Reading A to Z: A is for Austen

Jane Austen may not be the most original A name for books, but she has penned some of my favorite stories. I had to read Pride and Prejudice in high school and also fell in love with the A&E series starring Colin Firth. I aspired to be an independent woman like Elizabeth. And who wouldn't want to end up with a man like Colin Firth? I mean Mr. Darcy? Mrs. Bennett makes anyone's crazy mom seem almost normal. And I love the relationship between Elizabeth and her father. It reminds me of the relationship I had with my own father.



I next read Sense and Sensibility. I had actually seen the movie first, and again fell madly in love with it. That was my introduction to Kate Winslet, also. I read the book while lying in the grass one summer and was impressed at how closely the movie actually followed the book. The unrequited love that Elinor and Marianne have for their men is heartwrenching and familiar. 



Mansfield Park is all about the naughtiness that Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund get themselves into as they grow into adulthood. Fanny finds herself experiencing new feelings when the glamorous Crawfords come to town. I love the relationship that the cousins share, especially as they navigate these unfamiliar waters.




I am ashamed to say that these are the only three that I have read. I have started the others, but then always get distracted from finishing them. I often try to see the movies and immerse myself in the stories that way. But when I read, I love the language and how it rolls around in your mouth like a bunch of marbles. They are some of the most romantic stories I have ever read, and don't have to include a lot of smut and sex. Timeless classics that will stand the test of time.