May 2020 book of the month club

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #41

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
I'm down to less than 50 pages to go. How's everyone else doing?

1589887261423.png
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #46

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
The discussion of Pride and Prejudice starts tomorrow, so here are some questions to get us started.
Answer as many or as few you like.

Generic questions we post every month

1.
How would you rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5 *****?

2. Who was your favourite character?

3. Did you have to force yourself to get through the book or were you unable to put it down?

4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before?

5. Did you find the characters believable?

6. Is there any part of the book you would change?

7. Were there any points of view you felt the author had that you disagreed with?

A few questions specific to this book

8. What is important about the title?

9. Is Elizabeth Bennet consistent in her actions? Is she a fully developed character? How so?

10. Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters people you would want to meet?

11. Does the novel end the way you expected? Why?

12. How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?

13. What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single and/or independent women?

14. Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
 

Mia6

Mother of one and numerous ferals
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
31,105
Purraise
34,061
Location
Ohio, USA

Lola3791

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 13, 2019
Messages
2,870
Purraise
2,591
Location
Maine, USA
1. How would you rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5 *****?
I'd give it four stars.
2. Who was your favourite character?
Hmm...Mr. Bennet or Jane
3. Did you have to force yourself to get through the book or were you unable to put it down?
Depended on which part of the book I was reading
4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before?
I don't think so...
5. Did you find the characters believable?
Yes.
6. Is there any part of the book you would change?
Nothing comes to mind...
7. Were there any points of view you felt the author had that you disagreed with?
No
8. What is important about the title?
The title shows the two things Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth have about each other at first.
9. Is Elizabeth Bennet consistent in her actions? Is she a fully developed character? How so?
I think she is. She has very human emotions and actions.
10. Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters people you would want to meet?
Some of them I didn't like, such as Mr. Collins, Lydia, Lady Catherine and Mr. Wickham. I would love to meet Elizabeth and her sisters, minus Lydia.
11. Does the novel end the way you expected? Why?
I already knew how the book ends.
12. How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
I don't know.
13. What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single and/or independent women?
Women are expected to marry young and well. Mrs. Bennet was represented as if she only wanted her daughters to marry, whether they were in love or not. Single and independent women are frowned upon in society, but are not portrayed as a bad things by the author.
14. Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
Yes
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #50

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
1. How would you rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5 *****?
4 stars

2. Who was your favourite character?
Elizabeth

3. Did you have to force yourself to get through the book or were you unable to put it down?
Not actually force myself to read, but it wasn't a page turner either. In fact, I finished it with less than 24 hours left on my 21 day library loan. That said, I enjoyed the story, and am really glad I had a reason to read it, as I don't think I would have ever chosen it on my own.

4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before?
Don't think so.

5. Did you find the characters believable?
yes

6. Is there any part of the book you would change?
Probably some of the pronouns/titles used to describe characters, as I found them confusing at first. i.e. Mr. Bennet calling his wife Mrs. Bennet.

7. Were there any points of view you felt the author had that you disagreed with?
no

8. What is important about the title?
I still feel a little like this cat. :lol:
1590158135672.png


9. Is Elizabeth Bennet consistent in her actions? Is she a fully developed character? How so?
I think so. She sticks by her beliefs, yet not so much that she can't change her opinion when given reason to.

10. Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters people you would want to meet?
Some of them. I liked Elizabeth and Jane, and their sisterly bond. And, of course, Mr. Darcy. Not so much Mr. Wickham or Mr. Collins, or Lady Catherine.

11. Does the novel end the way you expected? Why?
I didn't really know how I expected it to end, however, I would have been disappointed if Jane hadn't married Mr. Bingley, or Elizabeth not married Mr. Darcy.

12. How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
I think the setting is as essential, as the era it was written, as though there's still different levels of "class" these days, they're not as defined as when there were "gentlemen" and "Ladies".

13. What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single and/or independent women?
Women were expected to spend their youth getting a good education and preparing to marry someone who will provide well for them.

14. Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
Definitely. However, I would tell them to remember it was written in the 19th century, so the style of writing takes a bit of time to get used to. Also, if you find you're having trouble keeping track of characters, do look them up on Wiki, to help keep them straight.
 

Mia6

Mother of one and numerous ferals
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
31,105
Purraise
34,061
Location
Ohio, USA
4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before?

A lot about the Regency Period in England. I had no idea about the need to marry well
because not doing so could bring poverty to a family such as the Bennets because of
women not being able to inherit estates.

6. Is there any part of the book you would change?

Yes, I wish Jane would have included details about frocks, hair, actually
all clothing and facial descriptions.
.
 

gilmargl

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,855
Purraise
4,817
Location
Germany, NRW
  1. How would you rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5 *****? 5 if only because I’d read it so many times, know the story by heart, but was still able to read and enjoy it this time round!

