Why Read?

We wrote recently about bibliomemoirs, books about reading books. What might be called a subset of the bibliomemoir are books that try to answer the question "Why read?" Some of these books are quite literary-canon-minded, discussing reasons to read classics; others tackle a broader scope, including genre fiction, memoirs, and poetry. One book asks the question of how a classic becomes a classic; another offers essays ranging from Virginia Woolf to Jay McInerney discussing their favorite classics.  Probably if you are picking up one of these books, you don't need to be convinced to read; but perhaps you'd like to be reminded of the range of books out there, to see an author's works in a new light, or just want to understand someone else's passionate defense of a book that you dislike.

So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan

Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Contemporary Bestsellers by Lisa Adams and John Heath

How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom

Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life by James Hawes  

Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser

A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers On Why We Read Jane Austen edited by Susannah Carson  

Why Read Moby Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick

Why Read the Classics? by Italo Calvino 
 

A Guide to Young Adult Fiction Part Three: Retellings

So far in this series, I've talked about contemporary realistic young adult fiction and fantasy fiction. In today's wrap-up of this series, I'm focusing on a genre I adore: retellings.

The two main types of retellings are fairy tale retellings and retellings of other novels.

I love fairy tales, especially when young adult authors reimagine them. Here are some of my favorite fairy tale retellings, as well as some popular retellings. The story being retold is in parenthesis.

Entwined by Heather Dixon (Twelve Dancing Princesses)
Ash by Malinda Lo (Cinderella)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (Sleeping Beauty)

I also love it when authors reimagine classic stories. Here are my top choices for classic story retellings, as well as some other popular titles. The story being retold is in parenthesis.




Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Peter Pan)
Great by Sara Benincasa (The Great Gatsby)
The Fall by Bethany Griffin (The Fall of the House of Usher)
The Splintered series (Splintered, Unhinged, Ensnared, and Untamed) by A.G. Howard (Alice in 
Wonderland)
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (Romeo and Juliet)
The Madman's Daughter trilogy (The Madman's Daughter, Her Dark Curiosity, and A Cold Legacy) by Megan Shepherd (The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein)
Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum (Peter Pan)

Are there any books you would add to this list? Is there a genre I didn't cover in this series but you wish I had? Let me know in the comments!

Beyond Austen: Fiction Inspired by the Classic Novels

To be one with Jane Austen! It is a contradiction in terms, yet every Jane Austenite has made the attempt.
~E. M. Forster, "Jane Austen: The Six Novels"

Jane Austen only completed 6 novels.  It's a sad truth to those who love her writing. They are, in order of composition: Northanger Abbey; Sense & Sensibility; Pride & Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Emma; & Persuasion, with Persuasion and Northanger Abbey published posthumously. (Recent years have seen publication of some her juvenilia, including her history of England; you can also find in the library catalog an early work, Lady Susan, in a volume with two unfinished novels, The Watsons and Sanditon.)

Jane Austen's novels were first accepted into the Western literary canon in the last century, and even then, though Pride and Prejudice was already being adapted into a movie with Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson in 1940, Austen's fiction's mainstream appeal was arguably not as all-consuming as it was to become after the 1995 mini-series (starring Colin Firth) was aired.

But, as author Deborah Yaffe points out in Among the Janeites:

The Austen spinoff isn't an entirely contemporary invention. Austen herself apparently imagined afterlives for her characters, telling her family  that the fourth Bennet sister, Kitty, would eventually marry a clergyman; that her older sister Mary would settle for a lawyer's clerk; and that Emma Woodhouse's invalid father would die two years after her marriage.  The first authors to attempt an Austen spinoff were two of Jane Austen's nieces: Anna Lefroy, who knew Austen well and consulted her for advice on writing, and Catherine Anne Hubback, who was born the year after Austen's death. As a child, Hubback heard Aunt Cassandra read Aunt Jane's books aloud, and she saw the manuscripts of Austen's unfinished novels, The Watsons and Sanditon. 

