Just a quickie this week, since unfortunately it’s all about the films at the moment, but we would like to draw our Gentle Readers’ attention back at least momentarily to the fact that all these new films are based upon novels, and indeed very good ones.

ETA: We nearly forgot! The discussion of The Midnight Bell by Francis Lathom will begin Sunday (that’s tomorrow) at Molland’s. Jump right in to the discussion.

Laurie Viera Rigler, author of The Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, has written a really lovely article about Persuasion for about.com.

If you’ve ever felt like your family didn’t treat you the way they should; if you’ve ever been misunderstood, misled, or misguided in any way, then Persuasion will speak your language. If you’ve ever yielded to the opinions of others over what your heart told you to do, if you’ve ever given up someone because you were told you had to, if you’ve ever wasted even a tiny bit of this short life holding onto resentment instead of opening up to forgiveness and love; then you will get your second chance to make things right with Persuasion.

We especially agree with this part:

And as an added bonus, the book has the best love letter of any novel you’ll ever read.

YES! Thanks to Alert Janeite Laura S. for the link!

The Telegraph has an interesting article about reading among the younger generation, which touches a bit on Jane Austen.

But does it matter? Isn’t an obsession with books just an out-of-date, middle-class hang-up?

Ministers don’t lament the fact that people don’t paint watercolours any more. Posh and Becks admit they never open a book and they haven’t done too badly.

Depends upon the value one places on not doing too badly.

It is unfair to blame children’s disenchantment with books on computers and DVDs when most adults prefer slumping in front of a screen to curling up on the sofa with a book.

You can’t expect your child to read - rather than watch - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when you have just sat through Sense and Sensibility without any intention of picking up a Jane Austen. If you spend evenings on eBay and never get round to finishing the latest Robert Harris, you’re not an ideal role model.

Yes! Perhaps that’s the answer for children who are too young to handle Jane Austen’s work–read it to them, or better yet, with them.

That’s all for Weekend Bookblogging this week, Gentle Readers, and always remember: Books Are Nice!