NORTHANGER ABBEY, Twitter Version (Chapters 1-8)

NORTHANGER ABBEY is, sadly, perhaps the most underrated book in the Austen canon. It is also becoming one of my favorites. (In truth, they are all my favorites.) The more I read and re-read this novel, the more I appreciate its humor, its heart, its wise commentary on human nature, and the lessons it provides, not only for those coming of age as teenagers, but those of us who are coming of age at any stage of life. And its famous defense of the novel form is worth the price of the book.

The heroine of NORTHANGER ABBEY, Catherine Morland, reminds me to see the world anew through the eyes of someone who is anything but jaded. Her innocent and naïve belief that people say exactly what they mean is both poignant and refreshing.

Experience is a great teacher to Catherine, and so is the irresistable hero of the book, Henry Tilney, who embodies all that is best about an Austen hero, or indeed, any hero: humor, compassion, and intelligence.

How could a young girl (or any woman) not fall in love with Henry Tilney?

I love NORTHANGER ABBEY so much that I decided to make it the next subject of my Twitter experiment, i.e., I've decided to tweet the entire novel, 140 characters at a time, just as I did (and had so much fun doing) with PERSUASION.

                           
[The delightful 2007 ITV adaptation, starring JJ Feild as Henry Tilney and Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland, penned by the inimitable Andrew Davies and directed by Jon Jones.]

 

[I'm in the minority for sure, but I love this version as well. It stars Catherine Schlesinger and Peter Firth, who later became the fabulous Harry of my favorite thriller series, MI-5 (Spooks in the UK).]

Here are the first eight chapters tweeted thus far. To read them as they come out, follow me on Twitter. To read them in periodic digest form, check this blog periodically or subscribe to its feed. When I finish tweeting the entire novel, I will post it on my site.  

In the meantime, if you'd like to read the Twitter version of Jane Austen's PERSUASION, go here.  

Tweets of Chapters 1 through 8 of Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY:  

Chapter 1:

"From fifteen to seventeen [Catherine] was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read"

Yet Catherine "had reached the age of seventeen, without having seen" anyone worth falling in love with."

Indeed, Catherine had never "inspired one real passion" herself, only "very moderate and very transient" admiration.

"But when a young lady is to be a heroine,…something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."

And so Catherine accepts the invitation of her neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Allen, to travel with them to Bath.

For "if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."

Chapter 2:

Catherine's "heart was affectionate; her disposition cheerful and open, without conceit or affectation of any kind."

"When in good looks, pretty -- and her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is."

But instead of warning Catherine about noblemen who seduce young girls, Catherine's mom only advises her to dress warmly.

And on the journey, "neither robbers nor tempests befriended them, nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero."

When they arrive at Bath, Catherine is "all eager delight… She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already."

1^st they shop. Mrs. Allen, Catherine's host, tho' good-natured, has "a trifling turn of mind" and a passion for clothes.

Finally, Catherine's first ball in Bath: Crowded, not a friend in the room, and not a chance of being asked to dance.

Yet, at the end, she hears "two gentlemen pronounce[] her to be a pretty girl"—and so the evening is not a total loss.

CHAPTER 3:

At the next ball, Catherine even gets to dance. Her partner is Mr. Tilney, who, "if not quite handsome, was very near it."

"There was an archness and pleasantry in his manner which interested, though it was hardly understood by her."

Tilney mocks the empty words that men & women must say when first they meet--& Catherine is unsure if she should laugh.

"I see what you think of me," said he gravely -- "I shall make but a poor figure in your journal tomorrow."

& "I know exactly what you will say: Friday, went to the Lower Rooms…was strangely harassed by a queer, half-witted man…"

C: "Indeed I shall say no such thing." T: "Shall I tell you what you ought to say?" C: "If you please." 

T: "I danced with a very agreeable young man… seems a most extraordinary genius -- hope I may know more of him."

T: "That, madam, is what I wish you to say."

C: "But, perhaps, I keep no journal." T: "Perhaps you are not sitting in this room, and I am not sitting by you."

 

Mrs. Allen interrupts, worried she might have torn a hole in her gown, a favorite tho' it cost only nine shillings a yard.

 Tilney: "That is exactly what I should have guessed it, madam." Mrs. Allen: "Do you understand muslins, sir?"

"Particularly well…my sister has often trusted me in the choice of a gown. I bought one for her the other day."

Mrs. Allen is impressed. "Men commonly take so little notice of those things…what do you think of Miss Morland's gown?"

"It is very pretty…" said he, gravely examining it; "but I do not think it will wash well; I am afraid it will fray."  

"How can you," said Catherine, laughing, "be so ----- " She had almost said "strange."  

Mrs. Allen prattles on, Tilney politely answering, & Catherine wonders if he's having just a little too much fun w/Mrs. Allen's silliness.  

Still, Catherine ends the night with a definite wish to see him again. Whether she dreams about him that night is unknown.

 

For "it must be very improper that a young lady should dream of a gentleman before the gentleman is first known to have dreamt of her."

Chapter 4:

Next day, Mrs. Allen runs into a friend, Mrs. Thorpe, whose daughter Isabella befriends Catherine. Tilney’s a no-show.

It seems Isabella knows Catherine’s brother, James Morland. He and Isabella’s brother John are college friends.

Catherine's so happy w/Isabella that she almost forgets Tilney: “Friendship is...the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love."

Chapter 5:

Still no sign of Henry Tilney the next day. But at least Catherine can distract herself with gothic horror novels. “Yes, novels.”

For “if the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?”

“Let us leave it to the Reviewers to…talk…of the trash with which the press now groans… Let us not desert one another.”

 “We [novelists] are an injured body…Our foes are almost as many as our readers…”

“There seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labour of the novelist.”

"Oh! it is only a novel!”…”only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed…”

It is only a work that displays “the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties…”

It is only a work in which “the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.”

Chapter 6:

Novels ease the pain of MIA Tilney. Says Catherine, "while I have Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could make me miserable."

Meanwhile, Isabella schools Catherine in the mysteries of men: One must " treat them with spirit, and make them keep their distance."

And so when Isabella spots 2 "odious young men" staring at her in the Pump Room, she grabs Catherine & takes off in pursuit of them.

Chapter 7:

The odious young men are forgotten, for Catherine's brother James Morland arrives with Isabella's brother, John Thorpe.

And when Isabella passes the "offending young men" while walking w/Catherine, James, & John, "she looked back at them only three times."

Catherine endures John Thorpe's bragging about his horse & ignorant remarks about novels. But he does ask her to dance w/him that night.

Chapter 8:

Thorpe's late for the ball. Isabella swears she will not dance without Catherine "for all the world"  but does so anyway.

