Kylie

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that Kell! I really enjoyed the book - I think it picks up a bit later on. It's not my favourite Austen (I don't think anything will ever top Pride and Prejudice), but I found it very enjoyable. I hope the movie inspires you to keep reading and that you enjoy the book more! I'm planning on watching the movie shortly

That is a nice cover, Gyre. Mine is the Penguin Modern Classics version with a close-up pic of a triffid. I'd really like to track down a copy of Chocky - it sounds really good.

Ooh, I just realised. Were you referring to the 1980s BBC TV version or the 1960s Hollywood movie? I was talking about the 1950s movie version as being the one that I love. I saw the BBC TV version recently and I have to say that it does look very dated (more so than the 1960s version!), although that might be my dislike of anything 1980s shining through The BBC version is much more in accordance with the book, but I can't help preferring the movie version

Do you have any favourite authors or books?

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

I never saw this thread before, and I wish I had read it before I read the book! I have to agree with everything the original poster said. It's a book that some people will love, and others will hate.

The Day of the Triffids is probably overdue for a remake but I don't mind too much if they don't do it because I love the original!

I think it is a little slower as well, but it picks up a bit later on!

I found one on my bookshelf last night that I'd forgotten about: Time's Eye by Arthur C Clarke It's the first of a trilogy (the last one is due out later this year), but you don't need to read them all; this one can work as a standalone, albeit with a lot of questions left unanswered.

I loved Of Mice and Men, although it was the ending that made the story for me. I agree on Lord of the Flies though. I didn't enjoy that a great deal. Like you, I saw the message, but just wasn't thrilled with the story. Are you planning on updating this list ii because I'd love to see your progress and hear your thoughts. I'm interested in reading a lot of these books as well.

I know The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde has a small element of time-travel in it, but I haven't read the rest of the series so I'm not sure if it's something that is explored more in future books. Maybe someone else could shed some more light on whether they're worth pursuing.

Maybe The Princess Bride? It was published in 1973, but it might suit your needs.

Yeah, it did take a bit of getting used to

Hi Leeanne and I haven't read The Three Musketeers but I'm looking forward to getting into it one day. Have you read any other Dumas, because if not, I can highly recommend The Count of Monte Cristo. It's very long but well worth the read!

Mansfield Park Jane Austen Rating: 8/10 Published: 1814 Number of pages: 492 Summary (taken from blurb): Fanny Price has always felt like an outsider. She was adopted by her uncle as a child and now lives in luxury at Mansfield Park, but doesn't fit in somehow. Shyer and much sweeter than the glamorous cousins she has grown up with, she feels she can only stand by and watch from the sidelines, never living her own life. Fanny won't admit - even to herself - who she really loves. Her uncle conducts the search for a husband as if it were a business deal, and when the time for Fanny to marry comes, will she be handed over on a handshake? Or will she have the strength to make her own mistakes - and finally find true happiness? Comments: Another brilliant offering from Jane Austen, although I have to say that it's probably my least favourite of the four I have read so far. I found all of the characters hard to sympathise with, although I did like Fanny. I can understand why people would think she is a weak character and dislike her because of it, but she reminds me quite a lot of myself, and I don't necessarily see myself as weak - I can probably understand her motives and feelings a bit better. As usual, Austen's writing is beautifully lyrical throughout the book, and interspersed with subtle humour and irony. Another thing I keep forgetting with her books is that everything gets resolved in the last few pages, and they're usually rapped up very quickly and with little dialogue. Sometimes it's a little disappointing and you wish she would give as much time and care to the end of the book as she did to the rest. Nevertheless, a brilliant read and highly recommended. Started: 3 May 2008 Finished: 14 May 2008

