CLASSIC BOOK CHALLENGE

I remember one summer ten years ago when my boys were little and life was all about sippy cups and diapers, challenging myself to read Jane Austen--I needed something to feed my brain and Dora the Explorer wasn't doing it.

 

I started with Pride and Prejudice and struggled to get through it, until I watched the movie, and then I could keep all the characters straight and loved the book. That summer I read three of Jane's books.

Lately, I've been missing that classic literature. I have piles of really good English historicals written by contemporary authors, but I miss the classics written by British writers whose mastery of the English language proved that they are indeed from the same island as Shakespeare.

I want to reread Elizabeth Bennett’s first refusal of Mr. Darcy, all the naval banter in a Horatio Hornblower book, follow the heart ache of Jane Eyre.

So here's my challenge--finish up the novel you're reading, then blow off the dust of a classic you've been meaning to get to, or have already read. Return to old England. Escape to a time when manners and exquisite speech meant everything.

I've just finished watching the BBC version of Emma--it absolutely transported me in time for several delightful hours.  Now I plan on settling down to read Emma again. With a cup of tea. And a biscuit. Or two.

With much felicity

Therese

FREE BRITISH HISTORICAL

 

 

 

FOREVER AND A DAY is an e-book that normally sells for $5.97 is a FREE download Oct 1-5. Here is the link,  http://amzn.com/B009467Z0O

 

FOREVER AND A DAY: In a world where position and rank are everything, can two souls stand firm in their desires and their faith?

In the courts of King Louis XVIth and Marie Antoinette, a storm is brewing that will overthrow a monarchy. Caught up in the maelstrom is a young girl, who becomes a pawn in a hopeless attempt to quell the peasant rebellion. But the cost to her is greater than she could ever imagine.

FOREVER AND A DAY is a tale of an impoverished girl who is forced to leave her family to live as a pretend princess in the French royal court to appease the growing unrest among the peasants. Unfortunately, pretending to be royal requires that she accept a betrothal to an English duke. Now living in the Queen’s House (Buckingham Palace) and awaiting her marriage, she clashes with the duke’s secretary, the man who could reveal her true identity. But when his life is at stake, can she learn to wait the Lord to give her the desires of her heart?

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British Author Birthdays

Elizabeth Gaskell

 

What famous British author do you share a birthday with?

Jan- E. M. Forester

Feb-Charles Dickens

March-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

April-Charlotte Bronte

May-Robert Browning

June-Thomas Hardy

July-Emily Bronte

Aug-Georgette Heyer

Sept-Elizabeth Gaskell

Oct-John Keats

Nov-George Eliot

 

Dec-Jane Austen

FAVORITE HEROS

FAVORITE HERO LIST

Complied by Therese Stenzel www.theresestenzel.com

Thanks to all the readers who responded to my question--who is the one hero who stayed with you long after you finished a book? I have read some of these books and the heroes will not disappoint you.

I have listed the top five, and then to make it easier for you to find a hero you like, I broke it down by genre. Enjoy!

Top Five Heroes in order of popularity:

1.      Rhett Butler, from Gone With The Wind

2.      Jamie Fraser, from Outlander

3.      Fitzwilliam Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice

4.      John Knightly, from Emma

5.      John Thornton, from North and South

BY GENRE:

Young Adult

Pony Boy, from The Outsiders

Historical Fiction (American)

Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird

Harold de Vries, from She Walks In Beauty

John Murphy, from Vienna Prelude

Michael Hosea, from Redeeming Love

“Nevada", from Forlorn River

Rhett Butler, from Gone with the Wind

Historical Fiction (English)

Captain Alex Randall, from Shadow of the Moon

Collin McGuire, from A Passion Most Pure

Fitzwilliam Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice

Jamie Fraser, from Outlander

John Knightly, from Emma

John Thornton, from North and South

Lord Damerel, from Venetia

Ruark Beauchamp, from Shanna

Historical Fiction (Biblical)

Ari Ben Canaan, from Exodus

Judah Ben Hur, from Ben Hur

The apostle John, from John, Son of Thunder

Suspense

Ty Buchanan, from the Ty Buchanan Series.

Fantasy

Roland Deschain, (aka Roland of Gilead), from the Dark Tower series

Thomas Covenant, from the Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series.

Wedge Antilles, from Starfighters of Adumar

 

New British Historical

The second book in my British Missive series, FOREVER AND A  DAY is available on Amazon for $3.97

In a world where position and rank are everything, can two souls stand firm in their desires and their faith?

In the courts of King Louis XVIth and Marie Antoinette, a storm is brewing that will overthrow a monarchy. Caught up in the maelstrom is a young girl, who becomes a pawn in a hopeless attempt to quell the peasant rebellion. But the cost to her is greater than she could ever imagine.

FOREVER AND A DAY is a tale of a impoverished girl who is forced to leave her family to live as a pretend princess in the French royal court to appease the growing unrest among the peasants. Unfortunately pretending to be royal requires that she accept a betrothal to an English duke. Now living in the Queen’s House (Buckingham Palace) and awaiting her marriage, she clashes with the duke’s secretary, the man who could reveal her true identity. But when his life is at stake, can she learn to wait the Lord to give her the desires of her heart.

 

Here is the link if you want to take a peek:  http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Day-British-Missives-ebook/dp/B009467Z0O/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346882837&sr=1-3&keywords=therese+stenzel 

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DEAR JANE

Just by accident I caught the second half of a documentary on Jane Austen. The show centered around how she is celebrated in England today. There is one day (her birthday?) where lots of people, men and women, dress up in Georgian costume and parade around. It was lovely to see the cotumes and to know that I am not alone in my love for her writing. 

That show started a craving in me to reread Mansfield Park. So I started last night. It is always an adjustment to read something written over 100 years ago, but once I get into the rhythm of it, I find I can read pretty fast. Mansfield Park is not my favorite of Jane's novels, Pride and Prejudice will steadfastly remain my all time beloved book, but I thought instead of reading that one for the tenth time, I should try again to get through MP.

Sigh, the manner of speech, the profuse politleness, interesting pursuits of country life absolulty capture me. And of course, Jane always weaves in one or two ridiculous characters to make the stories real.

So entranced by Jane's writing, once I even wrote out the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice with pen and ink on parchment, just to have a feel of what it might have been like to be like her. To walk in her "slippers." 

I guess you could say I am an obsessed Anglophile with Jane Austen overtones :)

TOP TEN BRITISH MOVIE LIST

Top Ten British Movie List

1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)

2. North and South

3. Wives and Daughters

4. Pirates of the Caribbean series

5. King Arthur

6. Persuasion (BBC version)

7. Gosford Park

8. Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson version)

9. Howard's End

10. Under the Greenwood Tree