First Impressions: Why All the Austen Haters Are Wrong
84 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 51 ratingsWelcome Jane Austen lovers and haters alike! Kristin and Maggie discuss how Austen's classic novels have influenced their lives and challenged them to be better people.
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Episodes
Ep 32: Movie Review: Mansfield Park 2007 (Billie Piper)
October 21, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBGentle listeners, rejoice! We're reviewing another Austen movie adaptation, this one the 2007 ITV adaptation of Mansfield Park, starring Billie Piper as Fanny Price. Listen as we discuss Fanny's spunky badminton chops, Haley Atwell's winsome take on Mary Crawford, and Edmund's incomprehensibly strange bangs. To nobody's surprise, Kristin didn't like it. Credits for the movie can be found at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847182/
Ep 31: Part 2 of What Matters in Jane Austen - Book Review
August 19, 2018 23:57 - 1 hour - 74 MBWe're back with our second (and final) episode on John Mullan's book, What Matters in Jane Austen: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved! This time, Maggie and Kristin tackle the subjects "Did Sisters Sleep Together?" and "What Games Did the Characters Play?" Get ready from some surprising insights that stem from these basic questions, as we plumb the depths of sisterly relationships in Austen's work, and revisit one of the famous set pieces in Mansfield Park: the game of Speculation.
Ep 30: Book Discussion: What Matters in Jane Austen by John Mullan
July 17, 2018 04:37 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBFirst Impressions fans! We're SO EXCITED to release our discussion of the brilliant book, What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved by John Mullan. This book is full of surprising connections, fascinating analysis, and deep insight into Austen's life and works. In this episode we dig into two specific chapters of the book, focusing in on the topics of "sex" and "death" in Austen's work to produce our most metal podcast ever! (And you'll have to forgive the several wedding-re...
Ep 29: Part 4 of Movie Commentary for the 1995 Pride and Prejudice Miniseries
July 08, 2018 02:52 - 59 minutes - 55 MBHi First Impressions fans! We know you're all waiting with bated breath for our next major episode, but in the meantime, here's the fourth installment of our movie commentary series for the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries to tide you over. Keep your eye out for our next episode on What Matters in Jane Austen, by John Mullan, which will be coming in the next few weeks!
Ep 28: Movie Commentary Part 3 1995 Pride and Prejudice Miniseries
May 04, 2018 03:49 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBGentle listeners, rejoice! Maggie and Kristin are reunited once more, this time broadcasting from beautiful Boise, ID, where we tackle the thrilling third episode of the 1995 miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. This is a movie commentary track, so you can listen while watching the movie, or simply just follow along while doing all those boring data entry tasks at work, or folding that pile of laundry!
Ep 27: Movie Commentary Part 2 1995 Pride and Prejudice Miniseries
March 25, 2018 22:46 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBHello First Impressioners! We're continuing our commentary track series of that oh-so-perfect adaptation, the 1995 Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. The track was recorded while watching the second episode of the miniseries, but if you know the movie by heart like we do, you can also listen to it on its own! We hope to cover the whole series, so stay tuned for more tracks coming next month. And thanks for listening. :)
Ep 26: Movie Commentary: 1995 Pride and Prejudice Miniseries
February 19, 2018 02:01 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBHello First Impressioners! As promised, we're releasing the first of our commentary tracks on the 1995 classic Pride and Prejudice miniseries. The track was recorded while watching the first episode of the miniseries, but if you're familiar with the movie, Maggie tells me it can be listened to on its own as well! Stay tuned for more of these commentary tracks coming soon!
Ep 25: P&P Part 2 Part Deux
December 17, 2017 21:54 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBDear First Impressions listeners, thank you for being so patient with us. After many technical difficulties, we're so glad to present the second installment of our re-visitation of Pride and Prejudice! In this episode, we probe the Darcy-Elizabeth relationship, and how they both grow and change and come together to teach the admiring masses what conjugal felicity really is.
Ep 25: P&P Part 2 Part Deux
December 17, 2017 21:54 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBDear First Impressions listeners, thank you for being so patient with us. After many technical difficulties, we're so glad to present the second installment of our re-visitation of Pride and Prejudice! In this episode, we probe the Darcy-Elizabeth relationship, and how they both grow and change and come together to teach the admiring masses what conjugal felicity really is.
