The friend who turned me on to Jane Eyre in the first place has had me over to her place several times for a viewing of the BBC version. It is great - Timothy Dalton is so Mr. Rochester.
Anyway, on to what I am reading. I started the copy of Erica Jong's Parachutes and Kisses that I picked up from the local bookstore for a dollar. I admit that I have not yet read Fear of Flying or How to Save Your Own Life, the two previous titles in the series, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. It is about 400 pages long and I have only read 70, so it is hard to predict if the plot will be pleasing to me, but the writing and the characters have been enjoyable so far. Isadora Wing, the protagonist, is a famous author who is dealing with her painful third divorce by drowning her sorrows in exploits with younger men. Jong's writing is fun for us analytical types because there are tons of passing references and allusions to classic literature, religion and popular culture. It makes you feel like part of the 'in group' to pick up on them.
I am also reading E.M. Forster's A Room with a View. I enjoyed Where Angels Fear to Tread and have been wanting to read A Room with a View since my visit to Florence years ago. It was slow for a while but now, in the second half, I am started to get interested in what might happen. In a nutshell: Lucy, the young beauty in the story, allowed a young man of lower social standing to kiss her while vacationing in Florence (simple kiss = big no-no back then). She is now back in England and engaged, yet the young man and his father have made a return appearance. Will this youthful indiscretion ruin Lucy's future happiness? (It's like a soap opera. Tune in next week to find out.)
Finally, I started my first ever reading of Pride and Prejudice. Most people would balk at this since my formal training is in literature, but no, I have not yet read the novel. It is pleasant so far - I didn't expect it to be as humorous as it is at times. Not much has happened so far except Mr. Darcy seems to have multiple personality disorder and Jane is very sick at Mr. Bingley's house. The feminist in me wants to kill Mrs. Bennet for being happy about this, just so that her daughter can spend more time at the wealthy bachelor's pad.
8 comments:
Wait till you get to the end and then you'll find that you have to join the rest of us in the annual re-reading of P&P. It's like Christmas, something you simply can't avoid.
April, I've never read P&P and I have a degree in English lit! In fact, last summer was my first Jane Austen read, Sense and Sensibility. I'll be reading P&P this fall and am really looking forward to it.
Jane Austen's novel stand up surprisingly well and are witty and even satirical so enjoy
John who did not do an English degree
My Sunday Salon Post
We watched the BBC version at school. It was pretty good, except for having to quell the thought that at the last minute Rochester was going to have to abseil down a building, fight some baddy with a silly name, and defuse a bomb with only one second to go.
as a Jane Austen fan I have to admit, I've read P&P at the first time only just some months ago.
I read rather other books by her.
I saw the movie of A Room with A View, which I loved, but haven't gotten around to reading the book. It is on my "TBR" list, though. Maybe it will move up in the next month or so.
Just popping in to second Ann's (Table Talk) comment. There is just something so rich and rewarding about P&P. When I first read it I never expected to love it as much as I did. And with each re-read I still feel many of the same emotions as the first time.
I do envy your first time reading of this great book. There is nothing like that first experience with a great read.
Omg P&P is great! I didn't think I'd like it, having hated Emma, but it's so humorous and fun. :)
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