Poor Catherine! Asked to dance, yet "sharing with the...other young ladies still sitting down all the discredit of wanting a partner."

Ah--there's dishy Henry Tilney, talking to a young lady whom Catherine guesses to be his sister, rather than "lost to her forever."

Henry asks Catherine to dance, & she very reluctantly says no, as she's promised to Thorpe, who shows up a moment later.

Thorpe proves to be not only inconsiderate in his lateness, but an excruciatingly boring dance partner.

Luckily Henry's sister, Eleanor, stands next to Catherine at the dance & has something intelligent and interesting to say.

Catherine no sooner escapes Thorpe than finds that Henry Tilney has tired of waiting and asked another girl to dance. Dang.

"Catherine was disappointed and vexed. She seemed to have missed by so little the very object she had had in view…"

This Twitter version of NORTHANGER ABBEY is brought to you by Jane Austen, displaying the liveliest effusions of wit and humour since 1811.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 24 (The End)

It is time to bid a fond farewell to my favorite novel. Until I read it again, that is. Here is the last batch of tweets for PERSUASION, Twitter version.

 

[Dueling Wentworths: Ciaran Hinds (L) as Captain Frederick Wentworth in the1995 Persuasion, Rupert Penry-Jones (R) in the same role in the 2007 film. ]

PERSUASION, CHAPTER 24:

"Sir Walter made no objection" to Anne's engagement, "and Elizabeth did nothing worse than look cold and unconcerned."

Capt W "was no longer nobody. He was now esteemed quite worthy to address the daughter of a foolish, spendthrift baronet."

Besides, Capt W is a handsome man. And we know that looks are almost as important to Sir Walter as rank.

As for Lady Russell, she had no choice but "to admit that she had been pretty completely wrong" about Capt W & Mr. Elliot.

Lady R "found little hardship in attaching herself as a mother to the man who was securing the happiness of her other child."

As for Mary, "if they could but keep Captain Wentworth from being made a baronet, she would not change situations with Anne."

Elizabeth Elliot "had soon the mortification of seeing Mr. Elliot withdraw," thus sinking her "unfounded hopes."

When Mr. Elliot left Bath for London & Mrs. Clay became his mistress, "it was evident how double a game he had been playing, "

Though prevented from being the wife of Sir Walter, who knows whether Mrs. Clay may yet end as the wife of Sir William Elliot.

Sir Walter & Elizabeth are "shocked and mortified" by Mrs. Clay's deception. And sorry to be deprived of her sycophantic charms.

With such a family, Anne has only Lady R and Mrs. Smith to offer as friends to her new husband, who attaches himself to both.

Capt W helps Mrs. Smith recover her husband's West Indies property. And her health even improves.

Mrs. Smith's "spring of felicity was in the glow of her spirits, as her friend Anne's was in the warmth of her heart."

"Anne was tenderness itself, and she had the full worth of it in Captain Wentworth's affection."

This Twitter presentation of PERSUASION has been brought to you by Jane Austen,  hastening us to perfect felicity since 1811.

Next up: a Twitter version of NORTHANGER ABBEY...

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 23 (part 2)

[Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root zeroing in for a kiss in the glorious 1995 film version of Persuasion, directed by Roger Michell.]

PERSUASION tweets continue: When last we left Anne, she was reading Capt. Wentworth's words in his letter: "I have loved none but you."

"Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath."

 "For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?"

 "I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine."

 "I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice…"

 "…but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature!"

 "You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men."

 "Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W."--"I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return…."

 "A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."

 Next up on PERSUASION, Twitter version: Anne must find a way to send word to Capt W : "a word, a look," but not a text or tweet.

 "Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from…Every moment...brought fresh agitation. It was overpowering happiness."

 Charles, Mary, & Henrietta arrive. "She began not to understand a word they said, and was obliged to plead indisposition."

 Their concern & hovering makes things worse. If only they would let her go home alone so she can run into Capt W…

Anne does run into Capt W—but Charles is with her. How can she manage "a word, a look" on the DL?

Thankfully Charles has to run & asks Capt W to take Anne home—she can barely refrain from doing a happy dance on the spot.

 & so Anne & Capt W "exchanged again those feelings and those promises which had once before seemed to secure everything."

 Yet those feelings and promises "had been followed by so many, many years of division and estrangement."

 "They returned again into the past, more exquisitely happy...in their re-union, than when it had been first projected."

 They were now "more tender, more tried, more fixed in a knowledge of each other's character, truth, and attachment."

 They could now "indulge in…explanations of what had directly preceded the present moment…"

 She was right; jealousy of Mr. Elliot had held him back. "It had been vanquished at last" by her talk w/Captain Harville.

 And so " he had seized a sheet of paper, and poured out his feelings….nothing was to be retracted or qualified."

 "He persisted in having loved none but her… He never even believed himself to see her equal."

 He admits "he had been constant unconsciously, nay unintentionally…he had meant to forget her, and believed it to be done."

 "He had imagined himself indifferent, when he had only been angry…he had been unjust to her merits, because he had…suffere[d] from them."

 This bit of Regency self-help is brought to you by Jane Austen, "ahead of her time since 1775." Persuasion, Twitter version, continues soon…

 "Her character was now fixed on his mind as perfection itself, …the loveliest medium of fortitude and gentleness…"

 But "only at Uppercross had he learnt to do her justice, and only at Lyme had he begun to understand himself."

 "At Lyme…the passing admiration of Mr. Elliot had…roused him, and the scenes on the Cobb…had fixed her superiority."

 Full of "angry pride," he had tried "to attach himself to Louisa Musgrove," but "he had not cared, could not care, for Louisa."

After the accident, he saw "the perfect excellence of the mind with which Louisa's could so ill bear a comparison…"

And he realized "the perfect unrivalled hold" which Anne's mind "possessed over his own."

He could now "distinguish between the steadiness of principle and the obstinacy of self-will…"

He now saw the difference "between the darings of heedlessness and the resolution of a collected mind."

He saw "everything to exalt in his estimation the woman he had lost."

And he "deplore[d] the pride,…the madness of resentment, which had kept him from trying to regain her." About time, dude!

Capt W's "penance had become severe." Even worse, says he, ""I found…that I was considered by Harville an engaged man!"

Realizing that Louisa's family & Louisa might feel the same, Capt W saw that he was "hers in honour if she wished it."

"I had been unguarded…I had been grossly wrong, and must abide the consequences." [Ah, if only we had consequences 2day]

And so Capt W did what any man would do: he fled. "meaning after a while to return...and act as circumstances might require."