It's just that there are so many now! Now, a reader looking to immerse oneself in Austen's world can find mysteries where Jane Austen or the Darcys are sleuthing. You can read Amanda Grange's "Jane Austen Heroes" series, with each novel written from the perspective of a different hero - Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Mr. Knightley. There is a series called "Pride & Prejudice Variations" and one called "Brides of Pemberley"; "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" has his own series; the "Darcy Saga"; young adult novels based on Jane Austen; "Austen Addicts"; "Jane Austen's Diaries"; "Darcy and Friends"...the list goes on and on. We'll hazard a guess that Pride and Prejudice fanfiction seems by far the most popular.

Here's an overview of some of the Austen-inspired fiction from the library catalog, chosen from Goodreads' "Best Jane Austen Fan Fiction" list. And, if you don't feel like reading, why not try a DVD?

Mysteries

Pride and Prescience, or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged by Carrie Bebris

Jane and the Man of the Cloth: Being the Second Jane Austen Mystery by Stephanie Barron 

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James 

Sequels

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues by Linda Berdoll

The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston 

Lydia Bennet's Story: The Continuing Adventures of Mrs. Darcy's Youngest Sister - A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Odiwe [eBook]

Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued by Anna Elliott [eBook]

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough 

The Bad Miss Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel by Jean Burnett 

Reimagined

An Assembly Such As This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding 

Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange 

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg [YA] 

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds [eBook] 

Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan 

Longbourn by Jo Baker 

Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway   

Jane Austen as a character

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford 

Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen's Life by Nancy Moser 

Austenmania

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler 

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties: A Cat-Lover's Romp Through Jane Austen's Classic by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, and Deborah Guyol
 

Links to Austen Fandom

Tarot of Jane Austen

Jane Austen at the Republic of Pemberley
The Republic of Pemberley is an online community dedicated to the appreciation of the work of the English author Jane Austen. 

Jane Austen's Regency World magazine

Best of Jane Austen FanFiction

The Meryton Assembly [Jane Austen fanfic]

Derbyshire Writers' Guild [Jane Austen fanfic]

The Austen Project

Each novel is a formidable engine of strategy. It is made to be - a marvel of designing and workmanship, capable of spontaneous motion at the lightest touch and of travel at delicately controlled but rapid speed toward its precise destination. It could kill us all, had she wished it to; it fires at us, all along the way, using understatements in good aim. Let us be thankful it is trained not on our hearts but on our illusions and our vanities.
~Eudora Welty, "The Radiance of Jane Austen"

First there were the Canongate Myths, "[a] bold re-telling of legendary tales — The Myths series gathers the world's finest contemporary writers for a modern look at our most enduring myths," which took us from Ancient Greece to Amazonia, China to Asgard. Soon there will be the Hogarth Shakespeare series, prose ‘retellings’ of Shakespeare’s plays for the modern reader, launching in 2016 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. But now, there is the Austen Project.

The series might be smaller in scope, with only 6 novels to choose from, but it more than makes up for it in depth. Charlotte Brontë famously dismissed Austen's work as 

An accurate daguerreotyped portrait of a common-place face; a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers—but no glance of a bright vivid physiognomy—no open country—no fresh air—no blue hill—no bonny beck. I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen in their elegant but confined houses.

However, there are countless other critics and readers to whom the novels remain beloved classics. Devotees of Austen are often called "Janeites"; this term has been around since 1894, although Austen did not become accepted into the literary canon until the 1930s and 1940s.Venerable names of English literature count themselves as Janeites, including E. M. Forster, P. D. James, and Virginia Woolf, who wrote "The balance of her gifts was singularly perfect. Among her finished novels there are no failures, and among her many chapters few that sink markedly below the level of the others."

Here are are the books that have been published so far by the Austen Project, with Curtis Sittenfeld's version of Pride & Prejudice expected in 2016.

Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope

Reimagining Sense and Sensibility in a fresh, modern new light, [Trollope] spins the novel’s romance, bonnets, and betrothals into a wonderfully witty coming-of-age story about the stuff that really makes the world go around. For when it comes to money, some things never change....

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid

 A modern retelling finds bookish minister's daughter Cat Morland joining her well-to-do friends in Edinburgh and falling for an up-and-coming lawyer who may harbor unsettling secrets.
 

Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith

The summer after university, Emma Woodhouse returns home to the village of Highbury, where she will live with her health-conscious father until she is ready to launch her interior-design business and strike out on her own. In the meantime, she will do what she does best: offer guidance to those less wise in the ways of the world than herself. Happily, this summer brings many new faces to Highbury and into the sphere of Emma's not always perfectly felicitous council: Harriet Smith, a naive teacher's assistant at the ESL school run by the hippie-ish Mrs. Goddard; Frank Churchill, the attractive stepson of Emma's former governess; and, of course, the perfect Jane Fairfax.  


What do you think of these "retellings"? Are you interested in reading an author's take on Austen's classic novels? Deborah Yaffe, author of Among the Janeites, is decidedly not a fan; in April of this year, she wrote on her blog about The Austen Project turning into "The Austen Fiasco."

 *all book descriptions are from the library catalog unless otherwise noted

Non-Fiction Devoted to Jane Austen

Jane Austen was one of a kind, and countless books have been written about her. Readers still strive to savor the details of her life during the Regency Period, as evidenced by a multitude of books, societies, and her online afterlife. The Jane Austen Society of North America is an excellent resource for every day enthusiasts and students analyzing Austen's contributions to classical literature. The Jane Austen Centre, located in Bath, England offers an online gift shop, tea room, permanent collection, and even hosts a yearly festival, where members can learn, dance, and celebrate together. Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire, was Austen's final residence, where she was able to fine tune her novels and enjoy a period of intensely focused productivity.

Austen's timeless wit and wisdom still translates into the daily predicaments we face in trying to find meaning in our own interactions with each other and a far less refined and thoughtful society. These books cover everything from etiquette, romance, social class, friendship, spirituality, and nature to give Austen devotees a vicarious sense of the world she inhabited and wrote about.

A Jane Austen Devotional (eBook) compiled and written by Steffany Woolsey

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Covers by Margaret Sullivan

The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Kantor

Jane Austen's England by Roy and Lesley Ad

Miss Jane Austen's Guide to Modern Life's Dilemmas: Answers to Your Most Burning Questions About Life, Love, Happiness (And What to Wear) From the Great Novelist Herself (eBook) by Rebecca Smith

The Real Jane Austen: A Life In Small Things by Paula Byrne

Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom by Deborah Yaffe
 
A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz

Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman

A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen edited by Susannah Carson

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist: The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England by Daniel Pool

Jane Austen's Guide to Thrift: An Independent Woman's Advice On Living Within One's Means (eBook) by Kathleen Anderson and Susan Jones

The Jane Austen Rules: A Classic Guide to Modern Love by Sinead Murphy

Jane and Her Gentlemen: Jane Austen and the Men in Her Life and Novels by Audrey Hawkridge

What Matters in Jane Austen?: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved by John Mullan

A Rambling Fancy: In the Footsteps of Jane Austen by Caroline Sanderson

A Walk With Jane Austen: A Journey Into Adventure, Love, and Faith by Lori Smith

In the Steps of Jane Austen by Anne-Marie Edwards

Jane Austen's Country Life: Uncovering the Rural Backdrop to Her Life, Her Letters and Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye

All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey With Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith

It Takes Guts

A primal connection exists between our brain and our gut. We often talk about a “gut feeling” when we meet someone for the first time. We’re told to “trust our gut instinct” when making a difficult decision or that it’s “gut check time” when faced with a situation that tests our nerve and determination. This mind-gut connection is not just metaphorical. Our brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a highway of chemicals and hormones that constantly provide feedback about how hungry we are, whether or not we’re experiencing stress, or if we’ve ingested a disease-causing microbe.
~Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg, "Gut Feelings - The 'Second Brain'  in Our Gastrointestinal Systems"

We've heard a lot recently about the "second brain" in our stomach. Johns Hopkins Medicine says it's "hidden in the walls of the digestive system" and that "[s]cientists call this little brain the enteric nervous system (ENS). And it’s not so little. The ENS is two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to rectum." The ENS doesn't think for itself, but it is in constant communication with your brain and may trigger emotional changes in people with bowel problems (irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, etc.) - so it's not just that depression affects your bodily functions, but that depression might be caused by them.

