Austen's writing is acerbic, poking fun at her society and at the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and economic security. This biting commentary is often omitted in productions, which frequently reduce her stories to a simple quest to find the elusive Mr. Right.
But though Austen poked continuous fun at her character's foibles, she also managed to write women who we still relate to today. And, even in comedy, her characters reveal more complexity, depth and inner conflict than many more contemporary characters.
Austen also writes with a side glance at her audience, which gives her books an intimate tone. Satire usually is delivered from on high, so to achieve such intimacy in satire is remarkable. It is, no doubt, this feeling of intimacy that make so many of us love her books.
If you haven't read any Austen, Persuasion is my favourite.
Image via
I love her writing too -- Sense and Sensibility is my favourite but I cannot pretend that Colin Firth did not draw me to her works. (It doesn't matter how we get there, does it?)
ReplyDeleteI x
i love her books so so much! they were some of the first ones i read in english...so much more fun than in german translation...
ReplyDeleteOh, Jane, Persuasion is my favourite, too. He has never stopped loving her. "Dare not say that a man forgets sooner than woman. I have loved none but you."
ReplyDeleteI also love how timeless Austen's writing is. Just finished Emma again recently and it's hilarious, particularly the references to the differences between men and women.
I don't want to say too much for fear of sounding corny. Let it be enough that I also appreciate her novels and the woman herself!
i've only read pride & prejudice and i'm afraid i only loved it because i love the joe wright film version SO much, so i pictured the movie in my head the whole time. so i think i should give more of her books a try...
ReplyDeleteHear. hear! I convulsed as I watched the Keira Knightly/Matthew MacFaddyn version of P&P. Miss Austen's wonderfully witty writing had been butchered and the lines were delivered without that playful irony they merited.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I adore the relationship and wordplay between Lizzie and Mr Bennett, I agree that Persuasion probably takes the prize: the restraint (both society's and Anne's self-imposed restraint -for better and worse) still speak volumes today and just like Lizzie Bennett, Anne the woman (as opposed to Anne the girl) marches to the beat of her own judge finding respect, affection and of course love from someone who is not intimidated by such qualities.
Best line ever... "I don't like the thought of my shrubberies being always approachable"
ReplyDeletePersuasion is my favorite too!
ReplyDeleteHear hear! Perfectly said!
ReplyDeleteI read Pride & Prejudice in the 7th grade and have been hooked on Austen ever since! I also love the fact that as I gained more life experience and re-read a couple books in college that I'd read in middle school, I finally got all the tongue-in-cheek moments. So good!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, Jane — and yes, Persuasion is my favourite one too. Such wonderful (and, as Alice says) timeless writing — I enjoy her novels just as much now as I did when I first read them years ago.
ReplyDeleteYa, it seems like Jane Austen is a little bit misunderstood with all the hollywood interpretations. I enjoy both the books and the movies. It's hard for me to pick a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI need to reread Austen. & I've been watching period dramas & have been pining for tiny short Empire jackets. Sigh.
ReplyDeletelove her
ReplyDeletejust love her!
xo
I just love the way that Austen pokes fun at society and at the work of her contemporaries in Northanger Abbey. I think she would have been a really interesting woman to have had a chat with!
ReplyDeletePersuasion is my favorite stories of hers as well. There are so many good parts of that book, just life lessons, really. And truths. Come to think of it, I should re-read it this year.
ReplyDeleteI've read one (P&P) and am slowly working my way through the whole set. I like to savor her books and reserve them for times when I can accompany the experience with a cup of hot tea. It just feels apropos :)
ReplyDeletei re-read something by jane every year and never get tired of her novels. i always find something new each time i read them. i love her sense of humor. i'm about to re-read p & p, but persuasion was the last one i read and i do think it's her best. i love the last few chapters of that novel especially.
ReplyDeleteI'm another one who agrees 100% - and I also re-read at least one Austen novel at least once a year (usually winter!).
ReplyDeletehave you ever seen the jane austin book club? if not and you are a jane fan {like me!!} see it! it'll make you love her even more!!
ReplyDeletePersuasion is my favorite too. And when I begin to second guess that fact, I reread it for confirmation. Yep, still my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI took a Jane Austen class in college -- there were a lot of giggly girls in there, but our professor was very good. I think everyone, giggly or not, came out with a great appreciation for the social commentaries in her work and the quality of her writing. We also talked a lot about artchitecture, landscape design and transportation -- not topics modern readers usually associate with Jane Austen, but very interesting when you begin observing them in her writing.
All of that said, I do enjoy the romance of her books as well...