Capt W visited his bro, who asked if Anne had changed, "little suspecting," says Capt W, "that to my eye you could never alter."

Anne smiles. "It was too pleasing a blunder" and she felt "it to be the result, not the cause of a revival of his…attachment."

Capt W had remained w/his bro,"lamenting…till at once released from Louisa by the astonishing…intelligence of her engagement."

And so Capt W did what any man would do: he went to the woman he loved. Got jealous. Made assumptions. & nearly quit the field.

But now all is well. Anne arrives home and enjoys "an interval of meditation, serious and grateful." Ah, yes. Regency Xanax.

Later Anne tells Capt W that tho' Lady Russell's advice to her @ age 19 turned out to be wrong, Anne was right to have listened.

 "I was…right in being guided by the friend whom you will love better than you do now." Capt W looks at Lady R & says: "Not yet."

Yet he cannot help but wonder: "whether there may not have been one person more my enemy even than that lady? My own self."

He asks if he had proposed again when he returned in 1808 w/a few grand and a posting on a ship, would she have then said yes?

"'Would I!' was…her answer…'Good God!' he cried, '…It is not that I did not think of it, or desire it…but I was…too proud...'"

"This…recollection…ought to make me forgive every one sooner than myself. Six years of…suffering might have been spared."

Persuasion, Capt. Wentworth, cont'd: "I have been used to the gratification of believing myself to earn every blessing that I enjoyed."

 "'Like other great men under reverses, he added, with a smile. 'I must endeavour to subdue my mind to my fortune.'"

 "I must learn to brook being happier than I deserve."

 
This Twitter presentation of PERSUASION is brought to you by Jane Austen, "showing us our better guide since 1811." 

MORE TO COME. Follow me on Twitter.

 

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapters 22 - 23 (part 1)

Here is the latest installment of my PERSUASION tweets for Chapters 22 and the first part of 23, complete with teasers and faux-commercial breaks. 

Enjoy.

 

[Amanda Root as Anne Elliot and Ciáran Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth in the stunning 1995 film adaptation of PERSUASION.]

Persuasion, Ch22:

Anne is now repulsed by the disingenuous Mr. Elliot—how to reveal the truth about him to her fam is the question…

Meanwhile, Mrs. Clay encourages Elizabeth Elliot in her delusions that SHE is Mr. Elliot's object. Dream on, sister.

And the Oscar goes to… Mrs. Clay for pretending to like Mr. Elliot's visits despite his trying to sabotage her.

Anne about to expose Mr. Elliot to Lady R (mind out of gutter, please) when Mary and Charles Musgrove unexpectedly arrive.

"Anne was really glad to see them; and the others were not so sorry but that they could put on a decent air of welcome."

Anne visits Mary & hub at their hotel: They're w/Mr. & Mrs. Musgrove, Henrietta, & Capt H. & then-DRUMROLL: HE arrives.

HE being, of course, Capt. Frederick Wentworth. Clutch the pearls. Tho' convinced he has feelings for her,  Anne frets.

She fears "that the same unfortunate persuasion, which had hastened him away from the Concert Room, still governed. "

"Surely," Anne thinks, "if there be constant attachment on each side, our hearts must understand each other ere long."

"We are not boy and girl, to be...misled by every moment's inadvertence, and wantonly playing with our own happiness."

"And yet, a few minutes afterwards," they fall prey "to inadvertencies and misconstructions of the most mischievous kind."

Mary spots Mr. Elliot from a window and makes Anne look—and Anne can feel how Capt W makes all the wrong assumptions.

Anne wins points w/Capt W when Charles proposes skipping the Elliots' boring card party, & Anne wishes she could.

"You have not been long enough in Bath," says Capt W to Anne, "to enjoy the evening parties of the place."

"Oh! no," says Anne. "The usual character of them has nothing for me. I am no card-player."

"You were not formerly, I know," says Capt W. "You did not use to like cards; but time makes many changes."

"'I am not yet so much changed,' cried Anne, and stopped, fearing she hardly knew what misconstruction."

"After waiting a few moments he said... 'It is a period, indeed! Eight years and a half is a period.'"

And then, "the door was thrown open for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general chill."

"The comfort, the freedom...of the room was over, hushed...to meet the heartless elegance of her father and sister."

Elizabeth issues her party invitation to all, including the formerly snubbed Capt W—he'll look well in her drawing room.

Anne cannot believe that Capt W will accept her sister's invite "as an atonement for all the insolence of the past."

Anne goes home, intent on "harassing herself with the never-ending question": Will Capt W come to the party or not?"

Chapter 23:

Next morning: Anne returns to the Musgroves' hotel, where Capt W is busily writing a letter for Capt Harville.

At the other table, Mrs. Musgrove is telling Mrs. Croft about Henrietta's engagment—she's happy it won't be a long one.

Mrs. Croft agrees: "To begin without knowing…there will be the means of marrying, I hold to be very unsafe and unwise."

It is, adds Mrs. Croft, "what I think all parents should prevent as far as they can." Anne sees Capt W's reaction to this.

His "pen ceased to move, his head was raised..and he turned round...to give a look, one quick, conscious look at her."

Coming up in PERSUASION: Do women love longer than men, or are men just as faithful?

"Look here," says Capt Harville to Anne, showing her a miniature painting of Capt Benwick. "You may guess who it is for."

"But," (in a deep tone,) "it was not done for her...do you remember our walking together at Lyme, and grieving for him?"

"This was drawn…in compliance with a promise to my poor sister…and I have now the charge of getting it...set for another!"

"'He undertakes it;' (looking towards Captain Wentworth,) 'he is writing about it now.'"

"And with a quivering lip he wound up the whole by adding, 'Poor Fanny! she would not have forgotten him so soon!'"

"No," replied Anne... "That I can easily believe." Capt. Harville: "It was not in her nature. She doted on him."

"It would not be the nature of any woman who truly loved."

Still to come in PERSUASION: Anne speaks the words that launch the letter that makes 2 centuries of readers believe. In love. & 2nd chances.

This Twitter presentation of PERSUASION is brought to you by Gowland: "For a clearer, fresher way to withstand a baronet's gaze."

Persuasion, Ch.23 continues:

"We certainly do not forget you as soon as you forget us." (a kind way to say men hv attention-deficit-romance-disorder.)

"We cannot help ourselves. We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us."

Men have work to occupy their minds, Anne adds. They are "forced on exertion." But not Benwick, says Capt Harville.

Anne: "It must be nature, man's nature, which has done the business for Captain Benwick."  Capt. Harville disagrees.

"I will not allow it to be more man's nature than woman's to be inconstant... I believe the reverse," says Capt. Harville.

