 12:03 pm

It's not a huge deal for me but I'd prefer chronological order mainly because I have some things lined up for the first couple of months of 2015 so might not have time for Austen then. With the chronological order P&P will be covered in Jan and Feb and I've already read that so it doesn't matter. But with publication order S&S will be covered then (compared to March and April with the chronological order) and that's one of the books I haven't read and most wanted to get to.

56DeltaQueen50
des. 1, 2014, 12:42 pm

I am very happy to go with the chronological order as I am only going to be reading a couple of the books and it will be much easier to fit them in later in the year as the first few months of 2015 are already crammed!

57christina_reads
des. 1, 2014, 1:56 pm

The group has already voted "no" to chronological order (Northanger Abbey first), so I think we can safely remove it from the mix. Publication order (Sense and Sensibility first, with Northanger in October) is still a possibility, although it's clearly not unanimous. Does anyone have any other scheduling suggestions to put forward? It would help to have a few different options, and then we could choose from among them in the voting.

58majkia
des. 1, 2014, 2:44 pm

I thought we'd set it as pub order. Do we really have to vote again? (whine, whine).

59christina_reads
des. 1, 2014, 2:50 pm

>58 majkia: Haha, I totally get your point, but since we already have a few people who don't seem to want pub order, I think we should take their opinions into account too! Hopefully it will just take one more vote to finalize the schedule!

60sturlington
des. 1, 2014, 6:25 pm

I'm with >55 PawsforThought: -- Sense and Sensibility is the only Austen I have begging on my TBR and I wanted to leave it a little later in the year. But who knows, I may get to it in February... So I'll go with what the majority wants.

61DeltaQueen50
des. 2, 2014, 1:01 am

Whoops, I meant publication order not chronological order in >56 DeltaQueen50:!

62RidgewayGirl
des. 2, 2014, 2:35 am

I'm happy with publication order.

63Fourpawz2
des. 2, 2014, 7:41 am

Whatever everybody decides is fine by me.

64christina_reads
des. 2, 2014, 10:12 am

For those who don't want to read Sense and Sensibility first, would you be interested in proposing an alternative schedule? If we have a concrete alternative to publication order, the voting will be quicker and easier.

65BookLizard
des. 2, 2014, 10:23 am

How many folks don't want Sense and Sensibility first? And don't feel the need to reread Pride and Prejudice? There's no reason why the conversation can't continue into March/April. I don't know about other people, but I always star the conversations I participate in/in which I participate so if someone else comments later, I'll go back and read/reply.

66sturlington
des. 2, 2014, 10:35 am

I reread P&P not too long ago, so I don't feel the need to reread. I didn't want to start out the year with an Austen, but I can probably get to S&S in the first quarter.

67streamsong
des. 2, 2014, 10:40 am

I would be OK if the group decides that a completely random order is the solution to fit in the most readers. I liked the random order in >1 christina_reads: because Mansfield Park in March lines up with the tutored read in the other group. Publication order works for me since I have done group reads of P&P several times and could skip it in March.

I like the idea of not starting with Northanger Abbey and also reading it in October.

So my preferences would be: (although I'll go with any order the group decides & fit in what I can)

Jan-Feb: no preference but would prefer not to start with NA
Mar-April: plan to do the tutored read of Mansfield Park; P&P also OK since I probably won't reread at this time
May-Jun: no preference
Jul-Aug: no preference
Sep-Oct: Northanger Abbey
Nov-Dec: no preference

68PawsforThought
des. 2, 2014, 11:12 am

>64 christina_reads: I voted for the publishing order because that worked best for me. I don't really have another suggestion.

>65 BookLizard: I'm sure the discussion could stretch out into March and April but I doubt it will happen, at least on any scale that is of significance. People want to discuss when they've just finished a book and if we go by chronological order most people will be busy reading P&P in March and April.

Discussions don't matter much to me as I don't discuss books that much but I could certainly use the incentive of knowing other people are reading the same book as me to help me get through if it get tough. It was a tremendous help a couple of years ago when there was a group read of John Fowles The French Lieutenant's Woman, which I never would have got through without the group read. Reading Lolita would also have been a lot more difficult.

