Project Gutenberg has teamed with the World eBook Library to make more than 300,000 e-books available for free download from July 4 through August 4, including, of course, Jane Austen’s novels (though they are all available on Gutenberg now).

The article also notes that Pride and Prejudice has been one of the top 10 downloads at Project Gutenberg within the last 30 days.

Readers of The Guardian chose P&P3 as No. 31 in their top 50 film adaptations reader poll. (Readers may remember the list previously compiled by writers at The Guardian.)

Another article in The Guardian discusses which authors have had many of their works filmed, and certainly Jane Austen falls into that list.

Although this variation of approach warns that different stories demand different solutions, it can be seen that transfers from bookshelf to multiplex raise the same consistent problems. The greatest of these is tone of voice. A novelist achieves atmosphere and moral stance through choice of words and it is almost impossible to duplicate that visually.

The standard case study in this regard is Austen. Despite her very high strike-rate as an inspiration for films, appreciation societies have consistently objected to the loss of the signature controlling wit. Emma Thompson and Deborah Moggach - in their scripts for Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Pride and Prejudice (2005) - managed to distil some of that narrative voice in the dialogue.

Yeah, well, sez you, bubba.

Another op-ed invoking Jane… *fondles Cluebat lovingly*

Can gossip serve an important social function? I will turn to one of my favorite authorities for guidance — novelist Jane Austen. I am embarrassed to say that I have never actually read Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” but I am even more embarrassed to admit that I have seen the A&E miniseries version about a million times.

*steps into on-deck circle, takes a few warm-up swings*

In any event, the libertine villain of the story, George Wickham, is only able to wreck his scandalous havoc because the hero, Mr. Darcy, is too proud of his family’s reputation to tell others of Wickham’s conduct and because the heroines, Elizabeth and Jane Bennet, are too polite to disclose the true nature of Mr. Wickham’s character to others. A little gossip may have saved poor Lydia’s reputation (at least temporarily). However, such revelations would have definitely simplified the plot and made for a much shorter and less interesting novel.

Hmm.

Well.

*shrug*

Okay.