OK, I've finished the book and I'll have a go at the questions, although I can't promise great answers because I'm neither eloquent nor very good at thinking deeply on the books I've read. 1. Fanny Price is the heroine of Mansfield Park and her character is the source of great debate between academics and fans of Jane Austen. She divides opinion. Do you like her? Why? Do you think Jane Austen liked her? What about Mary Crawford? Do you think Jane Austen liked her as well? Discuss the differences in the characters and how Jane Austen wanted us to see them; and how they seemed to you. I think Jane Austen would have liked all her characters in one way or another. Personally, I liked Fanny - she reminds me a lot of myself I think she's a lot stronger than people give her credit for. (The following spoiler relates to the end of the book: ) She stuck by her morals and high standards throughout the book. I couldn't make up my mind about Mary Crawford. Sometimes I liked her and sometimes I didn't. I believe her heart was in the right place but her earlier upbringing resulted in her placing the important things in life in a different order to the Bertram family. 2. On first publication Mansfield Park was acclaimed for its ‘high moral tone’; but several others, including Jane Austen’s mother, found its heroine ‘insipid’ and therefore unsympathetic. Do you agree? Do you think this is a ‘moral’ book? Yes, I think it's a moral book. The immoral decisions of some characters, and moral decisions of others certainly led them down different paths of life. The good characters eventually fared better than those that didn't have such good hearts. 3. It has been said that Mansfield Park is about society – the rich and the poor, at all ends of the scale. Do you think the portrayal of the wealthy and those struggling to survive is accurate, or do you think Jane Austen was only scratching the surface of conditions in Regency England? How important is wealth and social standing to the characters in the book? Possibly the strongest theme that underlies all of Jane Austen's books is the theme of class and social standing. A great deal of importance is always placed on the characters' standing in society. It seems strange that Fanny was treated so differently to her cousins when she was a direct relation - just because her mother married below her - but I guess that's how it was. However, I like that there are always some characters who don't place such importance on this issue. Examples of these characters in Mansfield Park are Edmund and Henry, and Fanny herself (for the most part - after all, she does seem quite horrified by her family when she reunites with them). It also works conversely - William and Susan, despite coming from a poor family, have such good manners that they are well-liked and respected by the Bertrams, whereas I'm sure a lot of people from the lower classes would have been just as contemptuous of the upper classes as vice versa. Not being from Regency England myself, I can't say for certain, but it seems that Jane Austen has a pretty good grasp of the suffering of the lower classes and easier lives of the upper classes. I think she was a very intelligent woman. I liked that the Bertrams' opinion of Fanny gradually changed during the book, and they came to realise what an asset she was to their family. 4. Did you want Fanny to accept Henry Crawford, or did you want her to wait for Edmund? 5. How do men and women interact? Which interactions in particular did you find interesting and why? How do these relationships and interactions compare to engagements and marriages today? Lazily copying my answer from Sense and Sensibility: Obviously their behaviour towards each other is much more conservative than our behaviour today is (I often wonder what Jane Austen would think of today's society - then I get depressed for her sake and stop wondering). Relationships tend to move along much more quickly these days (and end almost as quickly!) 6. Are the characters in Mansfield Park conventional in their thoughts and actions according to the time in which the novel is set? In what ways do they conform (or not) to conventions? What is expected of them and how do they react to those expectations? Fanny doesn't react conventionally when a certain someone becomes romantically interested in her! This is evidenced by the surprise and anger shown by most of the other characters. Otherwise, I think they're fairly conventional when considered during what time they lived (not taking into account the shameful family incident near the end!). 7. Who was your favourite character and why? Probably Fanny, although I admired Crawford for his persistence and I actually enjoyed how ridiculous Mrs Norris was - it makes for some light-hearted moments. 8. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest? (Spoiler relates to end of book: ) 9. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? This is the fourth Jane Austen I've read and I can't wait to read the last two later in the year! 10. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? I know it was a common and accepted thing back then, but falling in love with your cousin? Naughty, naughty! 11. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Absolutely! I wouldn't expect anything less from Jane Austen.

I'm glad you enjoyed The Looking Glass Wars, Louise! I also picked it up recently based on a recommendation from here, but I haven't read it yet. I'm looking forward to it even more now!

I'm 26

Nearco! I'm sure you'll get a lot of great recommendations here!

I have a whole heap of favourite books, a couple of which are To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride and Prejudice. We have a writer's section if you'd like to share some of your poetry! Doesn't matter what type!

I've read 15. I'm more of a man than you are Prospero! (Wait, is that something I should be bragging about?) I have quite a few more on my TBR pile. I think the lists are a little pointless too, but that doesn't stop me poring over every single one I come across. I just love adding up my numbers to see how many I've read

Jaya! Nice intro My Mum loves Freecell and is working her way through all numbers, starting from the end. Should keep her busy for a while. I love young adult fiction as well. There is some excellent stuff out there. I have His Dark Materials and The Phantom Tollbooth on my wish list. Can't wait to read them. Plays absolutely count here! We discuss poetry as well, and pretty much any writing that takes our fancy. What sort of plays do you like? I love drooling over photos of other people's bookcases. Thanks for posting yours!