Surely I'm not the only viewer who has approached on-screen literary adaptations with trepidation, to the point where I can only imagine the writer's anguish at what is done to the original work: characters are eliminated or reconceived, pivotal scenes vanish, perhaps even the mind-set or philosophy is irretrievably altered, as when, for example, Joanne Harris's edgy, disturbing Chocolat was transformed for the screen as a life-affirming Johnny Depp vehicle.

And yet the literary adaptation deservedly occupies a permanent place in television and film. It is no accident that I switched eagerly from the Super Bowl to the latest Dickensian adaptation on Masterpiece Theatre, a heart-stoppingly suspenseful Bleak House. "Shake me up, Judy!"

Among the most ubiquitous screen and television adaptations of recent years have been the novels of Jane Austen, from an array of 1995 releases (including Clueless, a thoroughly entertaining updating of Emma) to the more recent Mansfield Park. The trend shows no signs of abating, thanks to the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, nominated for several Academy Awards.

Austen adaptations vary in quality and approach. Two of the greatest happen to be among my all-time favorite films, and both are available on fine DVD transfers: Roger Michell's Persuasion and Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, both from 1995.

So austere as to approach Dogma 95 style, Michell's Persuasion is, if anything, even more immensely enjoyable on DVD. Watching the film again recently, I was bowled over by its earthiness. You'll almost feel as though you're walking along the seaside with the stalwarts of the Royal Navy, joining an impromptu dance at a country manor, or nibbling marzipan in a fashionable Bath confectionary.

And what a cast! Even the secondary roles are filled by the cream of British and Irish acting talent, including Simon Russell Beale, Victoria Hamilton, and Fiona Shaw.

With Sense and Sensibility, the supremely gifted Ang Lee proved yet again why he is one of the most exciting directors working today. Granted, he had a lot of help from Emma Thompson's witty, utterly romantic screenplay, which deservedly picked up an Academy Award. Here character is established with an economy of dialogue, and heartbreak and hope alternate through the beautifully conceived and edited finale.

As with Persuasion, the cast is irreproachable, from screenwriter/star Thompson to a 20-year-old Kate Winslet to an array of familiar British actors, including Robert Hardy, Hugh Laurie, Alan Rickman, Elizabeth Spriggs, and Imelda Staunton.

The DVD edition of Sense and Sensibility contains many tempting extras, including Emma Thompson's hilarious "Jane Austen Goes to the Golden Globes" speech.

If your taste doesn't extend to Jane Austen, don't despair. Olsson's carries excellent DVD adaptations of your favorite novels, including Acorn Media's fine miniseries version of John Mortimer's Summer's Lease, as well as recent BBC versions of Our Mutual Friend and Martin Chuzzlewit, both from the novels of Charles Dickens.