If Jane Austen Blogged A-Z (and a GIVEAWAY)

I "borrowed" this idea from the extremely talented S. L. Hennessy over at Pensuasion. She is one of the incredible bloggers hosting the A-Z Challenge this year and to provide participants with some inspiration, she has written two Characters Who Blog posts that are just so great: Ingo Blogtoya and Blog-ementary, My Dear Watson. I am eyeball-deep in my Master's of Arts thesis right (I actually just typed "write" there initially) which is a detailed look at Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I think, speak, dream, and I would guess even bleed Jane Austen at this point so when I saw S. L.'s posts I couldn't help but consider how Jane Austen might blog A-Z. So, I am taking a break from thesising to write this post!

I'm only going to include first or last names of characters in Austen's six complete novels with a few added "extras" here and there. At the end, I'll leave a couple of fun questions for you to try and answer in relation to those "extras." As you read through, see how many characters you can place in their proper novels (Hint: The characters within each letter are listed in order of the publication date of the novels they appear in - but sometimes there is more than one character from each novel.)

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Original image: Holly Hayes

It will be a truth soon universally acknowledged that a reader in search of a fascinating blog need go no further than Little Bits of Ivory. After all, it's been over two hundred years since my first publication and I am more famous today than I was then! This new-fangled A-Z Challenge is rather intriguing so I cannot help but participate.

A - Anne
B - Brandon, Bingley, Bennet, Bertram
C - Cassandra, Collins, Charlotte, Crawford, Catherine
D - Dashwood, Darcy, de Bourgh
E - Elinor, Edward, Elizabeth, Elton, Edmund, Emma
F - Fitzwilliam, Ferrars, Fanny, Frederick
G - Georgiana, George
H - Henry, Harriet
I - Isabella
J - Jane
K - Kitty, Knightly
L - Longbourn, Lydia, Lucas
M - Marianne, Mary, Maria, Morland, Musgrove
N - Netherfield
O - officers
P - Pemberley, Price
Q - Quirk Books
R - Regency
S - Smith
T - Tilney
U - Udolpho, Mysteries of
V - Val McDermid
W - Willoughby, Wickham, Woodhouse, Wentworth
X - Xerxes
Y - "Yes" by McAlmont and Butler
Z - zombies, Zellweger (Renee)

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So, how did you do? Could you associate all of the characters with their novels?

Here's a little "extras" quiz:
1. Which novel has the most character names listed A-Z?
2. Which name is NOT one of Austen's character's? (Hint: The name is actually her sister's)
3. Place names are listed from only one novel. Which novel?
4. O, Q, R, U, V, X, Y, and Z have their own special significance. Any guesses?

If I get at least five participants via the comments in my little quiz by April 30th, 2015, I'll send a Jane Austen swag bag (includes: a copy of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Emma, and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict - so far!) to the person who gets the most answers correct!

A-Z Challenge: M is for Mansfield Park

Wow, it's time for 'M' posts already and because 'M' is the 13th letter of the alphabet and there are a total of 26 letters in the alphabet, that means we are half way through A-Z! Good on us! So far, I'm having a blast!

In keeping with my "All Things Grad School" theme, M is for Mansfield Park. I'll be studying Jane Austen for my Master's thesis and Mansfield Park just happens to be Austen's third published novel (1814). Like all of Austen's novels, Mansfield Park centres around a major female character, in this case, Fanny Price. At age ten, Fanny moves from the home of her economically poor parents to be raised by her alternately rich Aunt and Uncle whose home goes by the same name as the novel's title. From the onset, her cousin Edmund is the only member of the family who takes a liking to Fanny and therefore treats her with kindness. Inevitably, Fanny falls in love with Edmund and after a few misguided infatuations with other characters, Edmund realises his love for Fanny as well. All ends happily (so to speak) in Austen's novels.

I won't get into my theory that Austen's novels actually make a mockery of "happy endings" and marriage in particular because I'm sure it would bore you to tears. On the other hand, if you care to read it, leave me a note in the comments and I would be more than willing to email it you.

Mansfield Park is Austen's longest novel and it also, in my opinion, is her most boring novel. When I was reading Austen's collection of complete novels, Mansfield Park was the hardest to get through. Interestingly enough, though, it was my analysis of Mansfield Park that my professor felt was the strongest in my paper. If you've read an Austen novel or even watched a film adaptation, you know that her work is known for its central strong female characters. While Mansfield Park does centre around a female character, Fanny Price just doesn't have the strength and independence embodied by Austen's other leading ladies. Mansfield Park and the dear Fanny Price find their place at the bottom of my Austen novel ranking.

I have yet to watch the 1999 film adaptation of Mansfield Park or the 2007 television adaptation. I have them in my possession, though, and hope to get to them soon. Perhaps the screen versions will hold my attention better.


Have you read or watched Mansfield Park? What did you think?