I can see why you would not be able to get into Jane Austen.
And no, I am not refering to your intelligence at all. Simply that as a gentle comedy of mainly domestic manners it really does appeal more to women than men (I am assuming your male, sorry if I am wrong), and to fans of domestic history and light comedy. The plots are slow, not much happens - everyone knows that the protagonist will marry the rich man of consequence. It seems to be how she stitches them together and makes them believable. Nitpicking, I don't think that her pretending to be a man to be published really says anything other than the sexism of her time.

In terms of Shakespeare, I suppose the reason people still perform and love his plays is because they can perform them in many different ways easily. Perhaps because of this you can deduce that they sum up basic human emotions well and therefore can be decontextualised. I once again think it is a question of personal taste, and there is nothing wrong with that. I keep trying to force myself to read Conrad but end of giving up a few chapters in.

I work in a bookshop and I always recommend Terry Pratchett, The Unseen Academicals is selling really well and I seriously admire his talent and staying power. A genius!
(Turn that bloody gramaphone down has incorrect spelling in her username *WINS*, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:36, 1 reply)

i shall be reading unseen academicals next week
my bloody sister won't give t to me before my birthday :(
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:40, closed)

How mean!
It will be worth that wait though. Everyone seems to love it.
(Turn that bloody gramaphone down has incorrect spelling in her username *WINS*, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:46, closed)

Finished it last night
was very good.
( chenobble rocking his explorer beard on, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 17:08, closed)