69christina_reads
des. 2, 2014, 11:16 am

How about this as an alternative to publication order?

Jan-Feb: Pride and Prejudice -- This seems to be the one that most people have read and don't feel the need to re-read, so they can skip if they need to.
Mar-Apr: Mansfield Park -- Will match up with the tutored read mentioned above. Also, I like the idea of reading MP after P&P because the heroines are so different!
May-Jun: Sense & Sensibility
Jul-Aug: Emma
Sep-Oct: Northanger Abbey (gothic!)
Nov-Dec: Persuasion

This is actually quite similar to publication order, except S&S has been moved to later in the year. Would this work better for those who want to read S&S sometime other than January?

70luvamystery65
des. 2, 2014, 3:35 pm

>69 christina_reads: I do like that order. Plus I can read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in February for Fantasy February. ;-)

71sturlington
des. 2, 2014, 3:43 pm

72jnwelch
des. 2, 2014, 4:37 pm

Looks good.

73sallylou61
des. 2, 2014, 5:21 pm

Earlier we talked briefly about whether or not another vote was necessary. However, several people have liked publication order and others the order suggested in number 69. Are we going to vote again between publication order and number 69, or just going with number 69 -- or voting for 3 options putting chronological order back into the mix since it only lost by one vote?

Although I prefer both publication order and number 69 order over chronological order, I'm not sure that the order makes a great amount of difference. It sounds as if a number of people are not planning to read all six novels. Also, different people have different reading plans, some already in place.

74christina_reads
des. 2, 2014, 5:39 pm

>73 sallylou61: My thought was to do just one more vote, with "yes" meaning publication order and "no" meaning the order described in message #69. I'll put it up tomorrow, assuming there are no strong objections before then!

75PawsforThought
des. 2, 2014, 7:12 pm

>74 christina_reads: So what happens if both chronological order (which I assuming you meant, rather than publication order) and the >69 christina_reads: order get fewer YES votes than publication order?

76MarthaJeanne
Editat: des. 2, 2014, 7:21 pm

Chronological order is the one we voted on before. I think she really does mean publication order.

77BookLizard
des. 2, 2014, 7:32 pm

How about having "undecided" mean "I don't care which order"? Seriously, some people have strong feelings one way or the other but many others don't care.

78christina_reads
des. 3, 2014, 11:00 am

>75 PawsforThought: Whichever option (publication order vs. #69 order) gets more votes will win. I get what you're saying, but since the group already technically voted "no" to chronological order, I feel like that option is off the table.

>77 BookLizard: That's fair! If you really don't have a preference, then either vote "undecided" or just abstain. I hope I haven't made this process harder than it needs to be...I just wanted to give everybody a say, particularly those people who want to read some of the books but have scheduling conflicts.

79christina_reads
des. 3, 2014, 11:11 am

All right, everyone, bear with me for one last vote! I'm going to propose two different orders, based on what we've discussed, and whichever one gets more votes will be our official schedule!

Option #1 is publication order:
- Jan/Feb Sense and Sensibility
- Mar/Apr Pride and Prejudice
- May/Jun Mansfield Park
- Jul/Aug Emma
- Sep/Oct Northanger Abbey
- Nov/Dec Persuasion

Option #2 is the order proposed at >69 christina_reads:
- Jan/Feb Pride and Prejudice
- Mar/Apr Mansfield Park
- May/Jun Sense and Sensibility
- Jul/Aug Emma
- Sep/Oct Northanger Abbey
- Nov/Dec Persuasion

Vote YES for option #1. Vote NO for option #2. If you have no preference, either abstain or vote undecided. All YES and NO votes will count!

Voteu: Which option should be our official reading schedule?

Xifra actual: 4, No 12, Indecís 8
The vote will remain open through Sunday, December 7. On the following day, I will tally up the votes and announce our schedule! In the event of a tie, I will make an executive decision.

80PawsforThought
des. 3, 2014, 4:06 pm

>78 christina_reads: But that means that even if one of the two suggestions in >79 christina_reads: gets fewer votes than the order we've voted on, they'll win. Which is not fair. The option with the most votes at all should win.

