Reading Jane Austen

In this episode, we finish up Emma with chapters 51 to 55. We talk about the decision for Mr Knightley to move to Hartfield, the resolution of Harriet’s story, and the final scenes between Mr and Mrs Elton. We also reflect on the insights we have gained through this close reading of Emma, and how it has changed our views of the novel.

The character we discuss is Jane Fairfax. In the historical section, Ellen briefly revisits her earlier comments about vicars, and then talks about magistrates. For popular culture Harriet talks about four books that retell some or all of the story through the point of view of a different character.

Things we mention:

General and character discussion:

• Richard Cronin and Dorothy McMillan [Editors], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Emma (2005)
• Janet Saidi, ‘Jane Fairfax Drops the Mic‘, The Austen Connection (9 September 2021)

Historical discussion:

• William Savage, ‘The Georgian Clergy’, Pen and Pension (16 May 2018)
• Charlotte M. Yonge, Talks about the Laws We Live Under (1850)
• Irene Collins, Jane Austen and the Clergy (1994)
• Alan Lambert, ‘650 years of the office of Justice of the Peace/Magistrate‘, Amicus Curiae Issue 88 (2011)
• Elizabeth Gaskell, My Lady Ludlow (1858)

Popular culture discussion:

• Naomi Royde-Smith, Jane Fairfax (1940)
  • William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1847) – the character of Becky Sharpe appears in Jane Fairfax
  • Characters from the novels of Maria Edgeworth also appear (and probably other novelists as well)
• Joan Austen-Leigh, A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma (1995)
• Diana Birchall, In Defense of Mrs Elton (1999)
• Amanda Grange, Mr Knightley’s Diary (2006)

For a list of music used, see this episode on our website.

In this episode, we talk about Jane and Elizabeth's visit to Netherfield: we consider why Jane was invited, Darcy's feelings about Elizabeth, the types of conversations everyone has and what Darcy reads.

We discuss Mr Bingley in some detail, including how he and Darcy might have met, and then Ellen talks about accomplishments. Harriet looks at how Mr Bingley has been presented in the various film and television versions of Pride and Prejudice.

Things we mention
Books:

• Sue Birtwistle, Sue Conklin, Susie Conklin, The Making of Pride and Prejudice (1995)
• Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1853)
• Hester Chapone, Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, Addressed to a Lady
• Hannah More, Coelebs in Search of a Wife
• Georgette Heyer, Cotillion (1953)

Popular culture:

• MGM, Pride and Prejudice (1940) - starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier
• BBC, Pride and Prejudice (1980) - starring Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul
• BBC, Pride and Prejudice (1995) - starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth
• Focus Features, Pride & Prejudice (2005) - starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen
• Pathé Pictures International, Bride and Prejudice (2004) - starring Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson
• YouTube, Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012) - starring Ashley Clements and Daniel Vincent Gordh
• Curtis Sittenfeld, Eligible (2016)

Creative commons music used

• Extract from Joseph Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 38. Performance by Ivan Ilić, recorded in Manchester in December, 2006. File originally from IMSLP.
• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major, iii. Allegretto Grazioso. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from George Frideric Handel, Suite I, No. 2 in F Major, ii. Allegro. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from Christoph Willibald Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice. File from IMSLP.

In this episode, we read Chapters 6 to 11 of Sense and Sensibility. We talk about how Barton Cottage and its location are described in some detail, consider how the bedrooms are shared out, the closeness between the two sisters in spite of their differences, the theme of sense vs sensibility, and the way Willoughby and Marianne criticise Colonel Brandon.

We discuss the character of Mrs Jennings, then Ellen talks about how members of the gentry spent their time, and Harriet talks about how adaptations and modernisations treat these chapters (including a discussion about how the Dashwoods have adapted to having less money). Harriet also gives an overview of the other Jane Austen podcasts that are out there.