Men's bodies are stronger, & so are their feelings, says he. That may be, says Anne, "but…ours are the most tender."

Anne thinks men endure much in the world. " It would be hard, indeed...if woman's feelings were to be added to all this."

Which is right about when Capt W drops his pen, and Anne suspects he's been straining to hear her conversation.

Capt Harville & Anne agree that it can never be proved; books point to women's inconstancy, but they were written by men.

And then, Capt Harville puts in one last eloquent plea for his sex, to prove how strongly men love their women and kids.

"If I could explain…all that a man can bear and do, and glories to do, for the sake of these treasures of his existence! "

"I speak, you know, only of such men as have hearts!" pressing his own with emotion." [Don't you love this guy?]

"Oh!" cried Anne eagerly, "I hope I do justice to all that is felt by you, and by those who resemble you."

"God forbid that I should undervalue the warm and faithful feelings of any of my fellow-creatures!"

"I should deserve utter contempt if I dared to suppose that true attachment and constancy were known only by woman."

"All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one)...is that of loving longest, when..hope is gone."

This Twitter presentation of PERSUASION has been brought to you by Gowland: "When letting the blinds down is not enough."

Persuasion, Ch23 continues:

"You are a good soul," says Captain Harville to Anne affectionately. "There is no quarreling with you." He & Capt W leave.

Anne is baffled by Capt W's manner. " …from him not a word, nor a look! He had passed out of the room without a look!"

And then he's back—forgot his gloves—and crossing to Anne, places a letter before her "with eyes of glowing entreaty."

 

"Hastily collecting his gloves," he's gone again—"the work of an instant!" Anne's feelings are "almost beyond expression."

"On the contents of that letter depended all which this world could do for her. Anything was possible..."

And so "her eyes devoured the following words: 'I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you...'

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever."

"I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago."

"Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you."

Still to come in PERSUASION: More of The Letter. Till then, fans and smelling salts at the ready.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapters 20 (part 2) - 21

When last we left Anne sitting with her amorous cousin (what can I say, it's a nineteenth-century thing), Mr. Elliot, at the concert, he had momentarily distracted Anne from her joyful realization that finally, Captain Wentworth's heart seems to be returning to her. But Mr. Elliot is playing the flattery game...

[Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest Captain Wentworth of them all? Please don't make me choose...]

Persuasion, Ch20, continues:

"The name of Anne Elliot...has long had an interesting sound to me." Says the spider to the fly.

"And, if I dared," says he, "I would breathe my wishes that the name might never change." Put a cork in it, Mr. Elliot.

Anne has no wish to drink the KoolAid. She only wants THE ONE. But how to escape the suffocating circle of her party?

Finally Anne speaks with Capt W, who is once again reserved. No sooner does he warm up when Mr. Elliot barges in. Grrrr!

Result: Capt W says he's outta there. "Is not this song worth staying for?" says Anne, suddenly realizing he's jealous.

"No!" says he, "there is nothing worth my staying for." And with that he's gone. Ouch. The man is definitely green-eyed.

Jealous! "For a moment the gratification was exquisite." And yet...without text or tweet, "How was the truth to reach him?"

Mrs. Smith tells Anne that everyone thinks Anne will marry Mr. Elliot, & she hopes Anne will influence him on her behalf.

Mrs. Smith encourages Anne to marry Mr. Elliot, but when Anne says no way, Mrs. Smith sings a different tune.

It seems that Mrs. Smith and her late husband were close with Mr. Elliot, but he abandoned her after Mr. Smith's death.

Mr. Elliot is executor of Mr. Smith's estate, yet refuses  to disentangle Mrs. Smith's desperate financial affairs. Dog.

Mr. Elliot is "a cold-blooded being," says she. (Hello, weren't you trying to get Anne to marry him a minute ago??)

Mrs. Smith says that although Mr. Elliot fell in love w/Anne, his 1st motivation to reconcile w/her family was mercenary.

Mr. Elliot fears that Eliz's friend Mrs. Clay will marry Sir Walter. And if she has a son, HE will be the next Sir Walter.

Anne shudders to think that if not for her own pre-engaged heart, she might have been persuaded to marry that duplicitous dog.

Anxious to find out how this triangle of Anne, Captain Wentworth, and Mr. Elliot resolves itself in a Twitter-less, social-networking-devoid world?

I'll be tweeting the final chapters after I return from my travels on July 9th.

Till then, be happy, be healthy, and be persuaded to read Jane!

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapters 18-20, part 1

Greetings, Gentle Readers.

Herewith I present the latest group of tweets of Jane Austen's PERSUASION. Enjoy (and do read the book, which is ever so much more delightful):

Persuasion, Ch18:

Breaking news: Louisa is to marry Capt. Benwick, not Capt. Wentworth! Louisa and Benwick?? WTF? Fetch my smelling salts!

Anne refrains from breaking into song while hoping that Capt W & Capt B have not 86'd their friendship over Louisa.

Admiral Croft provides Anne w/status update on Capt W: He does not appear to be heartbroken at all. (Smile.)

Persuasion, Ch19:

And then Anne runs into the man himself: "It was agitation, pain, pleasure, a something between delight and misery."

Capt W is somewhat self-conscious with Anne, perhaps even embarassed. Please sir, may I have some more? But then…

…Mr. Elliot whisks Anne away, leaving Capt W to hear the gossips of Bath yammering that Anne & Mr. Elliot are an item.

If only Anne could see Capt W again, but she is neither free to call nor able to tweet. Perhaps he will be at a concert…

Persuasion, Ch.20:

Capt W arrives—and Anne is so friendly that he tells her his opinion of Benwick and Louisa's engagement. Dish it, dude.

Aside from Benwick's superiority of mind to Louisa, says Capt W, Benwick's fiancée had been an extraordinary woman.

 "A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman. He ought not; he does not," says he.

Anne is "struck, gratified, confused, and beginning to breathe very quick, and feel an hundred things in a moment."

Lady Dalrymple & her spawn arrive at the concert, and Anne is separated from Capt W as she and her party take their seats.

All Anne can think of are Capt W's words, "his half averted eyes and more than half expressive glance." (Hmm...)

"All declared that he had a heart returning to her at least; that anger, resentment, avoidance, were no more…"

It seems all his coldness has been "succeeded, not merely by friendship and regard, but by the tenderness of the past."

"She could not contemplate the change as implying less. He must love her." (Grabs fan, swoons on fainting couch.)

Mr. Elliot tantalizes Anne with cryptic statements of how he had heard praise of her for years before they met.

Mr. Elliot won't reveal his source, who "had inspired him with the highest idea of her merit." Man is a flattery machine.