81BookLizard
des. 3, 2014, 5:10 pm

80> I think I get what you're saying, but we already voted down chronological order (the order in which they were written). It's like we were saying "anything but that."

Some people feel strongly about one or the other new options, so they're voting on that. Some of us don't care which it is as long as we don't have to read Northanger Abbey first.

82christina_reads
Editat: des. 3, 2014, 5:25 pm

>80 PawsforThought: I get what you're saying, but if we go ahead and do chronological order anyway, it's like we're invalidating that first vote. People who were in favor of chronological order had the chance to vote for it and encourage other people to do so. I don't want to disregard what the majority has already decided.

Edited to add: It also occurs to me that this second round of voting may not have as many "yes" and "no" votes, simply because many people may not have a strong preference either way. There are 7 "undecided" votes, which I take to mean that those people would be happy with either of the two options up for voting.

83PawsforThought
des. 3, 2014, 5:55 pm

But then you're invalidating the people who voted FOR it, if it does turn out to be a larger number of people than who vote for these other options.

84mathgirl40
des. 3, 2014, 6:09 pm

I don't think we have to worry too much about invalidating the earlier vote, as only 10 people voted for chronological order. As long as Option 1 plus undecided or Option 2 plus undecided ends up greater than 10, then it means the number of people OK with Option 1 or 2, whichever comes out ahead, will be more than the number of people set on chronological order.

Personally, I think that if "undecided" comes out ahead of option 1 and option 2, that should be interpreted as "let the moderator decide so we can move on." :)

85luvamystery65
des. 3, 2014, 7:41 pm

I originally voted for chronological order and decided that I loved the order in >69 christina_reads:.

86RidgewayGirl
des. 4, 2014, 4:44 am

As long as the "undecided" votes bring up the total of the winning order, let's let this vote stand and move on.

87streamsong
des. 4, 2014, 8:29 am

I don't think you can compare the vote number in >34 christina_reads: and >79 christina_reads: directly since you don't know if other people who voted for yes for chronological are now doing exactly what >85 luvamystery65: did and prefer a different option.

I agree that this vote should stand.

88PawsforThought
des. 4, 2014, 4:17 pm

>84 mathgirl40: Well, as of now, only ten have vote in favour of one of the other options so there's really no difference.

I'm not saying it should be one way or the other, I'm just pointing out that there's a flaw in this.

89christina_reads
Editat: des. 8, 2014, 8:54 am

The results of our most recent vote at >79 christina_reads: are in! Eleven "no" votes means that our reading schedule will be:

- Jan/Feb Pride and Prejudice
- Mar/Apr Mansfield Park
- May/Jun Sense and Sensibility
- Jul/Aug Emma
- Sep/Oct Northanger Abbey
- Nov/Dec Persuasion

Thanks to all who voted and shared their suggestions! We will kick off 2015 with Pride and Prejudice, so if you plan to read it, now's the time to get your hands on a copy. :)

Above, someone suggested assigning a specific date to begin discussion, and people seemed to be on board with that idea. I like it because it will ensure that lots of people will be posting about the book at the same time, which hopefully will encourage more conversation. Does February 1 sound OK for P&P? That would give us a month to read and a month to chat...or do people have other preferences? Don't worry, I won't force another vote! :) I just want to get a sense for what people think will work best.

ETA: I have posted the schedule in message #1 so it will be easy to find.

90sallylou61
des. 8, 2014, 9:41 am

In an earlier discussion, messages number 5 through 9 talked about the 15th of the second month (i.e. Feb. 15, Apr. 15, June 15th, Aug. 15th, Oct. 15, and Dec. 15th) as dates to start discussions with number 9 questioning the Dec. 15th date. I personally like the 15th of the second month -- with the possibility of starting December 1st instead of 15th. Persuasion, which is scheduled to be read last, is probably the shortest of the novels. Starting discussion on the 15th gives people approximately 6 weeks to read the novels and 2 weeks for discussion

91luvamystery65
des. 8, 2014, 9:45 am

I agree with the 15th because that gives at least two weeks for the folks that are reading the book the second month to get the book read.

