Jane Austen July 2024

 Reading Challenge for July

This year I thought I would join in the Jane Austen July reading challenge. It is being hosted by Books and Things which is Katie J Lumsden,  Blatently Bookish and Spinsters Library who are on various social media sites including YouTube which is where I found the challenge after watching Nicole of  A Day of Small Things. 

For the first challenge, which is to read one of Jane Austen's six novels, I have been reading Sense and Sensibility. This Simon & Schuster edition is beautifully illustrated by Marjolein Bastin.  I have also added the audio book read by Rosamund Pike to my Audible Library as I would like to read/listen to them concurrently. 

                                               

The second challenge is to read something by Jane Austen which is not one of her main novels. I am going to read her letters as I have had this edition for some time and as yet have not dipped into it. It has been suggested by Nicole that reading it in tandem with Lucy Worseley's Jane Austen at Home would help put the letters in context and I am going to try that suggestion. 

                              

Challenge three then is to read a non-fiction book about Jane Austen or her time. My current library book is Princesses: the daughters of George III by Flora Fraser so this fits into Jane Austen's time 1775 - 1817. One of Jane's favourite writers was Fanny Burney and she was "Keeper of the Robes" to Queen Charlotte the wife of George III. So that more than fits the criteria I think. 

                                                        

I haven't read Frances Burney's novels so I would very much like to try either Evelina or Cecelia to start with. 

The fourth challenge is to read a retelling of a Jane Austen book OR a work of historical fiction set in Jane Austen's time. Now this one has been quite fortuitous as my lovely son gave me a Folio Society copy of Arabella by Georgette Hayer for my birthday and this is the perfect moment to pick it up and read it in relation to the Georgian period that Jane lived in. It is set in the Spring of 1817 the year in which Jane sadly died. I have this beautiful first edition which was my late Mother's too. 

                  

The fifth challenge is to read a book by a contemporary of Jane Austen (ie from 1775 to 1817). If I can find a copy of one of Frances Burney's novels I will read that but I have a copy of Dorothy Wordswoth's The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals on order which I think will read well alongside Lucy Worsley's Jane Austen at Home for challenge two.

So on to challenge number six which is to watch a direct screen adaptation of a Jane Austen novel. I was intrigued to find out more about the 2009 BBC production of Emma and have found it on Apple TV. It is a series and so far I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

                                                    

The final challenge is to watch a modern screen adaptation or retelling of a Jane Austen book. Well this has proved an interesting one as I am watching Death Comes to Pemberley by P D James. It is a mini series based on her novel which was inspired by Austen's 1813 Pride & Prejudice. It is a murder mystery using the style and characters found in Jane's novel.  I absolutely love it so far. 

You can find this on Amazon