Posts Tagged ‘Jane Austen’
A Year Of Challenges: Results
Posted on: December 31, 2011
- In: Books | Life
- 7 Comments
A year ago I decided to undertake five, count ‘em FIVE reading challenges. At this point I have realized my insanity with all the work I had to do this year. These goals were rather ambitious and I graciously accept defeat in most if not all my challenges.
Challenge #1: War & Peace Read-Along
I never finished this book, didn’t even half or quarter it, I barely scratched the surface. I got as far as the army inspection after the boys were deployed and stopped. I lost interest and when next I picked up a book it was anything but War and Peace. I imagine one day I’ll finish it as I hate starting a book and not finishing it, even if I don’t like it, I have to see it through, just in case it turns the corner and becomes magnificent.
Challenge #2: Read 50 Books in 2011
Yeah, about that I’ve read 19 books. Which is sad since in my A Year Of Challenges: Progress Report post I had read 12. However I cite school, work and sleep as the reason for my lackluster performance, school was brutal this semester, it’s a miracle I made it out alive. oO
Challenge #3: Fill In The Gaps – 100 Books That Fell Through The Cracks In 5 Years
As this challenge doesn’t end until January 1, 2016 I still have time to complete it and redeem myself. Since my last report I have dispatched three more making my final tally for 2011, six.
#4: Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot
#6: Sense & Sensibility – Jane Austen
#8: Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
#9: Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
#30: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
#90: The Vampire Diaries Series – L.J. Smith
Challenge #4: Nicholas Sparks
Technically I have completed this challenge but not how I had planned to. The challenge merely asks for me to complete 1-4 Nicholas Sparks books but my goal was to read four, I only read two; The Notebook and A Walk To Remember.
Challenge #5: Harry Potter
As I stated in my progress report I never got around to re-reading these books but I will someday, possibly in audiobook format. 
Bonus Challenge: WordPress Post A Week
Yeah, I have not posted a blog post a week and have not amassed 52 posts in 2011 and as such fail this challenge as well but I have tried to post more often, if that is any consolation.
So all in all this year was a failure for my challenges, it could be due to the pressure to complete them (my mind tends to procrastinate when told to do something) or the lack of time due to my obligations, or a combination of both. As a result I have vowed not to take any challenges this year, except of course the fill in the gaps which will continue until 2016 and see if my performance is any better when I’m not bound to reading.
Did you fare any better on your reading challenges this year? I sure hope so.
Let me know in the comments below.
Be safe ringing in the new year and happy reading!
Related articles
- Reading Challenges for 2012 (chenoafawn.wordpress.com)
- Tea & Books Challenge (theeclecticreader.wordpress.com)
- Rediscovering Jane Austen (booksandreviews.wordpress.com)
- Nikki’s 2011 Reads (ravingmadscientists.wordpress.com)
- Where Are You Reading Challenge (campbellsoup614.wordpress.com)
Sense & Sensibility
Posted on: August 23, 2011
- In: Books
- 7 Comments
Title: Sense & Sensibility
Author: Jane Austen
Published: 1811
Description: ‘The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!’
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor‘s warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love. (Taken from Goodreads).
After reading and completing enjoying Pride & Prejudice I figured I’d try my hand at another Austen book. So with the help of Librivox and their audiobooks I have completed yet another classic.
I’ve got to say I loved Sense & Sensibility, not as much as Pride & Prejudice but I loved it a lot. Again Austen has a way of letting you fall in love with her characters and care about them and their well-being.
Elinor was such a strong character, she was a rock to her family despite the emotional turmoil she was going through thanks to one Ms. Lucy Steele. I must say I despise that girl with a passion, she was so mean and vile, rubbing her engagement in Elinor’s face like that under the pretense of friendship, despicable girl.
Reading about Elinor and her struggles made me feel like I could go through anything. I could take anything head on, and overcome without losing my head. Elinor is a GREAT role model.
Marianne on the other hand was a very frivolous character. She did as she pleased when she pleased without a thought in the world for anyone else. She also never saw anything in gradations, she was either all in or all out. The lesson Marianne teaches is to love with all our hearts, love with ever fiber of our beings and do everything to the best of our abilities with all the enthusiasm in our possessions, and this is a marvelous lesson to learn.
Of course the real lesson is that to make it in this world you need to be able to balance your sense (Elinor) with your sensibility (Marianne). Something we all need to remember. We need to be shrewd about who we choose in life to spend our time with but to be truly happy we’ve got to let go and love with all we’ve got. Love is risky, just make sure who you choose is worth it.
Of course no review of Sense & Sensibility could be complete without mentioning the wonderful Colonel Brandon. I felt for this man so much. To think he had to sit and watch the love of his life fall in love with another man, a worthless one at that. His love never lessened, never weakened, in fact it grew with time. Colonel Brandon is perfect, I wouldn’t change a hair on his head.
I give Sense & Sensibility 4.5 stars out of five, just because Pride & Prejudice had to be higher than it. I’d recommend it to everyone. Go out and get a copy now or revisit it as soon as possible.
I think I’m turning into an Austen fan.
Are you an Austen fan?
Let me know in the comments below.
Happy reading!