"Anne…wondered, and questioned him eagerly; but in vain. He delighted in being asked, but he would not tell." Sneaky...

The rest of Chapter 20, and more, to follow...

Catch up here for the next installment, or follow me on Twitter.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 16-17

And now, for your reading pleasure, is a recap of tweets for Chapters 16 and 17 of my favorite Jane Austen novel, PERSUASION:

Persuasion, Ch16: Sir Walter wonders why Anne's skin looks "clearer, fresher." Gowland's Lotion? Botox? Facelift? No, wait. This is 1815.

Superficiality Central: Sir W & Elizabeth agog over the arrival of their noble cousins, Lady Dalrymple & her daughter.

Anne finds Lady D and her spawn yawn-worthy at best—embarrassed by her fam's bowing & scraping.

Anne a bit suspicious of the ever-smooth Mr. Elliot. She is, as usual, alone in her feelings.

Persuasion, Ch17:  Anne renews a friendship with Mrs. Smith, an old schoolfellow who had been kind to 14-yr-old Anne after her mother died.

Mrs. Smith is now a poor sickly widow, and Anne marvels at her cheerfulness in such a dismal situation.

"Here," thought Anne, "was that elasticity of mind, that disposition to be comforted…It was the choicest gift of Heaven."

Sir Walter disapproves of Anne's friend. "And what is her attraction?" says he. "That she is old and sickly." Helluva guy.

Mr. Elliot, however, praises Anne for her kindness towards her friend. Lady Russell believes that he is in love with Anne.

Anne flattered but just not that into Mr. Elliot. Besides, her heart belongs to another. Even if his belongs to Louisa.

                                  Follow the story here or on Twitter.

[Corin Redgrave as Sir Walter Elliot. The perfect fop.
"A widow Mrs. Smith lodging in Westgate Buildings! A poor widow barely able to live, between thirty and forty; a mere Mrs. Smith, an every-day Mrs. Smith, of all people and all names in the world, to be the chosen friend of Miss Anne Elliot, and to be preferred by her to her own family connections among the nobility of England and Ireland! Mrs. Smith! Such a name!"]

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 13-15

One of my favorite blogs, The Guardian Books Blog, has a piece on Twittering the classics. I see I'm not the only insane person doing this.

And on that note, here is a recap of Persuasion, Chapters 13, 14, and 15, Twitter version:

["Mrs. Clay had freckles, and a projecting tooth, and a clumsy wrist, which he was continually making severe remarks upon, in her absence; but she was young, and certainly altogether well-looking, and possessed, in an acute mind and assiduous pleasing manners, infinitely more dangerous attractions than any merely personal might have been."]

Read it here, or follow the story on Twitter!

Chapter 13:

The news from Lyme: Louisa's "intervals of sense and consciousness… believed to be stronger."

To Anne "There could not be a doubt, to her mind there was none, of what would follow her recovery."

Anne leaves Uppercross with a sigh. "Scenes had passed...which made it precious… pain, once severe, but now softened."

There had been "some breathings of friendship and reconciliation, which could never be looked for again..." Hanky, please.

Chapter 14:

Charles Musgrove tells Anne that Capt Benwick has been praising her & will visit soon. Mary, ever jealous, denies it.

Anne is flattered, but Benwick never does show up.  Meanwhile, " Louisa was now recovering apace."

Anne and Lady Russell arrive in Bath, Anne to live with her father and Elizabeth (oh joy); Lady Russell for the season.

The 1st thing Anne learns is that Mr. Elliot, her admirer from Lyme, has been attempting a reconciliation with her father.

Chapter 15:

Anne, "anticipating an imprisonment of many months," must now endure Sir Walter's & Elizabeth's company. And Mrs. Clay.

Mrs. Clay, Elizabeth's friend, and sycophant extraordinaire, clearly has her sights on being the next Lady Elliot.

So does Elizabeth, but as Lady to Mr. Elliot, heir-presumptive of the Elliot family. He's been sucking up to Sir Walter.

Mr. Elliot is perfectly charming. But why, Anne wonders, is he suddenly so interested in her family? Is it Elizabeth?

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 12

And so, friends, we've reached the end of another chapter in the Twitter version of Austen's masterpiece, Persuasion. If you haven't read the book yet, do it now! Here are the tweets:

 

Persuasion, Ch12: At the seaside, Anne notices a gentleman admiring her. & Capt W noticing, too. Nothing like a little jealousy to get their attention.

Turns out the man checking out Anne is her cousin, the heir to the Elliot estate and very much on the outs with Sir Walter

Yes, cousins could flirt and even marry. Not that Anne gives any of that a thought. Especially after what happens next...

Anne and friends descend the steep steps of the Cobb, but Louisa insists on being jumped down them by Capt. W.

"In.. their walks, he had had to jump her from the stiles; the sensation was delightful to her." Sexual innuendo, anyone?

Capt W thinks the jump too steep, but Louisa is determined. She jumps; he misses—she falls lifeless to the ground. OMG.

Everyone freaks. Benwick running to get surgeon, Henrietta fainting, Mary hysterical. Anne is the only clear-headed one.

Louisa is carried to the Harvilles, where she must stay until—if—she awakens. Capt W wants Anne to stay and nurse her.

Mary jealous (surprise) at idea of Anne staying instead of her, so Anne returns to Uppercross with Capt W & Henrietta.

Soon as Capt W (gulp) breaks the news to Mr. & Mrs. Musgrove, he leaves Anne and Henrietta and rides back to Lyme. Buh-bye.

Next up: Chapter 13, in which Anne takes her bittersweet leave of Uppercross.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 11

And now for your reading pleasure, a recap of my latest tweets from Persuasion, Chapter 11:

Anne, Capt W, Mary, Charles, Louisa, & Henrietta take a fateful trip to Lyme to visit Capt W's dear friend Capt Harville.

So welcoming are the Harvilles to the whole party that Anne cannot help but think, "These would have been all my friends."

Staying with the Harvilles is Capt. Benwick, who is mourning the loss of his dead fiancée, sister of Capt. Harville.

Anne befriends Capt. Benwick by talking to him of his other great love, poetry. She relates to his sense of loss.

And yet, she thinks, "[Benwick] is younger than I am; …He will rally again, and be happy with another."

END OF CHAPTER 11. Next up: A succession of life-changing events.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 10

Here's a recap of Persuasion, Chapter 10, in all its 140-character-per-tweet glory (minus the repetition of "Persuasion, Chapter 10" at the beginning of each installment):
 

Anne believes Capt W in love with neither Louisa nor Henrietta and oblivious to the jealousies & rivalries of all.

Then, on a long walk, she has occasion to hear, unseen, Capt W & Louisa together. And what she hears is a game-changer.