Ep 24: Bonus Ep! The Jane Game
October 30, 2017 23:19 - 1 hour - 74 MBHi First Impressions fans! We apologize for the wait for the next podcast we promised, P&P The Remix, Part 2. Due to technical difficulties we have not been able to complete that podcast yet (sad face), however, we do have a special bonus episode to tide you over while you wait! Kristin, Maggie and Bay check out a new Jane Austen trivia game, The Jane Game, for your edification and amusement!
Ep 23: More Pride, More Prejudice
August 28, 2017 03:59 - 1 hour - 93.1 MB[UPDATED FILE AVAILABLE: There seems to have been a glitch around minutes 3-5 of the first version of this podcast; we've uploaded a fixed version of the file for anyone who wishes to re-download it.] We knew you needed more, so we delivered! The girls are back to give Pride and Prejudice the complete podcast treatment, where all the minor characters can finally shine. During our first foray into podcasting Pride and Prejudice, you might have wished Kristin would shut up about her anxiety di...
Ep 22: The Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club
July 01, 2017 05:35 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBWe're back, gentle listeners, with a spirited discussion of the 2007 movie The Jane Austen Book Club (which is based on the book of the same name). Jocelyn, Sylvia, Prudie, Grigg and the gang are back, and they're still well drawn characters with rich inner lives. Despite some misgivings, we greatly enjoyed this movie, and especially liked the discussion of Mansfield Park which the book was lacking! Now if only that title sequence wasn't so cheesy... The movie's credits can be found at IMDB...
Ep 21: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Kevin and Bay
June 19, 2017 02:06 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBSomething a little different, listeners! BOYS! As you wait for us First Impressions gals to come out with our brilliant analysis of the Jane Austen Book Club movie, please enjoy this podcast we asked Kevin and Bay to put together on that beloved box office flop, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! The guys warm up by talking about their own histories with Austen, then lay the smackdown with cutting critical analysis of this vaguely Austen-flavored cinema disasterpiece. Did the makers of PP&Z co...
Ep 20 The Jane Austen Book Club, The Book
May 09, 2017 01:57 - 1 hour - 85 MBIn this episode, the girls discuss the Jane Austen Book Club, a novel by Karen Joy Fowler. The book is a clever take on a group of friends who read Austen together as their lives begin to parallel Austen's plots in surprising ways. Kristin and Maggie can relate! The First Impressions podcast is a safe space for us to discuss our love for Jane Austen away from the haters, and perhaps even convert some skeptics in the process. Thanks for listening to this episode, and if you enjoyed it, pleas...
Episode 19: Persuasion Adaptations, the Cage Match
April 17, 2017 03:04 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBOk, I'm just kidding. Episode 19 of First Impressions does not include an MMA-style cage match between two Persuasion movie adaptations, although I do wish we had thought of that before recording it! This episode is just a conventional yet spirited review of two adapatations of Austen's Persuasion: the 1995 Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version, and the 2007 ITV adapation starring Sally Hawkins. Enjoy, gentle listeners, and get ready for our next episode, when we will be reading/reviewing the Jan...
Ep 18: She Pierced Our Souls (Ow!)
February 27, 2017 01:07 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBMaggie and Kristin present the second installment of their discussion of Jane Austen's Persuasion, a novel that is Austen-brand catnip for the romantic in all of us (yes, including a reluctant Kristin). We hope you enjoy it, gentle listeners. You pierce our souls, our hearts, our cheese, our mics, and our balloon animals. The First Impressions podcast is a safe space for us to discuss our love for Jane Austen away from the haters, and perhaps even convert some skeptics in the process. Thank...
Ep 17: Persuading Kristin to Like Persuasion
January 23, 2017 02:16 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBHello First Impressioners! We bring you part 1 of our discussion on Jane Austen's Persuasion. Kristin attempts to enlighten Maggie to the fact that (1) Fredrick Wentworth is a dick, and (2) the dismal worldview and the autumnal themes Austen employs in Persuasion make this novel a hard read for sensitive souls. As always, the psychological nuance of Austen's work is on display as she uses Persuasion to both illustrate the power of little gestures, and explore the stories we tell ourselves ab...
Ep 16: Regency Fashions with Bethany C!
December 05, 2016 06:27 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBWelcome back, First Impressions listeners! In honor of our one-year anniversary, we've got a special episode for you! Special guest (and longtime fan) Bethany C. is joining us to tell us fascinating facts about Regency fashion and its importance in Jane Austen's novels. Ever wonder about pattens, petticoats, spencers, shoe-roses, pelisses, and chemises? We've got all the information for you here. Enjoy bonus details about (slightly-creepy) hair jewelry, the "muslin disease," and Canadian bea...
