Persuasion: 21 - 24 The long awaited conclusion to the Persuasion conversation! What is the deal with Mr. Elliot? Why did Wentworth just walk out on Anne at in the theater like that? How is all of this drama going to come to an end? Can Anne even handle it!? Of course she can, this is Austen after all. This week Elle and Catrina talk all about Mr. …

Persuasion: Chapters 17 - 20 Anne is still stuck in Bath, but at least now she has a friend. After dealing with her family for too long, Anne is pleased to find an old school friend who is staying in Bath due to illness and financial troubles. What's more, the Crofts have come to Bath as well and Anne takes a walk with the admiral to find out that …

Persuasion Chapters 13-16 Anne seems to keep finding herself in awkward situations. First she is alone at the Musgrove home while everyone is still in Lyme. Then she retreats to Lady Russell's home only to be asked to spend the day with the Croft's in Kellynch Hall. When the Musgroves return and things begin to feel normal again, Anne and Kady Russ…

Persuasion Chapters 9-12 Anne is finding that having to spend a lot of time around her former lover, Captain Wentworth really isn't that bad. He is always hanging around the Musgrove family and flirting with Louisa and Henrietta. He is always nice and cordial to Anne. He fails to catch Louisa, who falls and breaks her head. It's probably fine. Also…

Persuasion Chapters 5-8 Everything is fine, perfectly fine, right Anne? Sure your ex is hanging around. A lot, actually. He is always around. What's up with that? Oh, he is also flirting with your sisters-in-law. Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. Everything is totally fine. This week Elle and Catrina go through all the drama that has been happening aroun…

Persuasion: Chapters 1-4 Sir Elliot of Kellynch-Hall has high standards. He has no sons, and his heir chose not to marry his eldest daughter. Now he must face a massive lifestyle change to pay his debts, and he isn't thrilled about the prospect of renting his home. Luckily his clever middle daughter, Anne, and friend Lady Russell help him. However,…

Persuasion is one of Austen's most popular novels, but somehow Elle still has no idea what it is about. But, she has seen Sweet Home Alabama? Is it the same thing?By Wit Beyond Measure - Elle Kammerer and Catrina Mayer

Final Mansfield Park adaptations! What would happens if Fanny Price decided to take her life into her own hands? How would her life change? Would Edmund get his just deserts? What if Lady Bertram was really into ancient Egyptian artifacts? What if she accidentally woke up an ancient mummy, who happened to fall in love with Fanny Price? Is it Mansfi…

Mansfield Park Adaptations What would life at Mansfield Park look like if it wasn't the early 1800s? What if the park was picked up and moved to 1930s Chicago, or modern day England? What would the story look like without the societal restrictions of the time, but with the modern inconveniences we have today? This week Catrina and Elle take a look …

This week Catrina tells Elle all about a modern Young Adult adaptation of Mansfield Park. Elle shares a list of great books by Indigenous authors to check out, including swooning romances, rom-coms, fiction, and poetry. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court decided that the historic ruling of Roe vs Wade should be overturned. This will send any laws …

Mansfield Park book adaptations What was Mrs Norris' life like before the events in Mansfield Park? How did she become one of the least liked characters in all of Austen's novels? What happened after Fanny and Edmund's happily ever after? What does the future look like for Susan Price, Tom Bertram, or Henry Crawford? This week Catrina and Elle read…

This week Elle and Catrina discuss a few Mansfield Park book adaptations. What would Mansfield Park look like through the point of view of Edmund Bertram? How would Mary Crawford tell her won story? These adaptations look at the story through different points of view. Elle read Edmund Bertram's Diary, by Amanda Grange. As part of Grange's Austen he…

Mansfield Park - 2007 - Staring Billie Piper and Hayley Atwell This 2007 adaptation might ring truer to the books for some, while still falling flat for others. Only inspired by the novel - unlike the 1999 version - this is a true adaptation of Mansfield Park. But does it hold up? Does it do the novel justice? Elle and Catrina are at odds about thi…

Mansfield Park - 1999 - Staring Frances O'Connor and Johnny Lee Miller What happens to Mansfield Park if Fanny Price was more like Jane Austen? This adaptation of Mansfield Park is far from a true adaptation. In the title sequence it says that the film was inspired by Mansfield Park and Jane Austen's journals. This leads to an interesting combinati…

This week Elle and Catrina wrap up Mansfield Park and discuss some things that really stuck out to them. Elle was very interested in looking at how this book strongly focuses on morality and how modern readers may find a connection with Fanny Price to be somewhat of a stretch. Catrina was interested in comparing Fanny's relationships to both Edmund…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 44-48 In these final chapters of the novel, Fanny is stuck in Portsmouth while chaos is happening in London. Letters arrive to the Price household describing Tom Bertram's (junior) serious illness, Maria's indiscretion, and Mary Crawford's conniving. In the aftermath, Edmund finally goes to pick up Fanny and bring her back …

