Sense and Sensibility week questions

It's Sense and Sensibility week at Miss Georgiana Darcy's blog! =)  I'm happy to participate. I love Sense and Sensibility and have been looking forward to fall of 2011 ever since I became acquainted with Jane Austen, because it would be the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's first novel!!

1: When did you first read Sense and Sensibility?  Have you reread it since?  (If you're so dreadfully un-bookwormish as to have never read the book just go on to the next question.)

   I have never in my life been un-bookwormish, so this question is a delight to answer. =)

The earliest I had the book in hand may have been 2009 when I was becoming acquainted with Jane Austen. I remember poking through it to compare some places to the movie(s), and maybe read the first few chapters.

   I began it ‘for reals’ in the summer of 2010, and left off for a while…then I picked it back up later in the year, and finished it in February of this year. That was my second Jane Austen novel to be completed. Now I’ve read them all; it’s funny how this blog gave me a big push and I had suddenly had very little trouble getting through them! It’s been really fun, finishing one and starting another…=)

2: When did you first watch Sense and Sensibility? Which adaptation was it?

I first watched Sense and Sensibility in very early 2009 with one of my older sisters. This was my first Jane Austen movie to see, and consequently my first Jane Austen story to become acquainted with. How delighted I was! It was the 1995 version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

3: If you have watched/heard of more than one adaptation which one was your favorite? (Rants allowed.)

I have watched all 4 available versions. This is not like with Pride and Prejudice or Emma where I could say “my favorite by far is…” because I like the two newest adaptations very much, both of them. Even after that four-part comparison I did with Miss Bennet for the 1995 and 2008 versions, I still can’t say I have a particular favorite, because I like them in different ways. But the 1995 version is very brilliant and probably has the most points for me. It has the right feeling, all the acting was great (even if some actors weren’t cut out for the parts), and the scenery and music and costumes were splendid.

4: Which three S&S characters drive you crazy?

The 3 characters who annoy me most are…hmm…

1. Lucy Steele. She’s quite the villainess. There were times in the book where she made me feel like screaming!

2. John Willoughby. Some consider him to be half a hero, but not I.

3. Fanny Daswhood. Sometimes I feel like strangling her.

5: Which heroine are you most like: Elinor or Marianne?

Oh! Without a doubt, Miss Marianne Dashwood. I get her quite a bit in Jane Austen quizzes, and I find many similarities between us! (Several differences as well, but that’s beside the point.) Her quote “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!” describes my sentiments perfectly. I’m passionate and romantic, I love music and the pianoforte, and of course I adore reading (not poetry, however). We are also quite similar in age. =)

6: Who would be most enjoyable: (or bearable) Mr. Palmer or Mrs. Palmer?

Well, that depends on whether we’re talking about the book or the 1995 movie, circumstances, and what mood I’m in. But in general, probably Mr. Palmer because after a while I’d get tired of Mrs. Palmer chattering, especially if I just wanted to be thinking or reading. But then if I was bored I’d like to watch Mrs. Palmer in a group.  

7: What would be your reaction if you saw a re-write of Sense and Sensibility where it was Elinor who married Colonel Brandon?

“Poor Marianne!” ;-)

8: Where does Sense and Sensibility rank in your list of favorite Austen novels?

Third favorite, but very close to second. In fact this might even change one day when I read it again. I’ve read less of it than I have of my top two favorites; (P&P and Emma, which I’ve read once through, the first 10 or so chapters at least twice, and then bits and pieces different times) I’ve only read S&S once and don’t know it quite as well.