Royal Mail celebrates Jane Austen

Last Monday signified the bicentennial of Jane Austen's most influential novel, Pride and Prejudice. Published on January 28th 1813 by Thomas Egerton, it was the second of her works to be launched upon an unsuspecting society (the first being Sense and Sensibility).

To commemorate this special anniversary, the Royal Mail is releasing a series of Jane Austen stamps later this year (which I can't wait to get my hands on!).

As you can see, each individual stamp illustrates a scene from one of her novels.

They're released on 21st February in the UK. If you live overseas and don't want to miss out, you can also buy a set via Royal Mail's website.

It'll be exciting to see how many other Austen-related special issues and events present themselves over the year! Are you doing anything to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice?

Miss Austen revisits the Bodleian for World Book Day

It's probably a little late to be posting this now, seeing as World Book Day was yesterday, but it's pretty interesting news.

From the BBC website:

A recently-discovered portrait believed to be of Jane Austen (pictured left) is to go on display at Oxford's Bodleian Library to celebrate World Book Day.

The portrait will be displayed on 1 March alongside an example of the Pride and Prejudice author's needlework.

The fragile needlework sampler, made by Austen aged 12, is part of a private collection in Gloucestershire.

The free one-day exhibition will also include manuscripts from the Bodleian Library's collection.

Visitors will be able to view a newly-acquired handwritten manuscript of her unfinished novel, The Watsons.

The manuscript shows extensive revisions and corrections and is described by Oxford University as "a testimony of Jane Austen's efforts to give shape to the earliest ideas as they pour on to paper, as she reviews, revises, deletes and underscores".

Also included in the display will be Volume the First, a manuscript of Austen's juvenilia.

There are currently just two recognised portraits of Austen.

Only one portrait of the author has never been contested, the portrait sketched by Austen's sister Cassandra in 1810.

The portrait which will be displayed at the Bodleian was unearthed by British author Dr Paula Byrne.

She was given it by her husband and said she recognised the long, straight "Austen nose".

The pencil drawing on vellum is inscribed "Miss Jane Austin" on the back. Dr Byrne said that "apart from the striking family resemblance", this was the first clue as to the identity of the sitter.

It's a shame I missed this! I did get to see the Volume the First and The Watsons manuscripts during the Treasures of the Bodleian exhibition last year, but it would have been fantastic to see some of her needlework this time around. As for the portrait, well, personally, I don't think it looks much like any of the other portraits of her that I've seen (like the one on the right which was sketched by her sister, Cassandra). Could it be Jane? What do you think of it?

Read-along update – volume 3 of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

This month I'm taking part in the Sense and Sensibility read-along hosted by Risa over at Bread Crumb Reads. In a weekly period, we read a volume of the book and then come together to discuss it over on Risa's blog. I've decided to also post updates about my progress here on my blog as I make my way through it.

But beware: If you haven't read the book already, read on with care because there are going to be spoilers!



This book has just completely blown me away. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a Jane Austen novel as much as I've enjoyed Sense and Sensibility – or at least not the first time around! I have to admit that the first time I read Pride and Prejudice, it wasn't love-at-first-read, probably due to the fact I was reading it for school. But the Dashwood sisters roped me in pretty quickly!

So here goes the final rundown...

First was the news that the Steele sisters were thrown out of Mr John Dashwood's house by a rather inconsolable Mrs John Dashwood! I completely didn't see that coming at all... or at least not so swiftly! Of course, I didn't pity the Miss Steeles at all. I was also glad that Elinor could finally reveal Edward's engagement to Marianne – how she could've kept it a secret for four months and not explode is a credit to her. I would never be able to do that! Though I know it pained Elinor to do so as Marianne took comfort in their love, it must've been a relief for the former to finally discuss it with someone.

Colonel Brandon's offer to Edward was extremely generous, but I judged from the latter's reaction that something was amiss there. I thought it very likely that Lucy had exaggerated Edward's professions and he wasn't as happy as was communicated by others. But I was extraordinarily shocked to learn that she had run off with Robert Ferrars! I mean, what the hell, Lucy?! Of course, I was relieved and ecstatic that Edward was finally free of her and able to marry Elinor, but come on! No way, that girl is just a crazy piece of work. I'm sure she'll fit in well with Mrs John Dashwood and Mrs Ferrars. At least now with Elinor there is one warm and respectable female in the family.

Then there's dear Marianne. At the beginning of Sense and Sensibility I found her to be a little irritating, but by the end of the book she became my favourite character. I knew that her illness wouldn't kill her, but I didn't expect it to last for so long, and certainly didn't expect to see Willoughby showing up, thinking that she was on her death bed! I think I cursed a lot after reaching the end of that paragraph, that very moment when Elinor thought it was Colonel Brandon showing up but instead found someone else:

The bustle in the vestibule, as she passed an inner lobby, assured her that they were already in the house. She rushed forwards towards the drawing room, ––she entered it, ––and saw only Willoughby.