Ep 15: Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995) Movie Review
October 21, 2016 18:09 - 1 hour - 102 MBHello First Impressioners! In this episode Kristin and Maggie review their most beloved of all Austen adaptations, the triumphant 1995 movie directed by Ang Lee and written by Emma Thompson. From the fantastic casting, to the excellent screenplay, to the indelible performances, this film is (in our opinion) a masterpiece! For the film's full credits, see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/fullcredits/ The First Impressions podcast is a safe space for us to discuss our love for Jane Austen ...
Ep 14: Sense and Sensibilitier
September 18, 2016 20:29 - 1 hour - 85 MBWelcome back, First Impressions fans, to our discussion of Austen's triumphant novel, Sense and Sensibility! In this episode, after excoriating Willoughby just as much as he deserves, Kristin and Maggie move on to the lighter side of the story, highlighting comic passages about Robert Ferrars, Mrs. Jennings, Anne Steele, Sir John Middleton, Charlotte Palmer, and more. The girls draw a parallel between the long-suffering Elinor and her more arch fellow heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, as both deal ...
Ep 13: Toward a Sensible Sensibility
August 05, 2016 04:12 - 1 hour - 99.6 MBWelcome to episode 13, gentle listeners! In this episode, Kristin and Maggie begin their discussion of Sense and Sensibility. The girls work their way through the plot of the novel by exploring the differences (and maybe similarities?) between the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and take a deep dive into each character's reaction to love and loss. Kristin finds herself falling in love with Edward Ferrars while Maggie focuses on whether it's healthy for Elinor to always rely on her "...
Ep 12: Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship
July 08, 2016 02:21 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBIn Episode 12, Kristin and Maggie review Love & Friendship, a newly released movie adaptation of Austen's comic novella, Lady Susan. Kristin relates an encounter with director Whit Stillman which raised him very much in her estimation, while Maggie bemoans the saccharine sweetness of star Kate Beckinsale's performance. In the end, the girls agree to disagree, and you'll be relieved to hear that (spoilers!) no tables are ultimately flipped. Kristin and Maggie are also announcing their next ...
Ep 12: Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship
July 08, 2016 02:21 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBIn Episode 12, Kristin and Maggie review Love & Friendship, a newly released movie adaptation of Austen's comic novella, Lady Susan. Kristin relates an encounter with director Whit Stillman which raised him very much in her estimation, while Maggie bemoans the saccharine sweetness of star Kate Beckinsale's performance. In the end, the girls agree to disagree, and you'll be relieved to hear that (spoilers!) no tables are ultimately flipped. Kristin and Maggie are also announcing their next ...
Ep 11: Lady Susan Would Totally Win the Hunger Games
June 06, 2016 01:54 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBIn this episode, Kristin and Maggie discuss one of Austen's minor works, Lady Susan, which stars a delightfully charming, possibly-sociopathic main character built in the Crawford mold. Austen's feminist streak is on full display in this epistolary novella, in which Lady Susan takes control of her own destiny, and we get a peek at her wicked and ruthless private correspondence! This podcast discusses the text of Lady Susan; stay tuned for our next podcast for a discussion of Whit Stillman's a...
Ep 10: Experimenting with Movie Commentary - Douglas McGrath's Emma
May 10, 2016 05:05 - 2 hours - 118 MB[NEW FILE AVAILABLE - Dear listeners, we discovered and deployed some further audio fixes after releasing this episode, so if your episode auto-downloaded, we recommend deleting and re-downloading it to get the new version. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience!] Hello First Impressions fans! Everyone, we bespeak your indulgence: Episode 10 of the podcast is our experimental attempt to do a Rifftrax-style movie commentary on Douglas McGrath's adaptation of Emma (starring Gwyneth Paltrow...
Ep 9: Special Guest Arnie Perlstein Discusses Shadow Stories in Emma
April 24, 2016 19:30 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBHave you ever wondered about coincidences, apparent allusions, and other mysterious elements that appear in the plots of Jane Austen's novels? In this special episode of First Impressions, we welcome Austen scholar Arnie Perlstein to share his revolutionary ideas about the "shadow stories" in Austen's works. We discuss the theory of shadow stories in detail, and Arnie presents his theories about the shadow stories in Emma, including the real parentage of that new baby of Mrs. Weston's, and w...
