Listen/Watch/Read

:: Book Club Task :: Pride and Prejudice

May 23, 2011

 

Are you reading Pride and Prejudice with us?! It’s really not too late to start… You should see how blinking SLOWLY I am reading…. Sheesh.

This week’s task is to watch some of ‘Lost in Austen’. I know. I am such a hard task mistress. I think this is such a great series and it really puts a funny, modern spin on P&P. Have you seen it? Did you love it? Or not?

Also… what do you think of Charlotte? She is Elizabeth’s neighbour and bestie. Charlotte has very clear views on courtship and love. She is rather keen for Jane (Elizabeth’s sister) to make her intentions known to Mr Bingley quick smart and just get on with the whole wedding thing. Charlotte thinks the less a couple know of each other the better chance their marriage has of success. Perhaps this is true. I do not know. What do you think? Are four evenings together enough to get to know a fella? Or a lady for that matter. Charlotte and Elizabeth are polar opposites in their attitude to love and marriage, aren’t they? Hmmm. Read a bit more here.

How are you going with P&P? Are you slow like me?!

xx Pip

25 Comments

  • Reply Kelly June 3, 2011 at 6:40 AM

    I have to visit the library tomorrow as my copy of 'Lost in Austen' is ready for me to collect! Super excitement! It ahd better be good, Pip! 🙂

  • Reply Claire Bushby May 26, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    I haven't seen any Lost in Austen yet. I just finished the book though!! Now I've ordered the tv and film DVDs from my library to see how they compare, since I hadn't seen or read any P&P before this bookclub.

    I enjoyed the book more than I expected, since I had tryed and failed to get through it before a few times. It took me quite a while to warm to some of the characters but I loved Mr. Bennett from the start.

    Charlotte seems an intelligent lass and I would agree with Molly above that she is probably more realistic than Eliza. Though I don't know about agreeing to 'the less you know the better' principle!

    I'm now reading the "and zombies" graphic novel version for a bit of a laugh! 🙂

  • Reply Hannah May 25, 2011 at 2:10 PM

    Am I the only on who didn't like Lost in Austen? I thought it was awful! I love Jane Austen (a lot!!) but I did not like the series at all. If you really want to be 'lost in austen' I recommend watching the BBC adaption of Emma (2009 I think) or ITV's adaption of Persuasion (2007). Both are superb and a thoroughly enjoyable watch! (look out for the music in Persuasion- it's beautiful). I would also recommend that you real Evelina by Fanny Burney, it predates Austen but is equally witty and highly entertaining. Darker humour and cringe-worthy in places but a good read.

    Sorry for the rant!

    Enjoy!

    Hannah xx

  • Reply Lian May 25, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    I absolutly love P&P, and a close friend of mine lent me 'Lost in Austen'. The modern spin this series put on the classic novel was ingenius! i would love to see more of this kind of imagination more often. Jane Austen is without a doubt one of my favourites and i hope you thoroughly enjoy her novel Pride and The Prejudice as i have.

  • Reply Molly Katherine May 25, 2011 at 4:09 AM

    I LOVE lost in Austen, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit how many times I've watched it. It tends to play on a constant loop in the background while I sew.

    I found the Charlotte in the book vs. the Charlotte in Lost in Austen to be so different. In Lost in Austen she seems so sad, and quiet, whereas P&P's Charlotte is stronger in character and certainly not afraid of her opinions, regardless of how agreeable they are.

    I always considered Charlotte to be more interested in the ladies than the men – perhaps that came from her declarations to lizzy of not being romantic. Her opinions of Marriage never seemed to stem from love, rather that of material comfort and security.
    I never really gave much thought to her sexual preferences previously, other than general acceptance – until looking it up online, and it seems there is a heated debate regarding her orientation.

    Despite Charlottes preferences, her views on marriage, although somewhat detached seem a lot more realistic that Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth claims that only the deepest love will induce her to matrimony – while it is a lovely thought, doesn't always see realistic. The chances of her becoming an old maid and a burden on her parents seems rather high, the very fear of which induced Charlotte to marry Mr. Collins.

    BUT, In swoops Mr. Darcy, with loads of cash and all ends well, despite Elizabeth’s social standing, lack of money and sometimes (more like often!) embarrassing relations . In the end, Isn't this why we all love this story so much? Anything can be possible!

    P.S – Love this Book Club Idea! I'm in! (Could you tell?)

  • Reply Rene May 24, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    I LOVE this movie!!! I just watched it the other night and I also blogged about it too. So great that i am not the only one out there who has watch this!

    onmyminddesign.blogspot.com

  • Reply Lambchop May 24, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    As long as you promise to read slowly, I'm in haha!

  • Reply knitxcore. May 24, 2011 at 3:19 AM

    i should start tonight! i'm in.

  • Reply Maja May 23, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    I love "Lost in Austen" particularly when Miss Price asks Mr Darcy for a favour. It was really funny, although the end was a bit of meh!

