Jane Austen Book Club

by Karen Joy Fowler | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0141020261 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingLadyIndigowing of Orange, New South Wales Australia on 12/16/2007
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, December 16, 2007
Six people – five women and a man – meet once a month in California's Central Valley to discuss Jane Austen's novels. They are ordinary people, neither happy nor unhappy, but all wounded in different ways, all mixed up about their lives and relationships. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin and unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and, under the guiding eye of Jane Austen some of them even fall in love . . .


have had this book for some time and am registering to tie with in the release of the film over (southern) summer
and
~*~ happy birthday Jane Austen 16 dec ~*~

Journal Entry 2 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, January 27, 2008
twas a good read

i especially like 'the response' at the end of the book where jane austen's family and friends comment on her books, and "critics, writers and literary figures comment on austen, her novels, her admirers and her detractors through two centuries"

the structure of the book did not always flow for me, it was hard sometimes to tell what was memory, character development and what was 'current' as fowler flits from past to today; maybe that comes from a quick read...

recommend it to other austen fans

;-)

Journal Entry 3 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, January 27, 2008
The movie based on this book will be released in Australia this week - its premiere will be in Orange on January 30!!

Our local library organised a Jane Austen book club, with 4 different groups meeting around the central west and we are maybe 6 months into it now


I am now offering this book as a bookring for Austen fans

;-)

Journal Entry 4 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, January 30, 2008
BookRing participants

1. erinoc Qld
2. briz-cowgirl Qld
3. l1nda NSW
4. Shelly3110 NSW
5. FreePages ACT
6. Elddau1 NSW <- book is here now

and back to me

happy reading

;-)

Journal Entry 5 by erinoc from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Woo hoo!

Arrived safely a day ago and I've been hooked every since. Staying up way to late reading this one - I'm yawning as I type.

Very intersting so far...will journal when I'm done.

Thanks for sharing LadyIndigo!

added 18.2.08

Sorry ladyindigo! before I sent the book back to you I checked and there were no other names on the list! Although, it only took me a day or so to read so I'm surprised it took so long to get back to you. Of course, if I'd seen the other names I would have sent it on. I'm sorry that I've now made you pay double postage!! I didn't get the PM...which is strange because I have had some PMs in the last few weeks.

In regards to the book. Thanks very much for sharing. I like non-linear narratives and enjoyed meeting the characters. You mentioned to me that the movie follows a slightly different path to the novel - I think I can understand why - I thought that the author didn't do enough with the characters she had. Was OK for a novel but would be difficult in a movie.

Will head off to the cinemas soon! Thanks again

Journal Entry 6 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Friday, February 15, 2008
well what a surprise in my mailbox (collected 14/2)
- seems erinoc is missing PMs as well so she does not know that she could have had a coffee with briz-cowgirl and handed the book over...

anyhoo i have to add this je to move the book on
- sorry erinoc has not had a chance to do her je yet

;-)

Journal Entry 7 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Sunday, February 17, 2008
Received from LadyIndigo today, thanks! I am looking forward to reading this one, I've been holding back from seeing the movie. Taking it to work tonight to start reading it on my breaks.

UPDATED 22/02/08: Finished! I must confess, I have never read a Jane Austen novel (grins sheepishly). However, I have seen mini-series/movies based on her works (Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense & Sensibility), so at least I was a little bit familiar with the stories. I quite enjoyed this book, although the constant flicking between past and present in each of the "months" hosted by a different character was starting to annoy me towards the end. Nice, easy to digest novel. Will be interesting to see how closely the movie sticks to the plot, planning to see it in the next week or so.

Enjoyed the Reader's Guide at the end, where Austen's family, friends, literary figures and other authors comment on her novels; and there are brief outlines of her works. Must add Austen to my list of authors to be read!

Passing on to L1nda next, will be in the post on Monday 25/02/08.

Journal Entry 8 by L1nda from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, February 28, 2008
arrived safe and sound. I should get to start it over the weekend!