92christina_reads
des. 8, 2014, 10:47 am

I would be OK with the 15th also. As >90 sallylou61: said, we could do the Persuasion thread earlier, on December 1, due to the hectic holiday season!

93luvamystery65
des. 8, 2014, 10:53 am

It sounds like we have a plan in place! Great job Christina!

94klarusu
des. 11, 2014, 6:00 am

I'm really looking forward to starting the year with Mr Darcy ;-)

95christina_reads
des. 11, 2014, 9:57 am

>94 klarusu: Haha, you and me both!

96Tara1Reads
des. 23, 2014, 11:23 am

Hi! I am new here but I wanted to say that you can count me in for Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion. I have all of those waiting in my TBR pile.

I am looking forward to the discussions!

97kac522
Editat: des. 26, 2014, 2:08 am

I plan to join along--for sure for P&P and the group read of MP. I have read all of the novels multiple times, but I seem never to tire of them, and always find something new. For P&P, I'll be reading The Annotated Pride and Prejudice edited by David Shapard (for every page of P&P, there's a page of notes!). I may post some of the more interesting ones as we begin discussion.

98MarthaJeanne
Editat: des. 26, 2014, 3:20 am

Speaking of notes, I have to buy myself a copy of Emma The library copy has notes that assume that 'netting' is another word for 'knitting'. That is so incompetant! If you don't know, do some research before writting wrong notes. I caught that one, so I know the rest of the notes can't be trusted.

ETA That was easy. Gutenberg has it.

99harleyqgrayson02
des. 29, 2014, 6:46 pm

I want to join. I have all the books and it has been a while since I have read them.

100majkia
des. 29, 2014, 6:48 pm

So we are starting with P&P correct?

101lkernagh
des. 29, 2014, 6:55 pm

Hi All - I have learned that Liz (lyzard) will be hosting a tutored read of Mansfield Park in March over on the 75 Challenge Group. I plan to sit in on the tutored read (not actively participate) with Liz's blessing and she has said to let anyone else who might be interested know that they would be more than welcome if they wanted to sit in. The tutored read thread probably won't be go up until end of Feb/ early Mar but if I see if go up, I will post a link here for others.

102electrice
des. 30, 2014, 4:17 am

>100 majkia: Yes, the first listing at the top of the thread is the definitive one

103ccookie
gen. 1, 2015, 5:34 pm

I'm starting tonight,

104christina_reads
gen. 2, 2015, 12:19 pm

Happy New Year, everyone! Remember, we are starting off the Austen group read with Pride and Prejudice, and the discussion thread (with spoilers) will go up on February 15!

105librivendola
gen. 16, 2015, 6:47 am

Here I am! I have started my re-reading of Pride and Prejudice few days ago. What a better way to start a new year of reading?!

I'm Italian and I'm reading the novel in my language. It will be hard for me to follow the discussion in English, but I would like to try.

Angela

106klarusu
gen. 16, 2015, 7:14 am

>105 librivendola: I'm also enjoying January with Pride & Prejudice. It's a great way to start the year.

107luvamystery65
gen. 16, 2015, 12:37 pm

>105 librivendola: Benvenuto!

Please feel free to try your English out with us. I will begin reading the book closer to the end of the month.

108Nickelini
gen. 16, 2015, 12:46 pm

Librivendola -- welcome! Please feel free to join the discussion--I think you will find us a friendly group. I hear that Jane Austen is a difficult author to translate because of her unusual sentence structure and word play. She often puts the important information in the sentence at the end, so even for English readers, we have to stop and think through the sentence before understanding it. If you are confused, ask questions.

109klarusu
gen. 16, 2015, 2:17 pm

>108 Nickelini: I'm really interested in how well Austen translates because her humour is very subtle and English. I know from Polish books I've read in translation and original that sometimes that subtlety is lost in the translated language.

110Nickelini
gen. 16, 2015, 3:12 pm

#109 Klarusu - Yes, I wonder that too! I know my Italian relatives and friends just don't get how Seinfeld is funny.

111librivendola
gen. 17, 2015, 5:11 am

I think I have found good translations because one of the things I love the most in Austen's novel is her humour and the rythme of the sentence. Thank you for your cordial welcome!

