In My Mailbox- The Birthday Edition!

In My Mailbox is a meme held by the lovely Kristi at The Story Siren, which encourages bloggers to share what books have made it into their house each week.

This week was the best book week EVER... because it was my birthday yesterday and I got some awesome bookish presents! Note: I won't be including descriptions this week because my Internet is being really slow at the moment.

What I got:

                                              A Kindle!

I had been toying up getting a Kindle for a while because I always thought that I'd be completely loyal to print books and never buy an e-reader but curiosity, the good things I've been hearing about Kindle and the lure of sites like Net Galley got the better of me. I'm so glad that they did! I've spent all afternoon reading on it and downloading all the free classics and I'm starting to love it. Though, it's just an accompaniment to my reading because my Kindle could *never* replace my physical books... it's a totally different reading experience! I'm planning to do a post with my thoughts on it soon :)

Books (thank you you to my parents):

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Daughter Of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Waterfall by Lisa T Bergen

Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend by Cora Harrison

These were all on my birthday wishlist so I'm really happy and can't wait to read them! You can have a look at why I want to read these books on my wishlist post. The cover of Entwined is even more beautiful in person :)

Kindle books I downloaded:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Little Women by Louise May Alcott

For review: 

 

Jane Austen- A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef (thanks to Net Galley)

The Betrayal Of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird (thanks to Net Galley)

What did you get in your mailbox?

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Summary:

In Georgian England, Mrs. Bennet raises her five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia with the purpose of getting them married to a rich husband that can support the family. They are not from the upper class, and their house in Hertfordshire will be inherited by a distant cousin, Mr Collins, if Mr. Bennet dies. When the wealthy bachelor Mr. Bingley and his best friend Mr. Darcy arrive in town to spend the summer in a mansion nearby their property, the shy and beautiful Jane falls in love for Mr. Bingley, while Lizzie finds Mr. Darcy a snobbish and proud man, and she swears to loathe him forever. This is the beginning of their wonderful love story.

My thoughts (how do I even begin to review such a classic novel...?!)

Pride and Prejudice is one of the classic novels of all time and one of the most read too and this is the first time I have read it. Many people would say that thirteen is a great age to start reading Austen and I agree! Upon snuggling up with Pride and Prejudice I was sucked into the beautiful time of Regency England, re created with Austen’s witty writing. I must admit that I did struggle a tiny bit with the writing for the first chapter or so but as I became absorbed, this was not a problem at all. In fact that is part of the beauty of the book!

Setting

I adore the Regency time period so Pride and Prejudice was definitely my kind of story: balls with endless dancing and beautiful dresses; gentlemen stood up for ladies and people knew their manners. I have always wanted to go to a formal ball just like the ones in this book all dressed up and dance the waltz, it would be so much fun! It’s not that I don’t like modern discos but I think I would enjoy a Regency ball much more. For me, Pride and Prejudice was the perfect escape from the 21st century.

Characters:

However, what really makes Pride and Prejudice stand out from the many other Regency books out there is the wonderful cast of characters and the humour so cleverly integrated within the story.

The Bennett family are extremely fun to read about and they are so diverse in their personalities; pretty, shy and gentle Jane who always tries to see the good in everyone; intelligent, confident and forthright Lizzy with a hot temper and a tendency to form prejudices; giggly, merry and frivolous Lydia; Kitty who is glued to Lydia’s side and does everything she does leading to silly behaviour; hard working, dutiful and studious Mary; honest and sensible Mr Bennett with a special fondness for Lizzie and flustered Mrs Bennett who is obsessed with marrying her daughters off well in whatever way she can and who is always talking about her ‘poor nerves.’

Lizzy is not perfect but none of the best characters ever are, I love the way she is not afraid to speak her own mind and has strong emotions which sometimes cause her temper to flair up but it is these same emotions that make her so loyal and loving to her friends and family. Whatever her flaws, she is a very likable character that I have a feeling is going to become an old friend to me when I read Pride and Prejudice again.

Mr Darcy is a fascinating character that is so easily mistaken for something he is not at the start when he comes across as abominably proud and disagreeable with not much to say to anyone which makes it seem as though he thinks he is superior to everyone else. Although it turns out that it is actually a cover for being uncomfortable and shy in society. He is also a very intelligent man that only speaks when there is something important to say which can make him seem very solitary. Inside, he is a loyal companion which is shown in his friendship with Charles Bingley.

The love between Darcy and Lizzie is so gorgeous and theirs is the first romance where the two characters didn’t like each other when they first met, providing the basic plot for countless other romances that have been written since. Their prejudiced opinions on each other are rather hilarious and I loved reading Lizzie’s teasing of him. When they eventually come together, you can really see how they fit together to make themselves better individuals. Their love is very natural and true- they are perfect together!

Verdict: Pride and Prejudice is a novel that I will be reading repeatedly and I think that I will enjoy it even more next time as I see how all of the parts of the story fit together. As you can see I have now joined the ever growing Austen fan base and look forward to reading her other novels as part of the 2010 Jane Austen challenge.

Movie Adaptations



This wallpaper is just too gorgeous,
each of the the girl's looks display their personalities really well.
I especially like Mary as she looks more studious than the

others but not ugly like in the 1995 P and P adaptation

Before I read it, I had seen the most recent movie adaptation starring Keira Knightly, which in some ways helped me to understand and visualise it better but without spoiling my own imaginings of the characters. It was only 2 hours whereas other versions have been TV series and are six but it focused more on the main story of the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy. I loved Keira Knightly as Lizzie; she had just the right expressions and conveyed her emotions perfectly. She is an extremely pretty girl but in the movie she also had some of the ‘plainness’ that is described in the book. I think that this movie is aimed more at younger viewers for an introduction to Pride and Prejudice as the producer said that they partly chose Knightly because the eight and nine year olds who fell in love with her in the Princess Diaries would be just the right age for it. As I have read on some Austen blogs, the period clothes are not as accurate as in other versions but I think that it has a sparkle that captures the fun of Pride and Prejudice exactly.