Anne hears Louisa telling Capt W that Anne refused Charles (Mary's hubby's) hand years ago, persuaded to do so by Lady R.

Anne also hears Capt W praising Louisa for being unpersuadable. And when Henrietta returns with smiling BF, all is clear.

"Everything now marked out Louisa for Captain Wentworth; nothing could be plainer."  The era of Anne is over.

Admiral & Mrs. Croft happen by in their gig, and Capt W makes sure Anne rides w/them; his hands place her in the carriage.

"she owed it to his perception of her fatigue...He could not forgive her, but he could not be unfeeling."

"it was a proof of his own warm and amiable heart," and she knows not whether it gives her more pleasure or pain.

Admiral & Mrs. Croft entertain Anne with speculations as to whom Capt W will marry. Mrs. C seems unimpressed w/ the girls.

....END OF CHAPTER 10. Next up: Anne, Mary, Charles, Captain Wentworth, Louisa, and Henrietta go on a fateful journey to Lyme.

Read it here, or follow it on Twitter.

Persuasion, Twitter Version: Chapter 9

Oh how I love Persuasion! I'm sure I've read it twenty times and never tire of it. And I'm having so much fun tweeting it in 140-character bits.

Here are my Chapter 9 tweets. You can also follow the story on Twitter.

Persuasion, Ch 9: It is Louisa Musgrove whom Capt W loves. No, it is Henrietta. Such is the horserace that Anne must watch.

Persuasion, Ch9: One morning Anne & Capt W find themselves almost alone—only the little injured boy is there. Capt W as discomposed as Anne.

Persuasion, Ch9: Then Charles Hayter, Henrietta's jealous BF comes in. So does the little boy's brother, who clings to Anne's back.

Persuasion, Ch9: Hayter commands the boy to leave Anne alone, but it is Capt W who actually removes the boy from Anne and carries him away.

Persuasion, Ch9: Capt W's kindness & proximity to her person require "a long application of solitude and reflection" before Anne can chill.

Persuasion: Twitter Version, Chapter 8

Here's a recap of Chapter 8. Enjoy, and follow me on Twitter!

Persuasion, Ch8: Anne often sees Capt W at the Musgroves, but they are "worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted." Sigh.

Persuasion, Ch8: Capt W declares naval ships unfit for the comfort of ladies, while his sister, Mrs. Croft, declares him an idiot. Politely.

Persuasion, Ch 8: Anne's eyes fill with tears as she watches Capt W dance with the other ladies, while to her he is frosty freeze.

Persuasion: Twitter Version, Chapters 1-7

Some days ago I had the silly idea to chart the story of Persuasion, which is my favorite Jane Austen novel, on Twitter.  I must say that I'm finding the challenge of tweeting plot points, 140 characters at a time, and attempting to make them interesting, and even amusing at times, exhilarating.

And the comments they're receiving on Facebook and Twitter are really gratifying. As well as hilarious.

Here's a recap of my tweets so far, Chapters 1-7:

Persuasion, Ch.1: Sir Walter Elliot, baronet, engages in 19th cent. Wikipedi-ing: Rereads and edits entry on the Elliots in The Baronetage.

Persuasion, Ch1: Sir Walter drowning in debt and vanity. 911s agent Mr. Shepard and friend Lady Russell for advice.  On the down low.

Persuasion, Ch2: Lady R and Anne, Sir W's daughter, make repay plan. Sir W and eldest daughter Elizabeth prefer to dine and dash. To Bath.

Persuasion, Ch.2: Anne hates Bath. But must cohab with her peeps. Family crib, Kellynch Hall, will be rented out. Also on the DL.

Persuasion, Ch.3: Shepherd wants Sir W to rent Kellynch to Admiral Croft. Sir W offended at very idea of a mere sailor occupying his home.

Persuasion, Ch4: Anne discomposed for another reason entirely. Admiral Croft is the bro in law of one Capt. Wentworth. Fans self. Sighs.

Persuasion, Ch4: 7 years ago Anne and Capt. Wentworth were engaged. He had no $, so Sir W & Lady R (almost a mother to Anne) said no way.

Persuasion-Ch4: Anne yielded to her fam. And never got over it. Nor did Capt. Wentworth. Who took off, made a bundle, and never called.

Persuasion, Ch.5: Anne delays joining the fam in Bath because she's summoned to Uppercross by hypochondriac married sister Mary. What fun!

Persuasion, Ch6: Escaping to Uppercross does not = escaping a meet w/Anne's ex, as the Musgroves (Mary's in-laws) are determined to meet him

Persuasion, Ch7: Anne steels herself for the inevitable reunion w/Capt. Wentworth: a dinner party at the Musgroves. Fate intervenes.

Persuasion, Ch7: Mary's eldest boy dislocates collarbone day of the fateful dinner. Anne, not Mary, is happy to stay home--& dodge bullet.

Persuasion, Ch7: Anne figures if Capt W wanted to see her he would have reconnected long ago when he made his fortune.  But he never had.

Persuasion, Ch7: Next morning Capt W stops by to pay respects. No one knows he and Anne were once engaged. Awkward beyond words.

Persuasion, Ch7: Capt W is as gorgeous as ever. But, says he, Anne is "so altered he should not have known [her] again.'" Ouch, dude.

Persuasion, Ch7: He has not forgiven Anne. And is ready to fall in love with either of the Miss Musgroves; it matters not which one.

More to come later. Follow me on Twitter and see for yourself! More important, if you haven't read Persuasion--and I mean the actual book--do treat yourself to a most wonderful story about second chances.

Persuasion: Twitter Version

Just for fun, I'm going to try and chart the story of Persuasion via Twitter, 140 characters at a time. Shouldn't all platforms be in the service of Austen?

Here's my first entry:

Persuasion, Ch.1: Sir Walter Elliot, baronet, engages in 19th cent. Wikipedi-ing: Rereads and edits entry on the Elliots in The Baronetage.

Granted, it's not brilliant. It's not even literature. But you try and describe the first part of Chapter 1 in 140 characters. It's a fun challenge. Go ahead. In the comments.

Next up: The second half of Chapter 1!

Follow me on Twitter! 

Ten Ways to Cope Without The Complete Jane Austen Series

by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

[This is my guest post for  Jane Austen Today.]

What? No more weekly doses of Austen on PBS? Fear not, my fellow addicts. Help is here. All you need to do is follow this ten-part program.

Re-reading Austen's six novels (or reading them for the first time) will of course play a big role in this program. Ah, but what accompanies each read will make your experience even sweeter.   