Mansfield Park: Chapters 39-43 Fanny is super unhappy in Portsmith. Her house is hectic and her family doesn't seem to care that she is there. But don't worry, things are only going to get weirder when Henry Crawford shows up. At least there hasn't been any word about an engagement from Edmund or Mary Crawford yet. This week Catrina and Elle take a…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 35 - 38 Edmund feels it's necessary to offer his opinion on the matter of Fanny and Henry's potential engagement. While he disguises his concern as help, it really isn't helpful at all. What's more, Sir Thomas decides to remind Fanny how good she's got it by sending her back home. Needless to say, Fanny needs a vacation, bu…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 31 - 34 The men in Fanny's life just don't understand. After getting an unexpected and unwanted proposal from Henry Crawford, Fanny spends the rest of these chapters telling him no. But Henry isn't the only one Fanny has to deal with. Sir Thomas freaks out when she tells him she will not marry Henry. Surely Edmund will come…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 27-30 Fanny's anxiety around Mary Crawford's gift continues to rise after Edmund also gifts her a necklace. Edmund starts to get anxious about whether Mary is willing to marry him after he becomes a clergyman. Henry becomes buddy-buddy with William and Mary gets into a pretty intense fight with Edmund. All of this before th…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 23- 26 Fanny has finally been invited to dinner all on her own - well, except Edmund was also invited, but that isn't the point. While Fanny is nervous about her dinner at the Grants, she is excited, until she sees a familiar barouche outside. Henry Crawford is back, and he has a devilish little plan for Fanny. But when an …

Mansfield Park: Chapters 19-22 From the beginning, Edmund wondered what would happen if his father found out about the play. Well, now we get to see it first hand because Sir Thomas has returned to Mansfield Park. This changes everything. What will become of the Maria, Henry, Mr. Rushworth love triangle? Will Edmund officially become a clergyman, o…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 14 - 18 After much deliberation, the gang at Mansfield Park have finally decided on a play - Lover's Vows. This scandalous play causes a lot of drama around the house, especially between the Bertram sisters. What's more, it puts Edmund in a bit of a situation when he has to choose between standing his ground against the pla…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 9-13 If you are looking for scandalous activities in Jane Austen novels, then these are the chapters for you! Bridgerton fans will love all this drama. While visiting Southerton, the Mansfield Park gang manages to separate themselves into pairs and find some hidden away places. Edmund and Mary leave Fanny to wander the wood…

Mansfield Park: Chapters 5-8 There is something about this Mary Crawford and her fuckboi of a brother Henry. They are visitors from the city who are lauded as the height of sophistication and knowledge by the Bertram sisters. Mary Clearly has her eyes set on one of the Bertram brothers, while Henry finds himself flirting with the sisters. But, most…

Mansfield Park Chapters 1-4 Season 4 is all about the drama and scandal of Mansfield Park. In this episode, we meet all of the major players in this Austen novel. We meet our heroine, Fanny Price, our hero Edmund Bertram, his sisters Maria and Julia who give off major evil stepsister vibes, and the adults in the story, who really should be paying m…

It' 's time to start our next Austen novel! This season, Catrina and Elle will be reading Mansfield Park. A story about an unfortunately named character, Fanny Price, and her experiences living with her wealthy Aunt and Uncle in Mansfield Park. Full of familial drama, historical context, and one of Austen's biggest F-bois, this novel is going to ke…

This week, Elle and Catrina talk about Guillermo de Toro's 2015 film, Crimson Peak! *DISCLAIMER* This episode is spoiler heavy - if you haven't seen Crimson Peak and don't want any of the story spoiled then take a moment, watch it first, and come back to us - we'll be here when you're ready. Elle does a wonderful job of setting up the film's major …

This week, Elle and Catrina read through two modern adaptations of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Catrina discuss the drama of North by Northanger, by Rebecca A. Jamison, while Elle talks about the chemistry in Northpointe Chalet, by Debra White Smith. Everything feels like a Hallmark rom-com in North by Northanger. A mix between Northanger Abbey …

This week, Elle and Catrina read two Northanger Abbey adaptations. While each book is part of a collection of adaptations that we have read before. One is Northanger Abbey through the eyes of Henry Tilney. The other is a modern take - do modern, Catherine might be a Twilight girl. Elle reviews Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange. This is the thir…

Review of the 2007 Northanger Abbey film starring Felicity Jones, Carrey Mulligan, and JJ Feild. This week Catrina and Elle talk about the only film adaptation they will be watching of Northanger Abbey. How did this film compare to the book? What was changed? What stayed true to the story? How did this adaptation compare to other films? With a few …

This week Catrina and Elle talk about everything Northanger Abbey. Specifically, we talk about what we liked and didn't like in this novel. How does it compare to the other Austen novels we have read so far? And what we thought about the heroine and hero versus our previous heroines and heroes. Catrina also leads a discussion about gothic novels an…

Northanger Abbey: Chapters 24 - End This week Catrina and Elle finish Northanger Abbey. We finally get to see the end of Catherine's tale. Most importantly, we finally see the scariest part of the entire novel - will our hero survive her terrifying circumstance? Northanger Abbey is starting to feel a bit like home for Catherine. She and Elenor are …