112luvamystery65
gen. 28, 2015, 2:29 pm

Scrolling through LT old tutored reads I found a link to some Austen tutored reads that lyzard in 75 group did. If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is the link to the tutored reads of Emma, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Tutored_Reads_2012

Sorry if this was already posted. I am just so excited to visit these old threads that are helping me with my current reading selections!

113Nickelini
gen. 29, 2015, 11:05 pm

#104 - Remember, we are starting off the Austen group read with Pride and Prejudice, and the discussion thread (with spoilers) will go up on February 15!

Well, it's the very end of January, so the discussion is coming up. I've found a few documentaries on P&P on YouTube that I'd like to post. Will there be a separate P&P thread coming up? (or I've missed one?). Not sure how this works.

I thought some who have read the book might like to watch the videos before the discussion. And if anyone is struggling, maybe the videos with nudge them on.

114luvamystery65
gen. 30, 2015, 9:01 am

Here is a tutored read of Pride and Prejudice from last year, if anyone is interested.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/163892

115christina_reads
gen. 30, 2015, 12:50 pm

>113 Nickelini: Yes, there will be a separate thread for P&P. I wasn't going to post it until the 15th, but if people want it to go up earlier, I'm fine with doing that. Or you're welcome to post the documentaries on this thread!

116christina_reads
feb. 15, 2015, 1:33 pm

The discussion thread for Pride and Prejudice just went up here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/187942. Please join us if you want to chat about the book!

117christina_reads
març 2, 2015, 6:45 pm

Happy March, everyone! I've really been enjoying the discussion of P&P, and it's still going strong! Next on the agenda is Mansfield Park, which is scheduled to be read in March and April. A discussion thread (with spoilers) will be posted on April 15. There is a tutored read of MP going on this month in the 75ers group, for those who are interested. I think MP is one of Austen's more controversial novels, so I anticipate a lively and interesting discussion! :)

118ccookie
març 2, 2015, 8:04 pm

I am still mosying along with P&P and hopefully will get to MP soon

119The_Hibernator
març 7, 2015, 9:44 am

Was there ever a MP thread put up? I've started it and have been participating in the Tutored Read.

120luvamystery65
març 7, 2015, 9:50 am

>119 The_Hibernator: She will put it up mid April so everyone can have a chance to read it before we begin discussing it.

122MarthaJeanne
març 7, 2015, 2:06 pm

That is the tutored read thread. It is not the discussion thread for this group read.

123Tara1Reads
març 7, 2015, 2:17 pm

>119 The_Hibernator: The discussion thread goes up April 15th as luvamystery65 was referring to.

124MarthaJeanne
març 26, 2015, 6:05 pm

I just downloaded it from Gutenberg, as we will be travelling from April 18, and it will be good reading for the part of the trip before I start hitting British bookstores.

125mamzel
abr. 13, 2015, 10:58 am

I gave up. Sorry, Fanny. I stayed with you for over half of the book but it was too hard to persuade myself to read one more chapter. Maybe I'll finish you some year.

126christina_reads
abr. 15, 2015, 12:04 pm

The discussion thread for Mansfield Park is up, here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/190111

127christina_reads
maig 3, 2015, 4:35 pm

Oops, forgot to remind everyone that it's May, which means it's time for Sense and Sensibility! I haven't read it in years, so I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with Elinor and Marianne! A discussion thread (with spoilers!) will be posted on June 15. Happy reading!

128luvamystery65
maig 3, 2015, 4:36 pm

>127 christina_reads: I am so excited as I have purchased an annotated version.

129sallylou61
maig 3, 2015, 9:04 pm

I enjoyed reading the annotated editions of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion (the only major Austen novels I have read) so much that I tried to get those editions for the other works. Unfortunately, none seem to be available for Mansfield Park which I have not yet finished reading. That is a project for a bit later; I have been busy reading for a lot of adult lit classes so far this year, but the last one ends next week.

130LittleTaiko
maig 3, 2015, 9:48 pm

I just saw the play at our local theater. Looking forward to following the discussions.