Things we mention:

References:

• Edward Copeland [Editor], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility (2006)
• The epigrams of Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
• Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions (1899)
• Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• Max Weber (1864-1920)
• Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin, The Making of Pride and Prejudice (1995)
• Emma Thompson, The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen’s Novel to Film (1995)

Adaptations of the book:

• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (1971) – starring Joanna David and Ciaran Madden (4 episodes)
• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (1981) – starring Irene Richard and Tracey Childs (7 episodes)
• Columbia Pictures, Sense and Sensibility (1995) – starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet
• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (2008) – starring Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield (3 episodes)

Modernisations of the book:

• Joanna Trollope, Sense & Sensibility (The Austen Project #1) (2013)
• YouTube, Elinor and Marianne Take Barton (2014) – starring Abi Davies and Bonita Trigg

Other Jane Austen podcasts:

• First Impressions: Why all the Austen haters are wrong
• Bonnets at Dawn
• The Daily Knightley: A Jane Austen journey
• The Austen Archives
• Manners and Madness
• Reclaiming Jane

Creative commons music used:

• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 12 in F Major, ii. Adagio.
• Extract from

In this episode, we read the first five chapters of Sense and Sensibility. We give a brief publishing history, and talk about the themes of sense and sensibility, the lack of dialogue in the first chapter, how much money the Dashwoods have, the emphasis on caring about the arts, how very young the girls are, and the lack of presentation of Edward.

We discuss the characters of John and Fanny Dashwood, then Ellen talks about wills and marriage settlements, and Harriet gives an overview of the popular culture adaptations, modernisations, continuations and variations on the book.

Things we mention:

References:

• Claire Tomalin, Jane Austen: A Life (1997)
• Edward Copeland [Editor], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility (2006)
• Sheila Kaye-Smith and G.B. Stern, Talking of Jane Austen (1943) and More Talk of Jane Austen (1950)

Adaptations of the book:

• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (1971) – starring Joanna David and Ciaran Madden (4 episodes)
• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (1981) – starring Irene Richard and Tracey Childs (7 episodes)
• Columbia Pictures, Sense and Sensibility (1995) – starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet
• BBC, Sense and Sensibility (2008) – starring Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield (3 episodes)

Modernisations of the book:

• Sri Surya Films, Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) – starring Tabu and Aishwarya Rai
• MGM, Material Girls (2006) – starring Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff
• MWM Studios, From Prada to Nada (2011) – starring Camilla Belle and Alexa PenaVega
• Silver Peak Productions, Scents and Sensibility (2011) – starring Ashley Williams and Marla Sokoloff
• Joanna Trollope, Sense & Sensibility (The Austen Project #1) (2013)
• YouTube, Elinor and Marianne Take Barton (2014) – starring Abi Davies and Bonita Trigg

Variations on the book:

• Amanda Grange, Colonel Brandon’s Diary (2008)
• Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (2009)

Creative commons music used:

• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 12 in F Major, ii. Adagio.
• Extract from Joseph Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 38. Performance by Ivan Ilić, recorded in Manchester in December, 2006. File originally from IMSLP.
• Extract from

In this episode, we talk about the steps taken to find Lydia and Wickham, how much Darcy paid to get them married, the moral and social approach towards what Lydia has done, why Mrs Bennet thinks there will be a duel, the letter from Mr Collins, and Elizabeth’s changing feelings towards Darcy.

We discuss the character of George Wickham. Ellen talks about marriage settlements and marriage laws, and Harriet looks at how some modernisations of the book adapt the Lydia plot.

We also revisit the subject of enclosures, in response to some feedback, and talk about social inequality and how it’s not really addressed in Jane Austen’s work.

Things we mention:

Books:

• W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman, 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England (1930)
• Flora Thompson, Lark Rise to Candleford (1939)
• The works of Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870)
• Curtis Sittenfeld, Eligible (2016)
• Claire LaZebnik, Epic Fail (2011)
• Also two books Eszter included in her comment to us, but which we didn’t include in the recording:
  • Guy Shrubsole, Who Owns England? (2019)
  • Brett Christophers, The New Enclosure: The Appropriation of Public Land in Neoliberal Britain (2018)

Movies and television:

• BBC, Pride and Prejudice (1995) – starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth
• Bestboy Pictures, Pride and Prejudice: A Latter Day Comedy (2003) – starring Kam Heskin and Orlando Seale
• Pathé Pictures International, Bride and Prejudice (2004) – starring Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson
• YouTube, Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012) – starring Ashley Clements and Daniel Vincent Gordh

Creative commons music used

• Extract from Joseph Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 38. Performance by Ivan Ilić, recorded in Manchester in December, 2006. File originally from IMSLP.
• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major, iii. Allegretto Grazioso. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from George Frideric Handel, Suite I, No. 2 in F Major, ii. Allegro. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from Christoph Willibald Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice. File from IMSLP.
• Extract from Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major. File originally from Musopen.