The New Intimacy

Naked Reader Book Club Discussion: Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto (September 27, 8-10 PM EST)

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Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by LicentiouslyYours
I am curious about who, here is a big Jane Austen fan and who is just interested in this particular book because it's erotica...
I love Jane Austen, which is probably why I wanted it so much. But in itself it is still a great erotic novel. I think it would be just fine to someone who is unfamiliar with Austen as well.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
I liked that in some of the stories from Carnal Machines as well. Never has the word "culminate" sounded so dirty!
Culminate!
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
Do you think that having read the original Austen detracted or added to reading the Hidden Lusts take on it?
I think it added, very much so. Knowing what the story is parodying helped me tremendously in enjoying it.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
Do you think that having read the original Austen detracted or added to reading the Hidden Lusts take on it?
I think it added to it, but it could be a really surreal experience to go into the original book with the images from this one in your mind.

I'm an Austen fan from way back, although oddly enough I read Georgette Heyer's Austen-inspired books first, and got a lot of enjoyment from them without having to work quite so hard.
09/27/2011
Contributor: bzzingbee bzzingbee
Quote:
Originally posted by LicentiouslyYours
I am curious about who, here is a big Jane Austen fan and who is just interested in this particular book because it's erotica...
I think i've only read one jane austen book, which I liked. I was drawn to the uniqueness of this nook as well as a longer work as opposed to the short stories i've read soany of.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by sexyintexas
Like drunk Facebooking lol!
Lil bit! But hopefully not as embarassing.
09/27/2011
Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
I think it added to it, but it could be a really surreal experience to go into the original book with the images from this one in your mind.

I'm an Austen fan from way back, although oddly enough I read Georgette Heyer's ... more
Haha, now I will have to go back and read the original again...it's been a while. I bet it would give you a whole new take on it
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Actually, I just meant that your homework was reading the excerpt above, and maybe the reviews. It'd be interesting, though, to know who's read the whole book.
I tried to read the excerpt but couldn't focus (I'd already taken the meds). I will be reading it in the morning before taking them though.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
I am a ginormous Austen fan, especially of Pride and Prejudice in particular. And the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth, ofc. I assume everyone also knows Bridget Jones is also based on P&P?
There are a ton of ton of books, movies and whatever based on Pride & Prejudice. Has anyone else seen Bride & Prejudice -- the bollywood version?
09/27/2011
Contributor: Yaoi Pervette (deleted) Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
I think it added to it, but it could be a really surreal experience to go into the original book with the images from this one in your mind.

I'm an Austen fan from way back, although oddly enough I read Georgette Heyer's ... more
What I don't understand is how much criticism this book has gotten. Mizi is certainly not the first author to write a different take on P&P. I get the feeling the fact the book contains explicit sex has a lot to do with the drama.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
I'm a few chapters in (still, bad, I know) and I'm having a hard time with it. As I'm reading it I keep getting the feeling that I'm reading a fanfiction and I have a hard time remembering that it's a parody and not supposed to be ... more
I take it you ARE a fan of the original?
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
I've never read the original. I guess partially because I thought it would probably be too dry. So I would be more inclined to read this book just because I would imagine it's not nearly as dry.
Oh, it's wonderful... romantic, sweet, funny, conflicted, and on and on and on. I didn't find it dry at all.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
What I don't understand is how much criticism this book has gotten. Mizi is certainly not the first author to write a different take on P&P. I get the feeling the fact the book contains explicit sex has a lot to do with the drama.
A lot of Austen fans love the "innocence" of her books. Though I think, if you really pay attention to what's going on in them, they are far from "innocent".
09/27/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
I am a ginormous Austen fan, especially of Pride and Prejudice in particular. And the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth, ofc. I assume everyone also knows Bridget Jones is also based on P&P?
I actually didn't know that! lol But of course, now that you say so, I see it, it's obvious.

I knew Clueless was based on Emma.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Jane Austen's work was a breath of fresh (and witty) air in the era she lived in. She was to some extent lampooning the society she saw around her, while still showing great insight into human nature.