1. Try Northanger Abbey for your first post-Masterpiece read. Why Northanger Abbey? One reason could be that it was the first of Austen's novels to be accepted by a publisher—who then couldn't be bothered to publish it. Idiot. Thumbing your nose at such stupidity is one reason to read it first. Another, even better reason, is that NA's a fun way to shake off the post-Masterpiece blues.

•    After you read the book, see what it's like to be Catherine Morland, the heroine of Northanger Abbey. How? Drive or walk around your city or town and pretend you are seeing it from the point of view of someone who has never been there and finds it fascinating and exciting. See? You're experiencing your world like Catherine experienced the city of Bath. If you're hard pressed to find something exciting or fascinating about your world, go into the nearest flower garden and learn to love a hyacinth. Or just think about how a young woman from the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century might respond to some of the modern technological wonders you take for granted.  Like hot showers, for example. Flush toilets in every house. Mascara. Tampons.

•    Then, top off your newfound sense of wonder and appreciation for your world by firing up your DVD player with the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey* starring J.J. Feild and Felicity Jones. There. Aren't you feeling better already?

•    *Ready for more? Try the 1986 adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Though it's unpopular with a lot of Janeites, you might, like me, find it entertaining.

2. Read Sense and Sensibility.

•    After you close the book on Elinor and Marianne, imagine what happens next. (We all know these characters are real and keep living their lives after the books end, don't we?) Here's a fun situation to ponder: What happens the first time Edward and Elinor go to London and have dinner at Edward's mother's house—and are sitting across the table from Lucy and Robert? What do they talk about? Imagine Elinor sitting in the drawing room after dinner with Mrs. Ferrars and Lucy. And here's another one to consider:  Should Marianne, or Mrs. Dashwood, ever confront John Dashwood about his broken promise to help them financially? If you were to write that speech, what would you have Marianne say? Or should the Dashwood ladies let John's own guilty conscience do all the work?

•    Now that you've survived all those Dashwood/Ferrars family reunions, reward yourself with a screening of the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson Oscar-winning Sense and Sensibility (1995)*  And while you're at it, order yourself a large pizza, chocolate cake, and/or a trough of margaritas. Yes. This program is definitely working.

3. Read Pride and Prejudice.

•    After you read the book, imagine that you are Elizabeth experiencing your first visit to Rosings as Mrs. Darcy. (Lady Catherine has cooled down by now and consoles herself by hoping that her nephew will be so fortunate as to become widowed at a young age and redeem himself by taking a second wife, i.e., Anne de Bourgh.) Amuse yourself by observing the gyrations of Mr. Collins when he and Charlotte join the Rosings party for dinner. As Elizabeth once said to Mr. Darcy, "Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."

•    But wait, there's more. It's time to watch the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle P&P mini again (one can never watch it too many times), and/or the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley, depending on whether your idea of Mr. Darcy is Colin Firth or Matthew MacFadyen or both. The 1995 mini is a great excuse to have a pajama party (where I grew up, we called them slumber parties). And one is never too old to have a slumber party. Send the kids away for sleepovers and banish any curmudgeonly significant others. Then, bring in lots of goodies, because five hours of viewing requires a great deal of fuel. There's all that fencing and swimming and dancing and taking refreshing turns around the room. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. No matter which film you watch (or even if you watch both), be sure to buy the soundtrack of the 2005 film and play often. It's stunning.

4.  Read Mansfield Park.

•    Even if you're a reader who can't quite warm up to Austen's heroine Fanny Price (I feel your pain, but do give her some time; she grew on me after awhile), you can have a lot of fun thinking about how this book could have ended but didn't. For me, that's the most fascinating, thought-provoking aspect of Mansfield Park. As Patricia Rozema, director of the controversial 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park, put it in her screenplay, "It could have all turned out differently, I suppose. But it didn't." With that in mind, imagine what would have happened if Edmund had married Mary Crawford, and if Fanny had given in and married Henry Crawford. Happy marriages? Reformed rakes? Or a disaster?

•    As compensation for the lack of a truly satisfying Mansfield Park film (see below)*, you get to watch the lovely 2007 BBC mini of Sense and Sensibility instead. I know, it's Sense and Sensibility, not Mansfield Park, and you just saw it on TV, but who cares? It's worth seeing again. It'll make you feel good. And isn't that what this program is all about?

*I'm one of the minority of Janeites who liked  the 1999 Patricia Rozema adaptation of Mansfield Park, but I liked it more as a story inspired by Mansfield Park than as an adaptation per se. Rozema's rendering of Fanny Price is more like the director's idea of a young Jane Austen than the protagonist Jane Austen wrote for Mansfield Park. And Rozema's vision of the story's subtext is pretty dark. But then again, the book itself is perhaps the least "light, and bright, and sparkling" of Austen's works. By the way, there is a fascinating article on this film by Kathi Groenendyk in JASNA's journal Persuasions: As for the latest adaptation that aired on PBS, it has such a truncated version of the story that one wonders how anyone who didn't read the book could figure out what's going on. Mrs. Norris, Fanny's main nemesis, has mysteriously turned into a bland creature. And Fanny Price looks entirely too 21st-century and wears cleavage-baring day dresses (none of this is the fault of the actors, but still). As for the 1983 BBC mini, the heroine is more faithful to the book than its companions. However, while the principal actors are unquestionably talented I couldn't quite see some of them in their roles. And it's got that static, video-on-a-stage feel of early BBC productions that I find challenging to watch.

5. Read Emma.

•    After you finish the book, play a little game called "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." You'll need to play with a single friend (preferably a single friend who would like to be in a couple). Each of you sits down and writes a list of qualities that your friend's perfect, future mate should possess. Do not reveal what is on your lists until both of you are finished writing. Now share. You may be surprised to find that your lists differ greatly. When you read your friend's list, refrain from exclamations of horror unless one of the items on that list includes "must be incarcerated in a maximum security prison." Now, give your list to your friend to take home with her. Tell her she is free to cross out whatever she doesn't like on your list and keep whatever she does like. Or burn the whole thing. If she cares to share her final list with you, you may keep your eyes open for appropriate candidates and discreetly point them out to her. That's "point them out," not shove them in her face. Remember, you are "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." If your friend doesn't care to share her final list, then graciously wish her all the best in finding her dream partner and promptly change the subject. Then, take her to Ford's (or local emporium of your choice) to buy a new dress. Or draw her picture. Without a potential mate watching the proceedings. See? You're a better, happier human being already.

•    Now that you've had a successful run at self-improvement, Jane Austen-style, you deserve to have an Emma film festival. That's three very clever films indeed: The Kate Beckinsale/Mark Strong-starrer, the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam movie , and the brilliant Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone and directed by Amy Heckerling. Three fabulous films means you get to invite at least three friends over to have a viewing party or slumber party. And stock up on provisions, for a private screening of three films, without sitting down to supper, [would be] pronounced an infamous fraud upon the rights of men and women.

