Firstly, the quiz is too easy, too many clues! I think you should pick random sentences, from say, page 35 of each of the books, and see if the true fans can still identify them!
Nice piece, thank you! I adore Austen. I find it really hard to rank them, but I agree that Mansfield Park is my least favourite - I desperately wanted Fanny to marry Henry Crawford and save him. I think she could have done. Also, when I went back to Northanger Abbey recently I got so much more out of it than I did when I was younger - it is so clever and funny. Just last week I was describing to my husband the scene when Catherine is whisked away in the carriage just as she sees Henry Tilney coming round the corner, and we were both laughing so much! I love the letter scene in Persuasion, and every time we go to Lyme Regis, I have to say, 'Don't show me where Monmouth landed, show me where Louisa Musgrove fell off the Cobb' (original source? I can't remember). But Willoughby sweeping Marianne up in his arms was a romantic fantasy that powered my teenage years - it's too hard to choose!
Thank you for this roundup! Shockingly, I've never read Jane Austen, though I know I really should. I'll be referring back to this list when it comes time for me to decide which to read first. 🖤
Jodi, I 100% agree with this ranking too! It's hard to rank Auten because they are all such excellent stories. So I agree with your choices, lovely all around.
Completely agree with you on the brilliance of Northanger (and the charms of Mr. Tilney!). It's an *extraordinarily* radical novel masquerading as a delicious satire on a popular genre. Really enjoyable piece.
I re-read MP back in March because it's my least favourite Austen novel and I think the first cousins aspect does play an important role in my taste as well, and it's been foreshadowed right in the beginning so I just get into that mindset from the get go. Also, I think the story is very much Fanny vs the rest where Fanny is pretty much flawless and everyone else is awful. I personally don't enjoy flawless characters (for reference, my favourite fictional charatcter is Heathcliff). But I enjoyed the book a lot more on my second read.
Also, I was very glad to see NA in the second spot because it's my favourite of all Austen's novels.
You make excellent points. I don't think I thought of Fanny as pretty much flawless and now I see it. She is almost perfect. In the past, I always thought of her as someone who is completely morally sound, unlike everyone else - even her real family is completely unloving towards her - but now I see it from your point of view and she is more perfect than morally sound, which doesn't make for fun reading. I probably owe MP another read. Isn't NA just darling? I fell in love with it at first sentence.
Okay, strangely enough -- because logically, I can see all the flaws of Mansfield Park -- I love this book for its comforting pace! Or, probably, the reason I love it is that it came into my life at the most appropriate moment. And yet, I wouldn't say that it's my favorite one. (Which of her books is my favorite one I can't say yet, because I'm in the middle of my Jane Austen rereading.)
I’ve read three of her novels so far but not the one you’ve put in first place! I enjoyed watching the adaptation of Persuasion when I was younger but I can hardly remember anything about it now. Perhaps I should make finishing her novels my summer mission!
That would be a fun mission. The adaptation of Persuasion with Ciarán Hinds is my favorite adaptation ever. There was a recent remake of Persuasion by Netflix and everyone hated it with the fire of a thousand suns. But, I liked it. Granted, it's very different from the novel (you could say it's not even the same plot) but I enjoyed it immensely. I guess I'm easy to please. Haha. Have a wonderful new week.
It was the Ciarán Hinds version I liked. He made the best Rochester too! I’ve held off watching the Netflix version until I read the book. Hopefully soon! Have a lovely week.
I forgot he also played Rochester! In the Netflix version of Persuasion, Richard Grant (another actor I adore) plays the father and now I can only see his face when I picture Mr. Elliott, which is as it should be.
1. Emma
2. Persuasion
3. Mansfield Park
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. Northanger Abbey
6. Sense and Sensibility
Firstly, the quiz is too easy, too many clues! I think you should pick random sentences, from say, page 35 of each of the books, and see if the true fans can still identify them!
