Welcome from Your Moderator

[Bill_T]

Welcome, everyone, to our discussion of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice with our very special guest, David M. Shapard. This wonderful new edition of Jane Austen's most widely-read work gives Austen the "facing page" treatment that the most useful editions of Shakespeare's plays employ.

But these editorial notes go well beyond the glossing of unfamiliar terms, offering windows into the world of the Regency -- a place and time both familiar and strange -- as well as into the intricate tracings of theme and idea that are so subtly woven into the fabric of a sparkling work of social comedy.

I'm looking forward both to your contributions, and to the insights David Shapard will be able to offer in our discussion of this most beloved of novels.

[Everyman]

My copy of the book has just been ordered, but I hope it will be permissible to join the discussion before it comes and before I have the book in hand.

[Bill_T]

As I'm certain that you're more than passingly familiar with the book, Everyman, I have little doubt that you won't be too handicapped by having to wait a few days for your new copy! I'd say fire away.

(And it might be an interesting exercise in trying to find out how much of an oft-read novel remains in one's memory. Earlier today I could not, for example, remember the name of the village in which the Bennets live, and had to finally cave in and look up "Longbourn." And I just re-read the book last month...)

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Everyman wrote:
My copy of the book has just been ordered, but I hope it will be permissible to join the discussion before it comes and before I have the book in hand.

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Message Edited by Bill_T on 05-31-2007 06:03 PM

[Melissa_W Moderator]

I don't think you'll be the only one. I'm planning on using my Norton edition - but then I'll also be busy with the Wharton for the LbW board

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Everyman wrote:
My copy of the book has just been ordered, but I hope it will be permissible to join the discussion before it comes and before I have the book in hand.

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[Jansten75]

It is a great surprise to find a discussion of P&P so soon after the spring discussion. I did not realize this was on the schedule-but am quite pleased as I have the annotated version and would like the chance to discuss it. Is there any particular schedule for progressing through the book?

[Everyman]

I notice that you don't have a topic for Film versions of P&P. Generally I avoid film versions of books I love, but it's virtually impossible to avoid seeing P&P on film or videotape at some point in your life. So maybe we should have a place to discuss film versions and comment on what we think is particularly good or not good about various versions.

[Bill_T]

It's true that this is a quick return to Austen after the discussion in Literature by Women, but we had a chance to have David Shapard join us and couldn't resist the opportunity! And there's no shortage of enthusiasm for the topic.

As for a schedule...I chose not to set on a "chapter-by-chapter" basis for a variety of reasons, but if many members of the group would like us to open threads related to particular sections of the book, please let me know.

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Jansten75 wrote:
It is a great surprise to find a discussion of P&P so soon after the spring discussion. I did not realize this was on the schedule-but am quite pleased as I have the annotated version and would like the chance to discuss it. Is there any particular schedule for progressing through the book?

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[Bill_T]

A fine suggestion! I'll start a thread for that topic.

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Everyman wrote:
I notice that you don't have a topic for Film versions of P&P. Generally I avoid film versions of books I love, but it's virtually impossible to avoid seeing P&P on film or videotape at some point in your life. So maybe we should have a place to discuss film versions and comment on what we think is particularly good or not good about various versions.

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