Momling Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 My daughter just finished and loved Pride and Prejudice, whipping through it in a few days. She wants to try something else and started in on Emma, but decided she didn't actually want to read a book about a character she didn't like. Does Jane Austen have any other Lizzie Bennet type protagonists? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I would say Sense & Sensibility. Nobody like Lizzie Bennett, but another one about a close sister relationship :) (And tell her to hang in there with Emma. She gets better ;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 My faves are P&P, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and then Mansfield Park. I think all her protagonists are special in their own way, make their own mistakes, have their own strengths etc. IOW, I don't know if I would call any of her other female characters another Lizzie. But they are all great! Jeepers, I am realizing it has been at least a decade since I read any Austin. There was that one winter where I reread them all..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Persuasion is my favorite, but I think it takes a little maturity to truly appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Persuasion!! By far my favorite. It isn't as delightful as P&P but the over the top grand romantic ending made me swoon. And I never swoon. Sense and Senibility is also a pleasure, but is very very different from the (excellent) film, so I'd only read it for pleasure at that age if she's not seen the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 If she whips through them quickly she might enjoy the annotated editons by David Shapard. My daughter loves them! http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Sensibility-Paperback-Author-Shapard/dp/B00EDYXHBS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393675587&sr=1-2&keywords=sense+and+sensibility+annotated+david+shapard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I found Emma to be a complete bore. It's almost as if it were written by a different person. There are occasional flashes of the humor and wit, but it's nothing like Pride and Prejudice in that regard. The problem with the book isn't that Emma herself is unlikable. It's just that the writing never really rises to "Austen" levels (imo). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Love Persuasion, too! But I think P&P takes the cake for her best book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Another vote for Persuasion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Catherine Morland is almost the opposite of Lizzie because she's so easily influenced, but Northanger Abbey is such a fun book. Austen's humor really comes through in that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Persuasion is my favorite but I think Northanger Abbey is a fun read. And who can resist Mr. Tilney?! He know all about muslins!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 LOVE Persuasion! :001_tt1: Emma is actually pretty good, if you stick with it. Sense & Sensibility is good, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Another vote for Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility. I liked Emma but I seem to recall it took longer to get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I love Catherine Moreland, and I think she has the spunk of Lizzie Bennett, so Northanger Abbey. I love the story of Persuasion, but agree it takes some maturity to fully appreciate it. Emma bugs me, but....Mr Knightly! Sense and Sensibility would be my next suggestion after N.A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Northanger Abbey is a fun one. I also loved Emma--mainly because of Knightley. I completely disagree that it's lacking in wit and humor. I reluctantly admit I got bored and never finished Sense and Sensibility even though I adored both movie adaptations I saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I'd probably suggest Sense & Sensibility (rather than Emma or Persuasion) because of your dd's age. I will also STRONGLY recommend that you two immediately sit down & watch the 1995 BBC adaption, with Colin Firth. And I can't let a WTM thread on P&P pass, without mentioning "Lizzie Bennet Diaries" This webseries is absolutely PG-13 (some subject matter), but it's an excellent modern adaption of P&P. Trust me, there's great character development--even building on what Austen wrote. Which is rare in adaptions! One hundred 5-minute Youtubes, with extra social media (twitter, secondary characters' vlogs, etc). (The same crew is currently doing Emma.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropymama Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I can't believe I'm the first to mention it, but I adore Lady Susan. It's written as a series of letters between the characters. Much quicker to read through than S&S or Persuasion and just a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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