Today is Slice of Life Tuesday – that time of the week that we share a slice of our life with the supportive community of “Two Writing Teachers”.
I can’t believe how difficult it has bee to actually read Pride and Prejudice. Several times this month, I have picked it up, read a few pages and then put it down. I read a lot this month – just not this one, the one I needed to read for a challenge. A challenge I started.
I decided the end of December that 2019 was the year that I finally conquered my Austen phobia, by creating a Jane Austen Reading Challenge. I have never finished any Austen novels, so this challenge was to force me to do so. As well, I wanted to read other novels influenced by her books.
Yet here it is, January 29 and I still haven’t finished Pride and Prejudice! Accountability apparently isn’t working!
But I am determined to read this book = I do have two days left after all. I can do it. I will definitely do it.
What is your favourite Austen novel?
Beverley A Baird 
I’ve read every one of Austen’s novels more than once. I even tried to read “Pride and Prejudice” to my daughter when she was 6 or 7 year old, but she had reached the point where she wanted to read everything herself, and she definitely wasn’t ready yet for that.
I’m wondering what it is about Austen that creates such resistance from you. Is it the language? Have you seen any of the movies based on her books? Maybe that would be a way in? Or maybe it wouldn’t. Do you know anything about her biography? That she lived with one of her siblings’ family and helped take care of the children while at the same time, sitting at a small table and writing her novels with life going on around her. If one of the children wanted her attention, she’d slip the pages she’d been writing under a book and attend to the child and when that was over, she’d get back to her writing. That has always amazed me. Please keep at it. I hope you’ll get be able to get into Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennet is a feminist way before her time.
Thanks Sonia. It probably is the language. I am reading today and sticking with it! I haven’t seen any of the movies either – but will once I have read each book.
I belong to the “I’ve Never Read an Austen Book Club.” I keep meaning to try it, but somehow I never get around to it. I did borrow Pride and Prejudice digitally from the library when we were on our trip, but I ran out of time and it disappeared from my iPad. Maybe someday I will get to it. I have never seen any of the movies either. Good luck filling your challenge
So glad I’m not the only one. Guess you’re either in the JA Club and read everything or in ours! But I am making progress today.
I belong to the same club as Elsie although I never wanted to read any of her novels and probably never will. My tastes in classics lean toward Dracula and Frankenstein, both of which I have read. Good luck on finishing.
Thanks so much. We have atvleast 3 in this club now! aLTHO I am determined to tackle these books this year.