She wrote the original Regency romances, and the rest are mere echoes (but, especially Heyer's, lots of fun.)
09/27/2011
Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by Ivy Wilde
There are a ton of ton of books, movies and whatever based on Pride & Prejudice. Has anyone else seen Bride & Prejudice -- the bollywood version?
I haven't seen it, but I would watch it if I had the opportunity.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
I think it added to it, but it could be a really surreal experience to go into the original book with the images from this one in your mind.

I'm an Austen fan from way back, although oddly enough I read Georgette Heyer's ... more
Ah, I'll have to look into those. And yes, I can't imagine reading Austen for the 1st time after having read an erotic parody.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
I take it you ARE a fan of the original?
Honestly, I've never read the original. I have read a whole lotta fanfics tho. I admit, I'm still only a few chapters in so it could get a whole lot better for me.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Yaoi Pervette (deleted) Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ivy Wilde
A lot of Austen fans love the "innocence" of her books. Though I think, if you really pay attention to what's going on in them, they are far from "innocent".
I think the fact that people don't get so upset about brain eating zombies as they do about sex says a lot about how far we haven't come as a society.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by Ivy Wilde
There are a ton of ton of books, movies and whatever based on Pride & Prejudice. Has anyone else seen Bride & Prejudice -- the bollywood version?
No, but yes, I'm aware of other material based on P&P. My brain is just at helf-speed at the moment.
09/27/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
I've never read the original. I guess partially because I thought it would probably be too dry. So I would be more inclined to read this book just because I would imagine it's not nearly as dry.
Actually, I used to hate JA when I was in school.. finding it dry, but once you sort of get used to the language, you realize it's all very dramatic and silly and funny. You really get a sense of that in the movies, I think, if you can't get it from the books.
09/27/2011
Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Jane Austen's work was a breath of fresh (and witty) air in the era she lived in. She was to some extent lampooning the society she saw around her, while still showing great insight into human nature.

She wrote the original Regency ... more
In my opinion, I think a lot of people would actually enjoy the sexual twist to this one. Who knows maybe she visualizes some of these scenarios but couldn't add them in her time lol.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Mitzi can't be here tonight--she's on a flight back to England--but I asked some questions and got some answers before she left.

1. Had you ever thought of turning up the heat on Pride and Prejudice before the current flurry of Austen rewrites began? (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the first one I noticed, but there were probably others.)

Mitzi: The idea of taking Pride and Prejudice and spinning it onto its head has appealed to me for some time, though the success of the Zombies books helped push me to actually do something about it. Taking P&P in a sexual direction, even to the point of parody, just seemed to fit my sense of humor and quirkiness. I enjoyed the Zombies books and like the whole concept of remaking a classic into something completely different, yet still keeping it recognizable to readers. In fact, I did the same sort of thing with my book In Sleeping Beauty's Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales.
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by Kake aka PoeticErotica
Oh, it's wonderful... romantic, sweet, funny, conflicted, and on and on and on. I didn't find it dry at all.
Some people do have a problem with the language. It is very different from modern writing, and you do have to sort of read between the lines at times to really get what's going on. There is an art to reading books written in older ways of writing. It's sort of like reading Shakespeare. Some people love it because of the writing; other people can't get into it... because of the writing.
09/27/2011
Contributor: removedacnt removedacnt
Quote:
Originally posted by Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
I think the fact that people don't get so upset about brain eating zombies as they do about sex says a lot about how far we haven't come as a society.
Right? God forbid there be sex!
09/27/2011
Contributor: Kake aka PoeticErotica Kake aka PoeticErotica
Quote:
Originally posted by Ivy Wilde
A lot of Austen fans love the "innocence" of her books. Though I think, if you really pay attention to what's going on in them, they are far from "innocent".
I wholeheartedly concur. You just have to read between the lines.
09/27/2011
Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Honestly, I've never read the original. I have read a whole lotta fanfics tho. I admit, I'm still only a few chapters in so it could get a whole lot better for me.
Lydia kind of sucked me in and make me giggle, horny thing!
09/27/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Quote:
Originally posted by sexyintexas
I haven't seen it, but I would watch it if I had the opportunity.
I loved it. Of course, I also like bollywood, so...
09/27/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by sexyintexas
Lydia kind of sucked me in and make me giggle, horny thing!
Lol, that's actually the part that's making me roll my eyes!
09/27/2011
Contributor: removedacnt removedacnt
So without giving too much away, what were your favorite parts of this book?
09/27/2011