That was the last thing I thought I'd read! And then to hear what brought him there, all the confessions he laid out on the table, and how far he had travelled just to do so... it really just all astounded me. I felt as if he had redeemed himself slightly after immediately reading what he had to say, but now that I think about it, did he really? Why couldn't he have just told the truth in the first place? Okay, so I know he was ashamed of what he had done before he met Marianne, but if he really did love her and trusted her, then why couldn't he have told her before? I understand that this is a different era we're talking about and that might not have been the proper thing to do... but since when was he ever really proper?

Anyway, all I know is that I'm glad that he would then have his whole life to consider his actions. But Elinor also made a very good point – if he did marry Marianne, he would've probably been unhappy for the lack of money instead of for the lack of love. Such a man can never be happy unless he has both at the same time. But, as with Miss Lucy Steele, he probably didn't deserve that much.

I am so happy that Marianne and Colonel Brandon got married! And the fact that they, Elinor and Edward all live at Delaford was the happiest and most fulfilling ending possible! Plus I loved that Jane gave us some insight into what occurred after they all got hitched – I get frustrated it when you're left guessing too much at the end of a novel (though that is sometimes a good thing for the imagination).

All in all, Sense and Sensibility was a very fun read, and I truly enjoyed every page. Although it gave me more initial pleasure than Pride and Prejudice did, I don't think it topped it; I've built up too much of a connection with P&P over the years. But, it certainly has earned itself a very special place of its own inside my heart.


Final Rating: 5 / 5


Oh, and I finally let myself watch the 1995 film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thomson and Kate Winslet! Conclusion being: book is far better! But would you expect me to say anything different? ;-)

Read-along update – volume 2 of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

This month I'm taking part in the Sense and Sensibility read-along hosted by Risa over at Bread Crumb Reads. In a weekly period, we read a volume of the book and then come together to discuss it over on Risa's blog. I've decided to also post updates about my progress here on my blog as I make my way through it.

But beware: If you haven't read the book already, read on with care because there are going to be spoilers!




Oh my good Lord! Was this volume crazy or what?! As if volume one wasn't good enough, two just blew my mind! Again, I don't even know where to start, even though this time I was kind to myself and made notes. Soooo I'll begin with the most obvious case of Marianne and Willoughby.

Poor, poor Marianne! I could completely understand her while she was writing these letters, trying to ensure that Willoughby knew she was in London and expecting him to visit her at any moment. As I suspect is the case with Marianne, when you're blinded by such strong beliefs and feelings towards a person it's difficult to get past it and see what's really going on. And his reaction towards seeing her at the gathering was horrible, but his letter to her the next day even worse. Did Willoughby ever intend to tell her, or was he just going to be a complete man and avoid the subject, hoping that it would be forgotten? There is no way I believe that he wasn't aware of her feelings before these letters.

But oh, then to finally find out what brought Colonel Brandon to London in such a hurry! Are there even words for this affair? I mean how scandalous could this have been in the Regency era – Willoughby getting a girl pregnant before marriage and then abandoning her? It's completely insane! I feel so sorry for Colonel Brandon and the loss he has suffered at the expense of nasty, amoral men like Willoughby. I truly hope that he finds some peace and happiness by the end of the book (though I do kind of suspect it might happen with one of the Dashwood sisters).

Then there is Elinor and Edward's situation. Does anybody else just wish that Lucy Steele, Mrs John Dashwood and Mrs Ferrars would fall down a well, never to be seen again? Okay, so a bit dramatic, but do they all need to be so downright revolting? As if I didn't already dislike Lucy and Mrs John Dashwood enough, now I despise the mention of them. They are just so incredibly selfish! Can Lucy not think of anything else, apart from Edward and pleasing his family? I'm certainly prepared for her to get her just-desserts in volume three. And what the heck is Mrs John Dashwood's problem with Elinor and Marianne anyway? I don't understand why she dislikes them so intensely. I mean, so what if Elinor and Edward get on – it's not like Elinor is a nasty good-for-nothing like her! Plus, don't even get me started on Mr John Dashwood. He is such a weak man! Does he not see what a manipulative, scheming person his wife is? Ugh. Ugh. And... ugh!

So as you can see, volume two has brought out a range of unexpected emotions in me! I can honestly say that at this point, the only people I like of the Dashwood sisters' acquaintance are Colonel Brandon, Sir John and Mrs Jennings. The latter can be a bit of a butt-in-ski at the worst of times, but she always means well. The rest of them are just selfish, rude, arrogant and completely ignorant.

