Your Daily Penguin: Deluxe Jane Austen!

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[historical_lisa]

So much shade on Schine…lol! I just popped over to Amazon reviews and found yours among them. 😂

[samoinborut]

It's remarkable how much joy is Jane Austen still giving us after 200 years.

[carolinefiller]

Persuasion is my favourite Jane Austen's novels as well

[hedgiecc]

Loving all these Austen editions! And wonderful you are talking about her some more.

[Lu.G.]

The Pride and Prejudice cover art by Audrey Niffenegger is lovely! I'm with you, I had no idea she was an artist, as well as an author. I agree with the others who could listen to you talk about Jane Austen for long periods of time. 🤓

[yvettem.holland]

I'm delighted you returned to Austen

[vilstef]

The Love Letter is worse than Segal's Love Story or Bridges of Madison County by the Prof who taught at one of my Alma Mater's, the University of Northern Iowa? Mind kroggled! (I saw the movie Pride, Prejudice and Zombies-and it convinced me I do need to read Pride and Prejudice!)

[lilliannieswender]

Steve, nothing is better than listening to a true reader talk about books, that is why we insist you keep at it. As far as Miss Frieda is concerned, a star should always be allowed to do as she pleases, her star status demands it.

[ChiannaNycole]

Tempted to read The Love Letter just to test this opinion. How bad can it be?

[ancientroses]

Currently reading P&P. I tried reading her when I was young and couldn't understand why people raved about her books. Fast forward ten years and I am finally giving her a fair chance. I can truly say I have fallen in love with her work. Great video and sound advice. 👍

[HannahsBooks]

I’m planning to read the Anchor/ Shapard annotation of P&P (a novel which is a big and long-term favorite, as all of Austen is). What do you think of it? (A friend offered me her big Harvard annotated version as soon as the plague protections lift. Thoughts on THAT one?)

[johncrwarner]

My husband is a "Jane Austen Hater"
And it came out yesterday when we watched your black spined novels
It turned out he had to do it for his Degree in Anglistik
He had to read two novels and be examined on them
That to me is a way to kill literature stone dead
My only experience of that was Shakespeare
I had been attending performances since the age of nine
With my parents but hated doing Much Ado About Nothing
In Class - reading around the class
That zippy dialogue and cut and thrust
Destroyed in hours of dull tedium.

[cunningba]

I was surprised by your assessment of The Love Letter, which I have not read and is not on my TBR, because I thought I had found the worst novel ever published, John W. Campbell Jr.’s Invaders from the Infinite. I was wondering if you have read that also and how you thought they compare. I have no intention of comparing other contenders for the Worst Book Ever title in my lifetime because life is too short as it is. If you feel this is unfair and that I should be made to read The Love Letter to confirm or dispute your opinion, I may have more time after I die, so you may place a review copy, physical or eBook, on my funeral pyre. But I probably won’t get back to you.

[jordanparsons]

As always I love your enthusiasm, but Jane Austen strikes me as stupendously frivolous and dull. I must be doing something wrong.