It's an interesting concept, right? With that on our minds, we've compiled a list of some of the most recent books in the catalog about your stomach and guts and how they work.  Check them out, see what you think - but of course consult your physician before you make any decisions regarding your health!

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health by Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, and Erica Sonnenburg, PhD

Gutbliss: A 10-Day Plan to Ban Bloat, Flush Toxins, and Dump Your Digestive Baggage by Robynne Chutkan

Clean Gut: The Breakthrough Plan For Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing Your Health by Alejandro Junger

Follow Your Gut: How the Ecosystem In Your Gut Determines Your Health, Mood, and More by Rob Knight 

The Gut Balance Revolution: Boost Your Metabolism, Restore Your Inner Ecology, and Lose the Weight For Good! by Gerard E. Mullin, M D, associate professor of medicine at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine [eBook]

Gulp: Adventures On the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
 

Classic Crime Documentaries

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst is now on DVD, and you can place your hold on this chilling documentary. The Jinx raises many questions about justice, evidence, and the legal options for an ultra wealthy real estate icon. Durst is suspected in the disappearance of his wife Kathleen Durst, the murder of his friend Susan Berman,, and he was also tried and acquitted in the death and dismemberment of his neighbor Morris Black. Why isn't he behind bars? The Jinx will answer these questions and show you what the best possible defense can buy, right up until the point the client brings it all crashing down.

For a visit to the other side of the tracks, check out Amy Berg's documentary West of Memphis. Berg's documentary chronicles the harrowing journey of the West Memphis Three, the title for three Arkansas teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Miskelly Jr., who were wrongfully convicted in the homicide of three eight-year-old boys. Michael Moore, Steven Branch, and Christopher Byers were found in Robin Hood Hills in horrifying circumstances. Their deaths triggered a traumatic reaction from a town steeped in religion. The "Satanic panic" gripping the time this crime occurred in overrode the investigation and three more boys paid the price of hysteria and prejudice. West of Memphis reveals what the defense had to go through in order to get Echols off of death row after eighteen years of solitary confinement and the confounding compromises of an Alford plea for all three convicted men.

Werner Herzog's pensive documentary Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life, takes viewers into the heart of the death penalty and considers the perspectives of the condemned, victims, executioners, and a sensitive pastor who attended countless executions, ministering right up to the end. Herzog makes his position on this issue clear, but his gifts as a director make it possible for opponents to state their experiences and opinions candidly.

Errol Morris has directed and produced many outstanding documentaries, but The Thin Blue Line still stands out as an enthralling documentary about wrongful convictions and how important it is for citizens to invoke their Miranda rights when questioned by the police. Morris's re-enactment of crucial events and an eerie accompanying soundtrack by Philip Glass draws viewers in to the sinkhole of being an innocent man whose life is stolen. The Thin Blue Line is a masterpiece of journalism and tenacity from a director who brought new possibilities for justice through documentary films.

Dear Zachary: A Letter To His Son About His Father by Kurt Kuenne is a wrenching journey through the Canadian legal system, as experienced by David and Kate Bagby. The Bagby's only son Andrew, a beloved young doctor was murdered by a disturbed woman named Shirley Turner, who gave birth to their grandson Zachary. The film focuses on the Bagby's fight to win custody of Zachary, while enduring a convoluted extradition process between Canada and the United States, so that Shirley could stand trial for murdering Andrew. Kuenne travels through America and England, interviewing Andrew's friends and relatives, in order to present Zachary with memories of the father he would never meet. Ultimately, Dear Zachary becomes a different testimonial about the nature of good and evil, and the inexcusable failures of a justice system that disregards victims' rights.

For more mind blowing documentaries, check out the following DVDs:

The Jeffrey Dahmer Files

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Crime After Crime

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden

Frontline: The Real CSI

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger

Capturing the Friedmans

Tabloid

Plunder: The Crime of Our Time

An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story

Deliver Us From Evil