ENGLISH LITERATURE
Thanks to my wife’s nephew’s wife I’m prompted to get off my duff and make a posting to this BLOG, thanks Jennifer. Several people in the past week have commented on my failure to post; I didn’t think anyone was visiting so I got a little discouraged and a little lazy too. How about some feedback through comments, that will keep me enthused?
Well: last month our reading group’s selection was Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre. I went into it with some trepidation about what to expect. My fears were soon swept away with each page I read. I now consider this book among my all time favorites.
Everyone in the group liked Jane Eyre so much that we all agreed to try another English Novel for comparison; we chose: Charles Dickens’s, Great Expectations. I have just finished volume 1 of 3 (approximately 100 pages) and so far I like it just as well as Jane Eyre.
In the mean time, PBS’ Masterpiece Theater has been running a series of, BBC produced, Jane Austen novels as film adaptations (The Complete Jane Austen). I missed the first one: Jane Eyre, but caught the second one: Pride and Prejudice, which just concluded last Sunday. I really liked Pride and Prejudice too, so much so that I plan on reading it too, as soon as I finish Great Expectations. Starting next Sunday they will be showing: “Emma”.
So, I guess this means that I’m now, officially, an English Literature fan, Just like my daughter, Kim, who has her Masters Degree in English Lit. It looks as though father is learning from daughter.
Thanks to my wife’s nephew’s wife I’m prompted to get off my duff and make a posting to this BLOG, thanks Jennifer. Several people in the past week have commented on my failure to post; I didn’t think anyone was visiting so I got a little discouraged and a little lazy too. How about some feedback through comments, that will keep me enthused?
Well: last month our reading group’s selection was Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre. I went into it with some trepidation about what to expect. My fears were soon swept away with each page I read. I now consider this book among my all time favorites.
Everyone in the group liked Jane Eyre so much that we all agreed to try another English Novel for comparison; we chose: Charles Dickens’s, Great Expectations. I have just finished volume 1 of 3 (approximately 100 pages) and so far I like it just as well as Jane Eyre.
In the mean time, PBS’ Masterpiece Theater has been running a series of, BBC produced, Jane Austen novels as film adaptations (The Complete Jane Austen). I missed the first one: Jane Eyre, but caught the second one: Pride and Prejudice, which just concluded last Sunday. I really liked Pride and Prejudice too, so much so that I plan on reading it too, as soon as I finish Great Expectations. Starting next Sunday they will be showing: “Emma”.
So, I guess this means that I’m now, officially, an English Literature fan, Just like my daughter, Kim, who has her Masters Degree in English Lit. It looks as though father is learning from daughter.
posted by Rex at 11:10 PM
7 Comments:
Well, Im glad you took my advise and posted. Im so glad to hear that my opinions aren't small and insignificant LOL!
Jennifer, you were indeed an inspiration.
rex
Just finished Jane Eyre for the second time and loved it, the first time was a struggle umpteen years ago (35?). Now we will have some meat to chew on in our next discussion. Where is Grace Poule, by the way? Everyone else was accounted for by Jane. Through the library, I have ordered the BBC's 2006 film version of Jane Eyre. Based upon the reviews, it looked the best. I also noticed that there was a 2007 publication as well. Good Luck with Dickens, I think he is wordier than Bronte, but aren't all of the English writers? Barry
Barry,
Thanks for the comment. I just love it that I inspired you to re-read Jane Eyre, and that you liked it so much.
I will respond to your comment on the novel in a few days as I have some pressing work to complete over the next couple of days.
The DVD you mention may be the same one we watched in our Great Conversations Reading Group; if so: you’ll really like it.
Philip
Barry,
Didn’t Bertha Mason kill Grace Poole either directly, or indirectly, when she went on her rampage and burnt down Thornfield?
Philip/rex
I think one might infer that she was lost in the fire, but the fact that Jane made a point of specifically giving a present and future account of all of the characters in the book and fails to mention her, has to make a reader think why. Maybe I just missed it. I could go back and check (it would have taken less time to do that than continure on with this doubt)but now I'm afraid to look and prove myself stupid. Barry
Barry, Kim:
Regarding Frankenstein: one of the issues, that could be debated, relative to moral, or ethical, societal standards, for “then” and for “now”, is the re-creation of human life, “then”; as opposed to Cloning, Stem Cell growth, Organ Transplants, or Organ Farming, “now”.
I think a good debater could make convincing arguments from the: “then or now”, or the “for or against”, or the “Religious” or “Secular”, points of view.
I find her (Shelly’s) conception of this issue, at such an early stage of scientific development, and from a woman, amazingly prescient.
How about yourself: which points of view do you think would be easiest argued: “fore” or “against” either “then” or “now”, religious or secular? And; could the religious and secular communities ever share a common point of view?
Philip
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