Northanger Abbey Chapters 24 - 27 This week Elle and Catrina get very confused about what chapters they are talking about. But after they get it all settled, they discuss everything from Mrs. Tilney's death, Captian Tilney's potential marriage, and Isabella's betrayal. Catherine finally discovers the truth about Mrs. Tilney's death after being caug…

Northanger Abbey - Chapters: 20-23 Elle and Catrina finally make it to Northanger Abbey... I mean... Catherine Morland finally makes it to Northanger Abbey! Catherine heads to the Abbey with the Tilney's. She is extremely excited because she gets to spend time with her new friend Elenor and her love interest Henry. Most importantly, she gets to go …

Northanger Abbey: Chapters 16 to 19 This week Catrina and Elle finally enter the spooky part of this novel. These first chapters of volume two set the stage for our eventual trip to the titular house. What's more, we get a bit of insight into Isabella and James' relationship. Catherine starts off this section by spending time with our new favorite …

Northanger Abbey: Chapters 13 -15 This week Elle and Catrina finish volume 1 of Northanger Abbey. Elle is excited that we get to spend more time with Mr. Tilney and Catrina relates to Catherine's dilemma of choosing between friend groups. Despite John Thorpe's best efforts, Catherine gets to spend some quality time with Henry Tilney... and his sist…

Northanger Abbey Chapters 9-12 These chapters include Catherine finally getting the chance to dance with her beloved Mr. Tilney once again. However, just before she is supposed to go walking with him and his sister, therefore solidifying their connection, she is kidnapped by the horrible Mr. Thorpe. Surely her chances with Tilney are over! This wee…

Chapters 5-8 of Northanger Abbey This week Elle and Catrina discuss the history of the English novel and what that means for this story. We meet a few new characters, have our hearts played with a bit, and discuss why certain kinds of literature are considered better than others - even if those considerations are false. Most importantly Catrina and…

Chapters 1-4 of Northanger Abbey Catherine Morland is an ordinary girl. She is pretty, but not remarkable. She is intelligent, but not a prodigy. She is well off, but not wealthy. Most importantly, she is our heroine. Why, because that is, literally, what Northanger Abbey tells us. Elle and Catrina start Northanger Abbey. Known as Austen's Gothic n…

Welcome to Season 3 of Wit Beyond Measure! We are diving into Northanger Abbey! But first, Elle is going to tell you what to expect from this eerie gothic novel.By Wit Beyond Measure - Elle Kammerer and Catrina Mayer

This week Elle and Catrina take a look at two modern interpretations of Emma. Elle discusses an LGBTQ retelling of this Austen Classic. Catrina shares her reading of a modern version of Harriet's story. Dear Emma, by Katie Heaney features college student Harriet who was recently ghosted by a guy she was seeing. Now she has to spend time with his ne…

This week Catrina and Elle discuss Emma adaptations by authors of color. One follows Ania Khurana as she mingles with Dehli high society. The other is about Aisha Ali, a young Muslim woman working at a matchmaking agency. Polite Society, by Mahesh Rao, truly is the perfect blend of Emma and Crazy Rich Asians. While the story follows the plot points…

This week Elle and Catrina read some epistolary novels. One features the diary of our very own romantic hero, Mr. George Knightley. The other is a modern novel written through letters written to a mysterious Mr. Knightley. The first is a new look at Emma, while the second takes inspiration from Austen. Elle shares her thoughts on Mr. Knightley's Di…

This week Elle and Catrina discuss two Emma book adaptations. The first is a YA novel following a young celebrity and the other follows Emma in modern Highbury. Elle reads "Off-Script" by Kate Watson. This modern adaptation follows Emma Crawford, a young celebrity who is excited to start filming her new film. While her life has never been simple, w…

Somehow Elle and Catrina didn't know that this BBC miniseries existed! Starring Ramola Garai, Michael Gambon, and Johnny Lee Miller, this adaptation more closely follows the book, while still adding its own unique twist. This week we talk about what makes this adaptation unique and how it affects the overall story. Did this version give us the big …

This week Wit Beyond Measure welcomes Barley Bookish to the podcast to talk everything Clueless! We dive deep into the nostalgia of the 90's and revisit this awesome teen romcom. Does it hold up in 2021? Is it still a relevant film? Do we still love it? Has Paul Rudd actually aged? Most importantly, how does Clueless compare to Emma? Do we still ge…

Have you seen the cover of the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma adaptation and wonder why she is drawing a bow? Yeah, well, turns out there isn't much explanation in the film either. This week, Catrina and Elle discuss all things 1996 Emma adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor. How does this version hold up against the book? Is …

This week Catrina and Elle discuss, gush, and awe over the 2020 Emma adaptation starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, and Bill Nighy. How did this adaptation hold up against the book? Was it more entertaining, or just as boring as some of the novel's chapters? Did the actors get the characters right, or did they miss the mark? Most importantly, d…

In this episode, Catrina and Elle reflect on Jane Austen's Emma as a whole novel. Do they like Emma, the book? Do they like Emma, the character? Do they think that this is a romance novel? Who is the villain of this story? Of course, this wouldn't be a novel finale episode without a few superlatives. See who Catrina and Elle rank as the "cutest cou…