6.  Read Persuasion.

•    After you finish the book, amuse yourself by imagining whether or not Mrs. Clay will indeed become the next Lady Eliot. If she does, will Anne and Frederick, or any of her family, ever visit Sir William and Lady Eliot? How will Mary's health survive it? Or Elizabeth's pride? Or on a pleasanter note, will Capt. Wentworth allow his wife on board his ship? If so, what exciting places will Anne visit?

•    Watch the lovely, 1995 adaptation of Persuasion starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds. Optional: the 2007 version of Persuasion.  Although Austen's story is compressed into a scant 93 minutes in the latest version, this one is also worth watching, particularly if you love Rupert Penry-Jones as much as I do. Besides, the DVD restores the small but significant bits that were cut from the PBS broadcast.

7. Join the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and mingle with fellow Janeites at local and national meetings. I know what you're thinking, and yes, the rumors are all true. It's a cult. We have a secret handshake. We aim for total world domination. Okay, you can stop sweating now. I'm kidding. Really. JASNA is a community of warm, welcoming, fun-loving people who love Jane Austen and love getting together and talking about their favorite author with like-minded people. Like you. There are local reading groups (think Jane Austen Book Club, but usually with more than just the six Austen novels), regional get-togethers with fascinating speakers, entertainment, and delicious food, special screenings for members, and annual general meetings (AGMs) in a different city each year with talks and panels and workshops and English country dance lessons and a banquet and a Regency ball. At my first AGM I thought I'd died and gone to Austen heaven. 

8. Watch a film that's so life-affirming and joyful that it merits a place of its own on this list: Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood-meets-Hollywood tribute to Pride and Prejudice. It's way better than a year's supply of antidepressants or a gallon of Absolut martinis. Hint: This one merits a party or at least inviting one friend over to watch with you. First, order in Indian food. Then, before popping in the DVD, unearth floaty scarves from your wardrobe or nearest accessory emporium, and keep them on hand to wave around while you dance along with the various musical numbers. Be sure to buy the soundtrack and play it in your car or on your iPod while commuting to work the next day. I feel better just thinking about it.

9. Now that you've got that Indian groove thang going, try English country dancing. Then you can watch all the movies set in Jane Austen's time again, and at the ballroom scenes you can dance along. There are many places to learn English country dancing, and from my experience, the people are friendly and welcome beginners, and there's no need to bring a partner with you. Some dance societies hold regular dances and even annual balls. In Southern California, check out Vintage Dance & History. Nationwide, go to the English Country Dance Webring and the Country Dance and Song Society.

10. Finally, take a trip back in time to Regency England. No, I haven't lost my mind. I have, however, written a novel that will transport you to 1813 England. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict  is the story of a modern L.A. girl and Austen fan who wakes up one morning as an Englishwoman's in Austen's time. As of April 29, Confessions comes out in paperback, which means the fare to Jane Austen's world becomes even more affordable.

If you have another item or two to add to this list, I would love to hear your suggestions, and I'm sure the readers of this blog will thank you. Just enter your suggestions as a comment .

Persuasion: Jane Austen's Story About Second Chances

by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of  Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

(This is my first guest post for About.com's Classic Literature Blog.)

Bringing in a New Year is all about second chances. This year, we vow, we will do it right. We have a second chance to take better care of ourselves. We have a second chance to be kinder, wiser, and better human beings. It is therefore fitting that Masterpiece Theatre’s Complete Jane Austen ushers in this New Year with the Austen novel that is all about second chances, Persuasion.

If you haven’t yet read Persuasion, you now have a second chance to do so. If, like me, you’re already a Jane Austen addict, then you’ve probably read the book several times and will no doubt do so again. If you’re not already an admirer of Austen, then you may be under the misguided impression that Austen wrote fluffy romances that were all about who got to marry the rich guy and where the stories were as archaic as the characters’ horse-drawn carriages. Not so. Granted, Austen novels always include a love story, and yes, her books do predate the four-door hybrid. Nevertheless, her characters are as real and relevant as the people sitting across from you at the dinner table, in the office, and at your favorite dance club/bar/coffeehouse/bookstore/hangout. Jane Austen was as keen an observer of human nature as you’ll ever come across in life or literature, and human nature hasn’t changed a bit since women wore bonnets and men knee breeches.

If you’ve ever felt like your family didn’t treat you the way they should; if you’ve ever been misunderstood, misled, or misguided in any way, then Persuasion will speak your language. If you’ve ever yielded to the opinions of others over what your heart told you to do, if you’ve ever given up someone because you were told you had to, if you’ve ever wasted even a tiny bit of this short life holding onto resentment instead of opening up to forgiveness and love; then you will get your second chance to make things right with Persuasion.

Persuasion is the story of Anne Eliot, who has never got over a romantic disappointment she had when she was 19 years old. She has little support from her ruin of a family, which consists of a vain, widowed father and a self-centered, caustic older sister. Eight years before, Anne had fallen in love with and got engaged to Frederick Wentworth, a bright, earnest young man whose lack of money and career prospects set Anne’s status-conscious family against the marriage. Her surrogate mother, whose advice Anne trusted above all, persuaded Anne that the only right thing to do was to give up the engagement. Now, eight years later, Anne’s family is in financial trouble, and Frederick Wentworth, now Captain Wentworth, is back in town and rich from the spoils of the Napoleonic Wars. Problem is, he’s never forgiven Anne for breaking his heart. In fact, he proceeds to flirt with other women right in front of her.

Is it man’s nature to forget the woman he loves sooner than woman forgets man? Is an invariably determined person any wiser than an easily persuadable one? And most important, will Anne and Frederick ever get what they really want? Persuasion is a page-turning, heart-stopping story that I’ve read at least twenty times, and I find something new and illuminating in it with every reading. It is also, like all of Austen’s novels, filled with delicious social satire and wickedly funny moments.

Still not persuaded? How about this suggestion: If the latest Persuasion film doesn’t send you running for your nearest bookstore (and I hope it will), then rent the 1995 version directed by Roger Michell and starring Ciarán Hinds and Amanda Root. If you do, I guarantee you will not be able to resist having that book in your hands. And as an added bonus, the book has the best love letter of any novel you’ll ever read. So good you’ll want to commit it to memory. (“Tell me not that I am too late…”)

It’s not too late to read Persuasion. Take your second chance. And Happy New Year!

Surrender to your Austen addiction at janeaustenaddict.com.