The Problem of Miss Bates

I think I foresee an obstacle in trying to get my particular friend Lee to read Austen. She’s watched the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice and deemed it OK as something to watch while putting up Christmas decorations. But she only read seven chapters of the book before giving up. I gave her Pride and Prejudice and Zombies instead, which she’s enjoying.

She’s also checked out from the library the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma (she likes the two-hour running time) before she tries to read it, but I’m worried about those long, long paragraphs of Miss Bates. Should I just tell her to skip the Miss Bates dialog, like not reading Elvish poetry in Lord of the Rings?

And is Emma the better book to read next? I suggested Sense and Sensibility as the next book for her to attempt. Regardless, she will ignore me. Thoughts?