Ep 8: Emma Part 2: Practising Vigorously for an Hour and a Half
March 29, 2016 01:28 - 1 hour - 88.3 MBIn Part 2 of their discussion of Jane Austen's Emma, Kristin and Maggie delve deep into the fraught and controversial relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley, dodging the looming specters of "daddy issues," constant mansplaining, and general creepiness to find vindication for feminists who think the Emma-Knightley pairing is perfection. (We apologize that this podcast is a full hour and a half even AFTER Kristin cut thirty minutes of hilarious digressions from the recording.) The First ...
Ep 7: Emma Part 1 (Starring Ewan McGregor's Wig)
March 02, 2016 12:47 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBKristin and Maggie tackle the novel Emma and wrestle with its challenging heroine, the disgustingly handsome, clever and rich Emma Woodhouse herself. The girls discuss how their ambivalent relationship with Emma changes during the progression of the novel, and Kristin reads page after delightful page of monologue from Miss Bates, one of Austen's finest comic creations. They also confront the age-old question: Frank Churchill: utter douchebag, or just *kind of* a douchebag? The First Impressi...
Ep 6: Northanger Abbey
February 08, 2016 05:00 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBBonus episode! Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen's delightful parody of gothic romance, is full of surprises and humor. Kristin and Maggie highlight the hilarity of this adorable novel as it skewers of romantic convention, and review the charming meta-context Austen provides about novels and their value. They also discuss the 2007 BBC adaptation written by Andrew Davies, and the extra sexy special sauce he ladles onto beloved heroine Catherine Morland's coming-of-age story. No vampires; no blood....
Ep 5: Mansfield Park Part 3: The Lists of Hymen
January 19, 2016 19:22 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBNOTE - NEW FILE AVAILABLE: If you are a subscriber and this episode auto-downloaded, we recommend deleting your file and re-downloading it. The new file has better audio quality. We apologize for the inconvenience! (Kristin did something to the file before converting it down to MP3 that degraded the audio quality and she didn't realize it. Oops.) In Part 3 of the Mansfield Park series, Kristin and Maggie discuss the amazing buildup to the awesome conclusion of Austen's masterpiece Mansfield P...
Ep 4: Mansfield Park Part 2: Seduced by the Theater
January 07, 2016 13:54 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBIn part 2 of the Mansfield Park series, Kristin indulges herself with an entire episode centered around the novel's famous set piece, in which the gang gets up a production of the scandalous play Lovers' Vows. Maggie contributes her theory as to how Mary Crawford's décolletage might affect the narrative. Kevin (Kristin's husband) guest-stars to provide incisive analysis and agree that Kristin is right. The First Impressions podcast is a safe space for us to discuss our love for Jane Austen aw...
Ep 3: Mansfield Park, Part 1: The Best Novel Ever Published
December 30, 2015 00:41 - 1 hour - 70 MBIn their third episode, Kristin and Maggie uncover the secret genius of Austen's complex and oft-misunderstood novel Mansfield Park. The girls discuss how the much-hated heroine of the novel, Fanny Price, is a victim of a Pygmalion tale gone awry. And Maggie is shocked to discover the secret sexual imagery amidst all that "dull" landscaping talk at Southerton. Are you a casual Pride and Prejudice lover? Get ready to discover your new favorite Austen novel! (Hint: it's Mansfield Park!) The Fir...
Ep 2: Pride in Prejudice Part 2: Perhaps a Little Less Formally Attired
December 12, 2015 04:07 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBWelcome back to First Impressions, the podcast for Austen lovers to stand up to their haters. In their second episode, podcasters Kristin and Maggie illuminate the brilliance of Austen's work by discussing Pride and Prejudice as an excellent tutorial for the socially awkward. The girls illustrate the genius of the 1995 A&E and BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, highlighting the critical scene where Darcy and Elizabeth meet at Pemberley, and Kristin dies a thousand deaths at their excrucia...
Ep 1: Pride in Prejudice
December 10, 2015 02:29 - 1 hour - 59 MBWelcome Jane Austen lovers and haters alike! In their first podcast, Kristin and Maggie discuss Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice. Kristin explains how Austen's portrayal of Mr. Darcy transformed her understanding of her own social anxiety, and why people who dismiss Austen's works as "love in bonnets" are missing the point. The First Impressions podcast is a safe space for us to discuss our love for Jane Austen away from the haters, and perhaps even convert some skeptics in...