Now I don't know about you guys, but I love this book so much! It's ranking near Pride and Prejudice in my mind right now. Just amazing. How have you found volume two?

Books vs. TV & Film adaptations

I don't know about you guys, but I have a love-hate relationship with films and TV shows adapted from books. There's usually something that offends me about the way the story has been translated, whether I've seen the film first or vice versa. Although, this seems to happen to me more with feature-length films than television series's, as I guess the former have a lot less time fit the detail in. But there are times where I just feel they've made a few too many changes. Not all the time, as you shall see, but it's always something that's in the back of my mind.

Here are a few of the adaptations I've seen:

1. The Twilight Saga (The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer)

I watched Twilight before reading any of the books, initially falling victim to the hype and renting it out on DVD. I wasn't sure if I liked it that much, but went on to read the first installment and absolutely fell in love with it. Aside from preferring New Moon in movie form (not enough Edward in the book), I am more of a fan of the written. Eclipse is by far my favourite of the novels but my least favourite of the films, so needless to say I was pretty dissapointed about that one in particular. But I can't wait for Breaking Dawn Parts 1 & 2 to come out (so curious to see how they handle the whole Renesmee situation!)

2. Confessions Of A Shopaholic (The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella)

Having loved Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic books, I couldn't wait to see Becky on the big screen. But here's another film that fell short of my expectations! I can't understand why they had to change so much of it. Firstly, why is Becky American? I'm sure London is interesting enough. Plus what did they do with Suze? She's completely different in the book! If I was in charge of casting, I would've no way picked Krysten Ritter to play her. So wrong. And Derek Smeath did not need to be that evil because he certainly wasn't in the book. I understand they have to change certain things for more 'cinematic effect', but was this really necessary?

3. Pride and Prejudice – 1995 BBC adaptation (Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen)

This is my absolute favourite adaptation! I don't know if it's because my first experience reading Pride and Prejudice went alongside watching the BBC series as a study aid in school, but I think it captures the magic of the book with incredible precision. Sure there are a few scenes which have been taken out, altered or added in (most notably that famous wet t-shirt scene), but it's done so well. I just love everything - the casting, the locations, the costume, etc. Anyway, you get the point! ;-)

4. Marley And Me (Marley And Me by John Grogan)

I read the book a while ago and so can't remember all the particulars, but I do recall thinking that aside from leaving out a few scenes and altering others, the film pretty much stays true to John Grogan's memoir. I really like both versions, though I can't watch the film too often because the ending makes me bawl my eyes out! It's seriously one of the most touching films I've seen. They did well with this one.

5. The Hobbit (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Fear not; my time machine is still in the shop! But this adaptation I can't help but speculate about because I'm so. darn. excited! I loved The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and loved reading The Hobbit so I'm very curious about how this will turn out. I do have my concerns though – I've heard that Cate Blanchett will be back as Galadriel and Orlando Bloom as Legolas, but their characters aren't in the book. I'll just trust Peter Jackson for now, though. I really must read The Lord of the Rings books to get some more perspective between now and next Christmas!





Of course, there are loads of famous adaptations that I've left out, like Harry Potter (haven't read the books or seen the films recently), Bridget Jones (haven't read the books yet), Game Of Thrones, Mildred Piece, Revolutionary Road, and so forth.

So let me ask you guys, what are some of your favourite and least favourite adaptations? Do you tend to reach for the film after you've read the book, or do you avoid them at all costs in case they ruin the story for you? I'm all ears!

Read-along update – volume 1 of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

This month I'm taking part in the Sense and Sensibility read-along hosted by Risa over at Bread Crumb Reads. In a weekly period, we read a volume of the book and then come together to discuss it over on Risa's blog. I've decided to also post updates about my progress here on my blog as I make my way through it.

But beware: If you haven't read the book already, read on with care because there are going to be spoilers!

I'm really enjoying this book! With the classics, I sometimes feel as if the pace is too slow and the details are hard to follow, but I'm not finding this to be the case with Sense and Sensibility. I'm not sure that this has something to do with the way Jane Austen writes or that my reading ability has evolved, but I'm so happy I'm finding it this way  –  now I can really appreciate the story!

I'm not really sure how to go about starting my thoughts (I blame assignment week for frying my brain), so I'm just going to say what I feel and apologise if anything seems incoherent or confusing. ;-)

First there are our two heroines of the story – Elinor and Marianne Dashwood – two sisters with very different personalities. Elinor is sensible and calculated, while Marianne is the exact opposite. Marianne reminds me of a modern teenager – she's opinionated, dramatic and a little high strung! I wonder if as she gets older, she'll be exactly the same as her mother, Mrs Dashwood? They already seem very similar in their excitable ways, and Elinor is always having to keep her in check much in the way that she must with Marianne. Mrs Dashwood is lovely, though. Very kind hearted and always has the best of intentions, even if she does get a bit carried away at times.