  2. Who was your favourite character? Not Darcy, not Elizabeth; Mr Bennet or Charlotte

  3. Did you have to force yourself to get through the book or were you unable to put it down? I was able to put it down, but read it very quickly – no problem!

  4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before? There were things I’d forgotten, but nothing new!

  5. Did you find the characters believable? The book is mostly made up of conversations and I have always wondered if people really did speak to one another in such a way. The questions they asked and the answers they gave were always so well thought out – nothing spontaneous unless provoked – and even then the reactions were those most of us would only think up a few days later – oh, I wish I’d said that!

  6. Is there any part of the book you would change? No

  7. Were there any points of view you felt the author had that you disagreed with? No, her points of view were not relevant.

  8. What is important about the title? Everyone was proud and most were prejudiced!

  9. Is Elizabeth Bennet consistent in her actions? Is she a fully developed character? How so? Not really, she is young, she believed and admired the handsome Wickham. Now she has her rich Mr Darcy!

  10. Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters people you would want to meet? They are likable only because they are human. Even if I wanted to get to know these people, they probably wouldn’t want to know me!

  11. Does the novel end the way you expected? Why? When I read this book for the first time, I was perhaps 11 or 12, and this is the way I wanted it to end. Now I’m not so sure.

  12. How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? The novel was written as a criticism of social behaviour in England at the beginning of the 19th Century. I’m not sure that the conditions there could be transferred 1:1 to anywhere else in the world even though women’s rights, love and marriage, wealth, inheritance, beauty or plainness are all issues affecting societies everywhere.

  13. What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single and/or independent women? Women are expected to be beautiful (although this may just mean that they should have no smallpox scars on their face), sing prettily, play the piano reasonably well, sew neatly, set a good table for guests, always obey their husband and run a household of servants. Mothers should do all they can to get their daughters married as soon as possible. Single and independent women are regarded as failures.

  14. Would you recommend this novel to a friend? It depends on the friend – it’s not a book for everyone. I haven’t yet met a man who admits to having read it.
Since reading somewhere that of all her heroines, Elizabeth Bennet was the author’s favourite character, the novel makes me feel quite sad. Jane Austen never married – she lived a sheltered uneventful life, with very little hope of meeting a suitable husband. She probable identified herself with someone like Charlotte. In my imagination, Jane Austen lived a romance through her heroine Elizabeth, winning the love of a dream man (Darcy) just by being herself. He is the type of man (quiet and unapproachable) who women run after. Adored by housekeepers, employees and friends, he falls in love with a girl willing to stand up to him. I have met such men in my life (although I even have one in the family, I never married one, thank goodness). Unfortunately, such men don’t change their spots on marriage. If there were a sequel to this novel, he will no doubt always have problems with the vulgar Bennet family and Elizabeth will be drawn in two directions. The Darcys in my life are still loved by their wives and many ex-wives, but hated by their (many) ex-mothers-in-law. :lol:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #54

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
4. Did you learn anything you didn't know before?
I did learn something, as I didn't know that in the 19th century adults would play card games after a dinner at a private residence.

6. Is there any part of the book you would change?

Yes, I wish Jane would have included details about frocks, hair, actually
all clothing and facial descriptions.
I agree. In fact, it wasn't till I started Googling and saw pics from the P&P movies, that it occurred to me to wonder what the characters were wearing. I did wonder what they were eating, and wished that had been mentioned too.

Since reading somewhere that of all her heroines, Elizabeth Bennet was the author’s favourite character, the novel makes me feel quite sad. Jane Austen never married – she lived a sheltered uneventful life, with very little hope of meeting a suitable husband.
Oh, that's quite sad. I really know nothing about Jane Austen, so just Googled. She was only 41 when she died, and that was only 4 years after she wrote P&P, and the year after she wrote "Emma".

Speaking of "Emma" has anyone read it?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #57

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
I wondered about that as well. Love food descriptions but Jane was all about dialogue in P&P
Generally I prefer dialogue to lengthy paragraphs of descriptions, but some mention of attire, hair and food would have been interesting. But I suppose since it wasn't written as a period piece, she didn't feel the need to tell her readers about normal life things.

So lots of dialogue. :)

1590402928961.png
 

Mia6

Mother of one and numerous ferals
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
31,105
Purraise
34,061
Location
Ohio, USA
Generally I prefer dialogue to lengthy paragraphs of descriptions, but some mention of attire, hair and food would have been interesting. But I suppose since it wasn't written as a period piece, she didn't feel the need to tell her readers about normal life things.

So lots of dialogue. :)

View attachment 336034
Such cuteness!!!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #59

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
That's it for another month! Thanks to everyone who read along and joined the discussion. Hope you'll consider joining us in June when we read Night Sins by Tami Hoag. Here's the thread: June 2020 book of the month club

As for Pride and Prejudice, for anyone anyone who hasn't read it yet, here's a quick summary. :lol:

1590837433733.png
 
Top