    As for Charlotte's views, remember she is 27, burden to her family, no prospects of a good, rich husband so she believes that losers can't be choosers, so when Jane catches Mr Bingly's eye she thinks she should act quickly. it was the sign of the times when marriages were made prudently to enlarge wealth or improve bloodline and romance wasn't always on top of the list.

  • Reply commoncents May 23, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING CHOSEN A BLOG OF NOTE! I will be back here…

    Steve
    common cents
    http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com

  • Reply Kate May 23, 2011 at 6:42 PM

    have you seen any of the Bollywood takes on Austen? Bride and Prejudice is EXCELLENT! I have to say, I also love Lost in Austen, and The Jane Austen Book Club.

  • Reply lyptis May 23, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    OMG, i'm stuck! I'm Lost in Austin!(up to episode 2 now)

  • Reply Louise May 23, 2011 at 10:37 AM

    This task wasn't too hard for me, I already have "Lost in Austen" on DVD! It's such an amusing take on the story that it really is hard not to like it, chessieness and all.

  • Reply eat my shorts May 23, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    *Warning! Spoilers! If you haven't read the whole book yet, you might like to scroll past my comment!*

    What I think is interesting about Charlotte & Lizzy is even though they have opposing ideas about marriage, they both end up (fairly) suitably married. Granted, Mr Collins is a prig, but Charlotte is practically-minded enough to find ways to suit the situation to herself and seems happy initially. (Skip forward ten or twenty years though, and maybe she might view things differently.)

    Charlotte seems resigned to the fact that marrying for love (and love only) in their society isn't terribly realistic for herself and a lot of her contemporaries. The fact that Lizzy ends up marrying for love is quite lucky, considering.

  • Reply Melissa May 23, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    I've never seen (or heard of) Lost in Austen. I'm an Austen snob, I confess…so it's tentatively that I'll seek this out. 😉

  • Reply Tailor's Riches May 23, 2011 at 6:11 AM

    I love Lost in Austen ('next time life is 'gettin' us down', we'll be sure to go 'Down Town'')! And Charlotte didn't live at a time when she could afford to chill out a bit, did she? It wasn't like she could get going on the career and decide to let everything else come in good time. Poor Charlotte – I love her in the BBC adaptation. 'I find I can bear the solitude very well indeed, Lizzy.'

  • Reply Bec Clarke May 23, 2011 at 5:28 AM

    Oh I missed it when it was on TV, I am so glad you pointed it out to me again.
    I love this book and I am loving the TV show also.

  • Reply Brenda @ Mira Narnie May 23, 2011 at 4:36 AM

    oh i've been meaning to watch lost in Austen, so if you insist we much watch, it then i'll do my best!! Love P&P and often just read snippets here and there as i fancy. I love the BBC version too – Colin and Jen are just drool worthy Mr Darcy and Lizzy! Love it love it love it! xx

  • Reply Frances May 23, 2011 at 4:23 AM

    I think Charlotte is such an interesting character… she tells it like it is & I wonder if her attitude isn't actually a very accurate glimpse of what a lot of women thought about the state of marriage, at the time…

  • Reply small catalogue May 23, 2011 at 3:33 AM

    Have you read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and the other one (hmmm, I think it is called Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict – but don't quote me)? They are both awesome. I definitely think they'd be popular with anyone who loves P&P and Lost in Austen.

  • Reply Melissa G May 23, 2011 at 3:25 AM

    Charlotte is so wrong. Do I sound too opinionated? I only say that because lately I had been reading a lot of books lately by Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. And there is this common thread — those who marry one for money or appearances, and don't make the time to know their fiance, are the ones who suffer from bad marriages. And it was much harder in those old times for a woman to walk away from a bad marriage.
    But then again [I am trying to keep an open mind here]… Charlotte did live in a time when a love marriage was not practical. Charlotte herself felt the pressure to marry into comfort, not so much for herself, but to unburden her parents. Some would say that Charlotte is more sensible and perhaps responsible than Lizzy.
    I guess there is no real right and wrong side to this issue.

  • Reply purplecustardservicestation May 23, 2011 at 3:22 AM

    I just love the bit where she makes him get in the lake…
    "I'm having a bit of a strange post-modern moment right now!"

  • Reply Miss G May 23, 2011 at 2:58 AM

    Lost in Austen was great. Saw it ages ago now but it sticks in my mind because it was fun watching the whole saga unfold through the eyes of a modern woman. must watch it again!

  • Reply little love May 23, 2011 at 2:32 AM

    Love Lost in Austen! I always secretly wish that I'd be zapped back in time into a Jane Austen novel! I'm going very very slowly! But that's because I'm busy preparing fr my trip away! While we are in the UK I plan on heading over to ah & visting the Jane Austen Museum! Yes, I'm such a huge nerd! xx

  • Reply vanilla pixie (Carley) May 23, 2011 at 2:12 AM

    Your timing is impeccable! I watched the whole series on Saturday night – love it!
    Miss Price is so refreshing 🙂

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