131kac522
maig 4, 2015, 11:02 pm

And I just saw "Sense and Sensibility" (a new musical) at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, which was wonderful! I was only a little disappointed that they cut Mrs. Dashwood (Elinor & Marianne's mother) from the script, but other than that, it was well-done and the songs were good, too.

132jnwelch
maig 6, 2015, 2:36 pm

^ Oh good, kac522. We're seeing it soon. Can't wait.

133MarthaJeanne
Editat: juny 1, 2015, 8:21 am

Getting ahead of us, I just saw that Alexander McCall Smith has a retelling of Emma. My library has it, so I may read it after reading the original.

134christina_reads
juny 1, 2015, 2:00 pm

>133 MarthaJeanne: I've seen that around! Apparently it is part of The Austen Project, wherein all six of the major novels are being retold in a contemporary setting. I'm a bit skeptical, myself, but I'll be interested to see what you think!

Also, I'll give you all a friendly beginning-of-the-month reminder that the Sense and Sensibility discussion thread (with spoilers) will go up on June 15. Happy reading! :)

135streamsong
juny 5, 2015, 9:29 am

Thanks to Joe and everyone who commented on Bitch in a Bonnet. I ordered a copy and have been laughing out loud (and snorting as well!) Great fun, but I'm learning quite a bit about the novels, too. I just finished the section on Mansfield Park.

I'll be reading it along with Sense and Sensibility - just have a couple other books to squeeze in first and then I'll be good to go.

136Nickelini
juny 5, 2015, 10:04 am

>135 streamsong: - Oh, fun. He has some good stuff to say about S&S. Here are my two favourite bits:

Describing the sisters: "Marianne is the girl outside the bar, alternately shrieking 'Wooo!' and throwing up on the sidewalk, and Elinor is the one pulling up to the curb to rescue her, saying,''This is absolutely the last time I do this,' which even she doesn't believe."

On Marianne mooning over Wiilloughby: "Instead she spends her time banging gently against the front window, like a moth."

I'm guessing that you're familiar with S&S. Otherwise I guess these won't make much sense. ;-)

137jnwelch
juny 5, 2015, 11:46 am

>135 streamsong: Oh good, Janet, glad to hear it. Bitch in a Bonnet is a hoot, isn't it? And insightful.

>136 Nickelini: Ha! Love those.

138streamsong
juny 6, 2015, 10:38 am

>136 Nickelini: Well, no, this will actually be my first trip through Sense and Sensibility. But your quotes make me eager to read it!

>137 jnwelch: :-)

139christina_reads
juny 15, 2015, 11:53 am

Speaking of Sense and Sensibility, the discussion thread (with spoilers) is now up! http://www.librarything.com/topic/192118

140christina_reads
jul. 1, 2015, 5:25 pm

Here is your friendly reminder that we're reading Emma in July and August! I'm really excited to re-read this one…it may be my second-favorite Austen (after P&P). A discussion thread with spoilers will go up on August 15.

141mstrust
jul. 1, 2015, 8:14 pm

Looking forward to it!

142Chrischi_HH
jul. 2, 2015, 3:45 am

I have never read any of the books, only watched the movies. I will join you for Emma now. :)

143japaul22
jul. 2, 2015, 6:25 am

I also usually rank Emma as my second favorite behind P&P. Looking forward to a reread with my annotated edition.

144christina_reads
jul. 2, 2015, 12:06 pm

>142 Chrischi_HH: Yay, I hope you like Emma! I'm kind of jealous that you get to read it for the first time. :)

145christina_reads
ag. 15, 2015, 11:54 am

The discussion thread for Emma (with spoilers) is up, here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/194558

146christina_reads
set. 2, 2015, 9:52 pm

It's September, and that means it's time for Northanger Abbey! A spoiler-laden discussion thread will be posted on October 15th.

148christina_reads
nov. 1, 2015, 4:40 pm

It's November 1st, which means it's time for our final Austen novel of the year, Persuasion! A discussion thread (with spoilers, as always) will be posted on December 15.

149luvamystery65
nov. 1, 2015, 10:16 pm

I'm saving the Persuasion audio for early December.

150christina_reads
des. 15, 2015, 1:44 pm

The Persuasion discussion thread (with spoilers!) is up! http://www.librarything.com/topic/207407