Related articles
- Book Discussion: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (alleganylibrarycollections.wordpress.com)
- Book Review: The Dashwood Sisters Tell All (organizedsahm.wordpress.com)
- I’m Marianne Dashwood. (jillianreadsbooks2.wordpress.com)
- In: Books | Life
- 3 Comments
Six months ago I decided to take on not one, not two but FIVE reading challenges and in the interest of accountability I am handing in my six month progress report.
Challenge 1: War and Peace Read-Along
For this challenge I’m suppose to be reading War and Peace a couple of chapters per month in the hopes of finishing it by December 31st.
Unfortunately I’ve only gotten to chapter 14 which is nowhere near where I should be in July.
I tried reading it on my iPod and I kept falling asleep and going to shorter more interesting reads. However having listened to Pride and Prejudice as an audiobook I’ve since started listening to War and Peace and will hopefully soon catch up with the reading group.
Challenge #2: Read 50 Books in 2011
Since we’re half way through the year, I should have finished at least 25 books to be considered on pace with my goal. However I am 25% behind as I’ve only completed 12 books this year.
Sad but fixable…I think. I sure hope so. Lol!
Challenge #3: Fill In The Gaps
For this challenge I’m required to read 100 books that have slipped through the cracks in my reading career in the next five years. Out of the possible 100 I have read 3.
#30: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
#9: Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
#3: Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot
Not bad so far right?
Challenge #4: Nicholas Sparks
For this challenge I picked the easiest level, First Date where I was supposed to read 1-4 Nicholas Sparks books over the course of 2011. Since January I’ve read 2, A Walk to Remember and The Notebook.
This one I’m certain I can finish, I’m already right on track.
Challenge #5: Harry Potter
Sadly I haven’t read even one of the 7 books that I was supposed to re-read before August 31st. And truthfully I probably won’t get around to them before then. The problem is that I’ve already read those stories and so I know how it ends. When I have a plethora of other NEW material in front of me it’s kind of hard to go back.
I’m sorry I probably won’t do this challenge on time but I do promise to re-read these books at some point in my life.
Bonus Challenge: WordPress Post a Week
I’ve been really bad about posting once a week but I just haven’t had the time. I’m trying to get into the habit of posting a couple of times per week, just having some scheduled and ready to go but we’ll have to see how that works.
At the end of the year I do hope to have at least 52 new posts even if I didn’t post one per week.
So all in all I haven’t had a very good run at my challenges but then school, work and sleep have got in the way. Hopefully the next six months will be better.
How about you? How are your challenges going?
Let me know in the comments below.
For a more in-depth account of the challenges I signed up for and how to sign up these yourself check out my earlier post, A Year Of Challenges.
Until next time, happy reading!
Related articles
- Nicholas Sparks ♥ (amaeguerrero.wordpress.com)
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Pride & Prejudice
Posted on: July 1, 2011
- In: Books
- 5 Comments
Title: Pride & Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Published: 1813
Description: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s witty comedy of manners–one of the most popular novels of all time–that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the “most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author’s works,” and Eudora Welty in the twentieth century described it as “irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.” (Taken from Goodreads)
This book has been on my TBR list for ages now…AGES! And I have no idea why I haven’t gotten around to it sooner. Love story of the ages, great characters, and enough renditions to assure me of its awesomeness and it still wasn’t read. What hope is there for the other not so acclaimed books on my reading pile? O.O
Anyway in an attempt to try my hand at audiobooks again I picked up Pride & Prejudice. I downloaded the M4B format from Librivox and uploaded it to my iPod for 10 and a half hours of Old English bliss.
I loved this book, LOVED it! It was an instant favourite, INSTANT I tell you. From the very first chapter I realized there was something special about this book. Something that made me want to read more and experience more of their world.
The ten hours flew by so quickly as I just had to listen to it, every spare second of every day until it was complete. And then I missed it. I missed hearing about their lives. I wish there was more story, more words, more tiffs for me to hear about. *sigh* I suppose since Jane is gone all I can do is read her catalog of books and then revisit her great stories from time to time. Next up, Sense & Sensibility.
Elizabeth was a strong, independent character, she didn’t stand for any bull and Jane was the soft romantic type, always ready to think the best of everyone and find an excuse for the wrongs in the world. I loved them both. The men were equally lovable, Mr.Bingley lovestruck for Jane and Mr.Darcy the secretive lover.
There were so many delectable moments in this book. And even though I’ve heard the story and seen parts of the renditions on television there were still so many surprises. I didn’t know the whole story and for that I was very happy.
Jane Austen does such a good job writing it and the volunteer for Librivox, Karen Savage did such a good job reading it that I have to recommend that everyone give it a listen.
Audiobooks are great for reading on the fly and is a free venture if you use it to catch up on your classics. I recommend Librivox, you can download a zip file of all the chapters in MP3 format, or individually, the M4B file like I did or even the Podcast version which I tried before learning about the M4B format. I’m currently using it to help me get into War & Peace since it puts me to bed when I try to read it on my iPod and it’s going great!
And if you want the newer titles you can check out Audible or iTunes for your next audio fix.
I give Pride & Prejudice a whopping five out of five and a snazzy favourite sticker. If you haven’t read it, pick it up and if you have read it I think it’s time you revisit it. Yeah it’s that good!
Have you ever fallen in love with a book after the first chapter? Do you listen to audiobooks? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy reading!
Related articles
- A Few Words on Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski (dragonflyy419.wordpress.com)
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