My Thoughts on Jane Austen...

Hi. I devoted this whole video to my less than glowing review of Jane Austen. I loved a few of her novels.

In order of preference:

6. Mansfield Park
5. Northanger Abbey
4. Emma
3. Persuasion
2. Sense and Sensibility
1. Pride and Prejudice

My favorite Austen invention:
The novella Lady Susan!

Booktubers mentioned:
Heidi @myreadinglife8816
Gemma @GemofBooks
Jack @spreadbookjoy

Thanks for watching!!!

You can also find me on:
Voxer - Middle of the Book March

[readandre-read]

Lady Susan is a riot. I don't care for Mansfield Park but I love the rest. It's the humor, social commentary, family dynamics and yes, endless scenes of idle people in drawing rooms after dinner. Love it.

[dmurfval]

I've have read over a thousand books in my life time and have not read Jane Austen. I do own a copy of Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps I will add it to my TBR. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Jane Austen books. Very helpful.

[lindysmagpiereads]

I’m with you on this, Kim. I like Austen’s prose but I get bored by her characters and the plots of her novels.

[gaildoughty]

Oh, I loved Lady Susan too! It’s just so much fun to read.

[jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Thanks for reading Mansfield Park, so I don't have to. Since joining the Booktube community I have read a token Jane Austen each July, I now have two left (Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park). Romance isn't my jam, it is okay if combined with a different genre (sci-fi - Time Traveller's Wife, fantasy - anything by Sarah j Maas, comedy - Bridget Jones's Diary etc... but I recognise that some popular romace tropes originated from Austen. I'm not a super Jane Austen fan, I did enjoy Emma and Persuasion but doubt I will reread them.

[davidnovakreadspoetry]

I haven’t read Austen as an adult, but everything you say sounds about right, if memory serves me well. Now you’ve fortified me in one resolution: if I go back to Austen I’ll do a reread.

It feels like I’ve known a lot of people who were Austen fans, but primarily for the adaptations—not people who were readers per se.

[michellemorrill]

I’ve only read Pride and Prejudice and I absolutely adored it so I need to read a few of your other top choices.

[mame-musing]

Haha! “Poking the bear” with that thumbnail. In spite of being lukewarm towards the stories, I admire that you continued to go on and read all.
I think I like Jane Austen’s novels more than you do - however your ranking pretty much aligns with mine. Persuasion is my favorite. Wentworth’s letter to Anne is an exquisite piece of writing. P&P is my second choice.

[josmith]

I think my ranking is probably exactly yours Kim with the proviso I need to reread a few to be sure. Loved your honest opinions as always, Pride and Prejuduce ranks as one of my favorite books but Mansfield Park made it clear that for me, her books aren’t all wonderful. As to Lady Susan, I just watched Britta say she is going to read it this year as part of her 12 classics so I’m going to join her!

[NicholasOfAutrecourt]

I came here for all the spicy "U clEaRlY deW KnOt UnDeRsTaNd JaNe comments. I'll admit to buying copies of "Persuasion" and "Northanger Abbey" over the past couple of years thinking that she might age like fine wine. But judging from my high school and college readings of her, I won't hold my breath.

[janethughes]

At 54 years of age, I have yet to read a Jane Austen novel 😬🤫 for the very reasons you spoke about Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, . . .
Which book should I read first? I can’t go through life and not have read a Jane Austen novel🫤

[AJ_Dunn]

Also, Austen was a Regency writer, not a Victorian writer. I still have a few of her books to read. She's not my favorite, but I appreciate what she does.

[myreadinglife]

Plot twist!
Our rankings are mostly the same except mine would switch Persuasion and S&S.

[emmavd]

Thank you, Kim!🌷I read three of Jane Austen’s novels (P&P, Emma, S&S) as an undergraduate (very long ago!) and while loving P&P and S&S, I just couldn’t stand Emma. I remember being so disappointed with Austen giving Emma my name!😂 To be honest, I’ve had a copy of Mansfield Park also dating from my youth, but can’t remember whether I’ve actually read it 😳. More recently, but still quite some time ago, I read Persuasion (after watching the adaptation with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Reed) and loved it. I’ve also seen all sorts of adaptations of all the six main novels in the course of the years. While I know I’m not going to read Northanger Abbey, I am going to give Mansfield Park a try this year. After your enthusiastic comments, I may now also consider adding Lady Susan to it, and read it along with Britta. My favourite is Persuasion, closely followed by P&P.😊📚

[bouquinsbooks]

After all the Prince Harry Spare drama, now this?!!! Hasn’t England suffered enough?!!! Jane Austen just ok, pffft.

Ok, fine, I admit it, Jane Austen is overrated. But I find all the fuss about her greatly enjoyable.

[AJ_Dunn]

_Northanger Abbey_ was Austen's first written novel, even though it wasn't published until later. I think she was finding her feet in it. I thought it was funny.

[Nickelini]

Generally I agree with most of what you said. I too love Lady Susan, and I also think P&P is pretty much perfect. I disliked Emma, and found Northanger Abbey a bit silly and boring. I can see why you make those comments about Mansfield Park, but I do like that one more than you did. The only reason why is because I studied it at university with an excellent professor and we spent hours going deep into it and writing about it. But had I not had that level of guidance and attention, I probably would have hated it. I think I need to reread Persuasion next as I've only read it once and found it just okay. I think I'm done with S&S. As you say, I'll continue to watch the film adaptations too. Fun video!

[jackiesliterarycorner]

I'm not a hardcore Austen fan, but I do love her novels. You make some good points, though about her work, and I understand why some such as yourself might not love her work. It's interesting how authors can become so beloved and over the years get put on this pedestal as you said. I like Mansfield Park because I relate to Fanny's shyness and her relationship with her brother is sweet. I don't relate to everything about Fanny, though, and her love interest drove me up a wall. I couldn't stand him and think she could do better. Henry Crawford is more interesting to me than Edmund Bertram. Emma is actually my favorite and I got the 2009 adaptation for Christmas. I adore Emma as a character. Persuasion is winning me over slowly. I haven't read Lady Susan or Sanditon yet, but I would like to some day.

[KCRReads]

Persuation is my fav Austen novel and the hinds movie version is the best imho. I have not read lady Susan but will look for that now!

[julieg_quebec-julesselivre]

It’s ok Kim! 😅 Mansfield Park is on my tbr… I don’t know when I’ll get to it but it looks like there is no emergency! 🙂 I watched the adaptation of Pride & Prejudice with Kiera Knightley for the first time last Monday. It was good but Colin Firth remains my favorite Mr.Darcy! 🥰