Journal Entry 9 by L1nda from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, March 6, 2008
I so desperately wanted to enjoy this book! Regretfully I've decided to pass it along as it's just not grabbing me. I'm not warming to any of the characters and not being a Jane Austin reader, I'm not finding the discussions very engaging. Thanks for the opportunity LadyIndigo

Hopefully Shelley will enjoy it, I'm popping in the mail over the weekend.

Journal Entry 10 by Shelly3110 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, March 13, 2008
The book arrived safely in my letterbox 2 days ago, thanks L1nda and thanks LadyIndigo for sharing.

Journal Entry 11 by Shelly3110 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, March 27, 2008
This was an enjoyable read for me. I have seen various miniseries and movies based on the novels but have never actually read them. I have had a copy (like Grigg) of the complete novels as I have always wanted to read them. Reading the Jane Austen Book Club has inspired me to get the book off the book shelf and put it beside my bed on the to be read pile. My favourite Jane Austen character is Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Thanks for sharing LadyIndigo.

I'm just off to pop it in the post for FreePages.

Journal Entry 12 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, March 30, 2008
Jane's Book Club is now in Canberra. Thanks LadyIndigo and Shelly3110. Looking forward to this one, already started reading some of the quotes at the back of the book!
I've got a few bookrings before this one, so might take me a little while to get to it.
:-)

Journal Entry 13 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Monday, November 17, 2008
An enjoyable little book I'm really glad I got to read it. Maybe I havent read Jane Austin deeply enough to get any of the more obscure parallels or references?
I agree with the others that I liked the Readers guide at the end.
Looking forward to seeing the movie now more than ever.
The book is now waiting with one other at Denniston Cottage Antiques in Bungendore for Eldauu1 to pick up. Enjoy.

Journal Entry 14 by Elddau1 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 3, 2008
I picked this up from around the corner... Nice day for a walk in a country village... I think this one will be next off TBR. It looks very good. I've only read a couple Jane Austens - Emma and maybe P&P but I have them all and some on video too. I would love to have had a chair in the JA Book Club. I started dipping into this yesterday after I picked it up... Must wait til I've finished my current read... Can't wait.

Journal Entry 15 by Elddau1 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Monday, December 22, 2008
I have sub-letted this to mum while we are visiting family together in Sydney. She's already seen the movie and went to the Jane Austen Book Club event in her hometown, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks of it.

Journal Entry 16 by Elddau1 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Monday, March 23, 2009
sorry LadyIndigo, a long time between drinks.

I finished this on the weekend. It was an enjoyable light read and makes me want to read more Austen now.
I suspect that there were many subtle parallels between the lives of the Jane Austen book Club members and Austen's novels, but as I've only read a couple of them I didn;t get them all. Because of that the book was lighter for me than it was probably meant to be. As I was reading I wanted more to happen amongst the group itself. It was more backstory, more character driven, than plot.
After reading the appendices and especially the 'questions' I realised that some of the weaknesses for me in the story line were deliberate, eg. love matches and happy endings, a la Austen. So in the end I think the book was subtly clever.

"Each of us has a private Austen". Mine is the Austen who secretly delights in enticing a bunch of listless compatriots who are aimlessly milling around to stage a ridiculous play for ourselves, complete with silly costumes and funny voices, and we all end up rolling on the floor with hoots of laughter!

Released 14 yrs ago (5/3/2009 UTC) at Personal Delivery, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

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Winging it's way home finally, with many many thanks, via Civic, ACT.
Huge thanks for sharing, LadyIndigo!

Journal Entry 18 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Friday, June 5, 2009
and finally home again

thankyou to everyone for participating in the bookring and for sharing your thoughts on the book

happy reading
;-)

Journal Entry 19 by wingLadyIndigowing at -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, July 30, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (7/30/2009 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia

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i see it on your wish list and i highly recommend it so it is a bookerang;
just return it to the indigo library when you are done

;-)

happy reading

Journal Entry 20 by glenystasmania from Nambucca Heads, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, August 6, 2009
have bumped this one to the top of the to be read pile, and when I return it will also send twenty wishes.......will check and see what else I can find...cheers glenys

Journal Entry 21 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
and it has returned home - again

thankyou so much glenystasmania for a most amazing bookbag - filled with books, bookmarks, postcards and lavender candles - i am very spoilt...

happy spring
;-)

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