Nice piece, thank you! I adore Austen. I find it really hard to rank them, but I agree that Mansfield Park is my least favourite - I desperately wanted Fanny to marry Henry Crawford and save him. I think she could have done. Also, when I went back to Northanger Abbey recently I got so much more out of it than I did when I was younger - it is so clever and funny. Just last week I was describing to my husband the scene when Catherine is whisked away in the carriage just as she sees Henry Tilney coming round the corner, and we were both laughing so much! I love the letter scene in Persuasion, and every time we go to Lyme Regis, I have to say, 'Don't show me where Monmouth landed, show me where Louisa Musgrove fell off the Cobb' (original source? I can't remember). But Willoughby sweeping Marianne up in his arms was a romantic fantasy that powered my teenage years - it's too hard to choose!
Challenge accepted. I'll be sending a tougher quiz next week.
You're like Tennyson...
{Furiously googling Tennyson's personality...}
Thank you for this roundup! Shockingly, I've never read Jane Austen, though I know I really should. I'll be referring back to this list when it comes time for me to decide which to read first. 🖤
It's not too much of a shock because there are so many wonderful classic books to read and only so much free time in a week. ❤️
This is very true!
When you do read one, start with Northanger Abbey. It's a satire on the gothic novel and really fun.
Thank you! That's the one I've had my eye on, actually. 🖤
If I could, I would choose a three-way tie for first, but if forced I would rank:
1) Emma
2) Persuasion
3) Pride and Prejudice
4) Northanger Abbey
5) Sense and Sensibility and
6) Mansfield Park.
The first line of Persuasion is my favorite in all of literature! I just love how much we learn about Sir Walter from that one sentence...
Jodi, I 100% agree with this ranking too! It's hard to rank Auten because they are all such excellent stories. So I agree with your choices, lovely all around.
Completely agree with you on the brilliance of Northanger (and the charms of Mr. Tilney!). It's an *extraordinarily* radical novel masquerading as a delicious satire on a popular genre. Really enjoyable piece.
This lovely comment is putting me in the mood to reread it. I think I'll look for an audio version on my Library's app to enjoy on this lazy Sunday. 🌼
I re-read MP back in March because it's my least favourite Austen novel and I think the first cousins aspect does play an important role in my taste as well, and it's been foreshadowed right in the beginning so I just get into that mindset from the get go. Also, I think the story is very much Fanny vs the rest where Fanny is pretty much flawless and everyone else is awful. I personally don't enjoy flawless characters (for reference, my favourite fictional charatcter is Heathcliff). But I enjoyed the book a lot more on my second read.
Also, I was very glad to see NA in the second spot because it's my favourite of all Austen's novels.
You make excellent points. I don't think I thought of Fanny as pretty much flawless and now I see it. She is almost perfect. In the past, I always thought of her as someone who is completely morally sound, unlike everyone else - even her real family is completely unloving towards her - but now I see it from your point of view and she is more perfect than morally sound, which doesn't make for fun reading. I probably owe MP another read. Isn't NA just darling? I fell in love with it at first sentence.
Yes, I don't generally enjoy characters unless they have some serious flaws.
Also, yes to NA. It has a kind of energy which I find very infectious.
Okay, strangely enough -- because logically, I can see all the flaws of Mansfield Park -- I love this book for its comforting pace! Or, probably, the reason I love it is that it came into my life at the most appropriate moment. And yet, I wouldn't say that it's my favorite one. (Which of her books is my favorite one I can't say yet, because I'm in the middle of my Jane Austen rereading.)
It's not strange. I totally get this.
I’ve read three of her novels so far but not the one you’ve put in first place! I enjoyed watching the adaptation of Persuasion when I was younger but I can hardly remember anything about it now. Perhaps I should make finishing her novels my summer mission!
That would be a fun mission. The adaptation of Persuasion with Ciarán Hinds is my favorite adaptation ever. There was a recent remake of Persuasion by Netflix and everyone hated it with the fire of a thousand suns. But, I liked it. Granted, it's very different from the novel (you could say it's not even the same plot) but I enjoyed it immensely. I guess I'm easy to please. Haha. Have a wonderful new week.
It was the Ciarán Hinds version I liked. He made the best Rochester too! I’ve held off watching the Netflix version until I read the book. Hopefully soon! Have a lovely week.
I forgot he also played Rochester! In the Netflix version of Persuasion, Richard Grant (another actor I adore) plays the father and now I can only see his face when I picture Mr. Elliott, which is as it should be.