Lizzie's 'plain' kind of beauty captured
 perfectly



I have taken the 1995 version starring Collin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and am so far really enjoying it, especially as I can pick out the dialogue from the book now. Firth is a brilliant Darcy but I am not so sure about Ehle but I think she will grow on me. I can’t wait to watch more!



Collin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in
the 1995 adaptation



Coverlicious (2): Cover Wars- I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

Coverlicious is a new feature that I am holding here, where I am going to do spotlights on different things to do with covers from photos of cover art from different editions of book and trends in cover art to comparing US and UK versions of a cover or simply just posting about a cover that I have fallen in love with. I'm intending just to feature Coverlicious posts here but if you would like to join in or do a guest Coverlicious post, please see my contact page.

UK



US

 I adore the UK cover, it  has the look for a more light hearted and girly book- the swirly designs and drawings are so cute! It was this cover that drew me to the book when I was browsing on Amazon and this was suggested to me. Whereas the US cover looks like a snapshot from a period drama making it look more like a historical romance and the photo is beautiful. However, I think that the UK cover would stand out more on the shelf from other historicals. I love them both so I can't decide which is my favourite but I think it depends on the kind of person you are.





Paberpack

I found this paperback cover when I was searching for images of the covers and fell in love with it! The two elements that I love so much about the first 2 covers have been combined, the swirly writing and flowers along with the period photo. The dress gives the book an Austen feel to the book and I like that you cannot see the full face of the character as I like to imagine this, the little blonde curl is sweet too. The only thing that I don't like about this cover is that it is slightly too crowded so the flowers need to be smaller but other than than it is stunningly gorgeous! <3  I really want to buy this edition when it is released as I borrowed the copy I read from the library.

What are your thoughts on the covers?

NEW FEATURE: Coverlicous- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Designs

Coverlicious is a new feature that I am holding here, where I am going to do spotlights on different things to do with covers from photos of cover art from different editions of  book and trends in cover art to comparing US and UK versions of a cover or simply just posting about a cover that I have fallen in love with. I'm intending just to feature Coverlicious posts here but if you would like to join in or do a guest Coverlicious post, please see my contact page.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

As I have mentioned previously, I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice (it is taking me a very long time to read because of  a lot of schoolwork at the beginning of term.) Published in 1813,' romance that started them' all has subsequently been published in many different editions and with different cover art. 

This is the edition that I am reading (by Penguin):

I love the simplicity yet lovely elegance of this design that is very classic and I also like the fact that the art is drawn. A pretty cover!

Here are a selection:

 These covers are very classic and iconic for Pride and Prejudice but

I think that they are not very appealing to new Jane Austen readers

or teenagers/young adults.

                                           

I love the right hand cover above because of the beautiful photo which is arranged really well to portray emotion without having to display much of the character's face. The colours blend in so well together and it has a classical yet a more 'modern' (at the same time as retaining period features) feel to it.

The right hand cover above is very different and unique and stands out among all the other covers I have featured. It is very quirky but you can definitely see how the character's story has been incorporated into it. It's not for me but it's a great cover to add to the mix.

The middle cover above was created with inspiration from the Twilight series cover art, as can be seen by the design. I understand that this was done to entice younger readers like myself to read classics like Pride and Predjudice (several other classics had covers made like this too.) I like how the red and white roses have a symbolic meaning of the opposite personalities of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.I've heard of some controversey over them but I think that if it works and introduces teenagers to the books whereas they might not have read them before, then it is a fantastic idea.

The right hand cover is very colourful, simplistic and bold compared to the other covers. It is aimed at younger readers too, hence the name of Meg Cabot (author of the introduction of the book),  a well known writer for young teenage girls. I think that this cover would appeal more to under 12s more than teenagers and not many under 12s would be able to read Pride and Prejudice or understand it.

I love the middle cover, the soft pink and peach tones make it so lovely and the dress gives you an idea of the time period. I think it is a particularly good design for teenagers and young adults as well as all other ages.

The left hand side cover is my favourite, fairly simple but BEAUTIFUL. The colours that are used compliment eachother really well and give the cover a 'girly', fresh, light and summery feel to it.

My favourite is:

Which is your favourite and what do you think of all the different cover designs?

Jane Austen Challenge 2010- late but better than not at all

When I noticed that Anne Bennett from Head Full of Books was taking part in the Jane Austen Challenge held at The Life and Lies of an Inanimate Flying Object, I couldn't resist being a late joiner either!

I'm a Jane Austen newbie so I thought this would be a good challenge to introduce me to her novels, which I have out from my school library over the summer amongst all my other books. To complete any level on the challenge, I also have to read too Jane Austen rewrites, prequels, sequels and spoofs.

The levels and rules are:

 

--Anyone can participate.Sign up here:

 

--Levels:

 

**Newbie 2 books by J. Austen, 2 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

**Lover 4 books by J. Austen, 4 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

** Fanatic 6+ books by J. Austen, 5+ re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

 

--Challenge books can overlap with other challenges.

Given the late stage of the year, I am going to aim for the 'newbie' level and the books that I am picking are:

• Pride and Prejudice
• Emma
• I was Jane Austen's Best Friend (already read and reviewed)
• Lydia Bennett's Story (a sequel to Pride and Prejudice