It's a shame that back in the 18th century, everything had to be inherited by a male heir as I'm sure these sisters and their mother deserved to stay at Norland far more than Mr John Dashwood and his selfish wife did. But he was so easily manipulated by his wife that it couldn't be possible. Thank goodness that Sir John Middleton and Lady Middleton offered them the cottage on their Devonshire estate just at the right time!

I think out of the two sisters, I prefer Elinor as she seems to be more fair in her judgements towards situations and also other people. Not that I have anything against Marianne – I love her fun personality, but I dislike the way she judges those who aren't as animated as she is (namely Edward Ferrars and Colonel Brandon). Also I really didn't like her behaviour with Willoughby. Though I'm glad he makes her happy, they seem to be really overindulgent and immature when put together. Plus it seems a little too coincidental that they have so much in common. But I was very sad when he went away, and really felt for Marianne. I wonder if the business that sent Willoughby away so quickly is the same that sent Colonel Brandon away? Maybe they have a connection in London, and this could have some reasoning behind why Willoughby disapproves of him so much? Only time will tell, but I'm really interested to find out what's going on there.

Edward Ferrars, on the other hand, I really like and he and Elinor are my favourite will-they-won't-they couple. He really grew on me during his stay at the cottage, and I particularly loved this little exchange with Marianne:

...he went immediately round to her and said in a whisper, 'I have been guessing. Shall I tell you my guess?'
'What do you mean?'
'Shall I tell you?'
'Certainly.'
'Well then; I guess that Mr Willoughby hunts.'
Marianne was surprised and confused, yet she could not help smiling at the quiet archness of his manner, and, after a moment's silence, said,
'Oh ! Edward ! How can you?–– But the time will come I hope... . I am sure you will like him.'
'I do not doubt it,' replied he...

It really upset me when Lucy Steele revealed to Elinor that she had been engaged to Edward for quite a while, and particularly the way she went about doing this. I don't much like the Steele sisters – they just seem a little too vulgar (as Jane Austen would put it), and have no sense of social limitations. This will sound mean, but I truly hope that their engagement breaks up so Elinor can marry Edward instead. If this can't happen, then Colonel Brandon also seems a good match for her. But I'd really prefer Edward.

As for the more comical characters, well, I can't help but love them. Mrs Jennings really does make me laugh – she's so ridiculous and out there! No Austen novel would be complete without such a person as this to lighten up the mood every now and again. The same goes for the completely naïve and unassuming Mrs Palmers, who just doesn't understand her husband at all. It's a good job too because I bet she'd be a very miserable woman if she did! I'm hoping to see more of them in the story.

Phew! There you have it. So much to sum up in this volume!

What do you think? What are your opinions of the events thus far?

Follow Friday – #6

This week's featured blogs are
Me, My Shelf and I
and
Hands and Home

Welcome to Follow Friday #6! Here's this week's question:

Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

It's going to be difficult to name the book that most changed or influenced me, but I'm pretty sure it'd be accurate to say Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I first learnt about her in school, when we began reading Pride and Prejudice as part of an assignment. I was apprehensive about the book at first but by the time Mr Darcy had declared his love for Elizabeth, I was enthralled. Since then, I've gone back to it several times, and I always pick it up when I'm going through a particular hard time in life. It comforts me – everytime I read it I'm brought to a simpler time in history, and it's also as if I'm visiting old friends. Pride and Prejudice also inspired me to start reading the classics. It opened up a world to me.

Anyway, there you have it. Thanks for visiting, guys!

What book has inspired you?

Jane Austen's Manuscripts

I was browsing Google News a week or two ago and came across an article stating that part of Jane Austen's unfinished manuscript for The Watsons was going up for auction. It ended up being sold a few days later to the Bodleian Library in Oxford for just under £1million (you can read interesting articles about this on The Guardian website and on the Bodleian Library website).

I know, just under 1 million?! It is an awful lot to most of us. There goes the dream of ever owning an Austen manuscript. Well, at least until winning the lottery, becoming the CEO/MD of a major company or marrying somebody very well off comes along, and another manuscript ends up on the market!

But then I found a website where you can electronically view Austen manuscripts for free! I thought I'd share this with you guys incase you weren't aware that such a site existed, and were curious to have a look. You can find it at http://www.janeausten.ac.uk/index.html.

Also, Risa at Bread Crumb Reads is hosting a series of group reads and next month's book is Sense And Sensibility. If you're interested in taking part, check out the details here. Group reads for the following few months can be found there, too. Looks like it's going to be pretty fun!

Hope you all have had a fantastic weekend! I'll be back later in the week with my review of The Hobbit. In the meantime enjoy the manuscripts, and be sure to check out my interview with Natalie over at Independent Reads!