Mark Twain famously said that every time he read Pride and Prejudice he wanted “to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” “Her,” of course, is Jane Austen. On the other side, philosopher Gilbert Ryle admitted he read novels, “all six of them.” Again, referring to Jane Austen and her six famous books. Rachel M. Brownstein loves Jane Austen so plenty of this book explores why many readers return again and again to Jane Austen and the world she creates in her works. Brownstein quotes from Jane Austen’s letters and backs up her points with persuasive evidence from the novels and Austen’s correspondence. If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, there’s plenty here to enlighten and amuse you. GRADE: A
I never understood why, if Twain hated her that much, he read her more than once.
My guess is that Twain realized Jane Austen was a greater writer than he was, Jeff. He read her classics multiple times even though they infuriated him.
I’ll put it on reserve. Thanks.
Brownstein’s book presents a pleasant and knowledgeable trip through Jane Austen’s works and career, Patti. You’ll enjoy it.
I read a couple of Austen’s books when I was an undergrad and a couple more when I was in grad school. I found them pleasant reading, but I never went back to them.
I’ve read all six of Jane Austen’s novels, Bill. But the only one’s I’ve reread are EMMA and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
I’ve read 4 of the 6, mostly in college, then reread PRIDE once about 15 years ago, and that’s it. For me the well done adaptations for mini-series (think Masterpiece Theater) are a more enjoyable way to enjoy the works.
The BBC has made it easy to enjoy Austen’s works without reading them, Rick. But she’s an excellent writer.
I pretty much agree with Twain. I had an entire course on Austen in college and can’t say I ever understood what all the fuss was about. Give me Huckleberry Finn anyday.
Marriage markets and household politics swirl around in Austen’s books, Steve. But, hey, getting on a raft and heading down the Mississippi is pretty cool, too.
Sounds like an interesting book. I admit to being a fan of Jane Austen, but I often wonder if I would have ever become a fan without the brilliantly entertaining film adaptations of her work. I have long been a sucker for romance in whatever medium I take my fiction, so in that sense it is not surprising that I am drawn to her work. But I never had the experience of reading her work “cold”, I always had some film image in my head when reading it. So I’ve enjoyed the novels very much, but I have to admit to some film bias that no doubt creeps into my perception of them.
Being as old as the dinosaurs, Carl, I read the books before I saw the films. But you’re right: I’m always going to associate Gwyneth Paltrow with EMMA.
I’m always going to associate Sally Hawkins with Anne Eliot from Persuasion now too because I have become deeply enamored of that film. It is a little uneven at times, partially I think because of editing to fit into a “made for tv” slot, but even with those issues I think the main actor/actress choices were great, I love the moodiness and melancholy of the piece, and I think the kissing scene at the end rivals Emma Thompson’s grunting for one of my favorite romantic endings in any film.
I’m a fan of kissing scenes, too, Carl. Only an accomplished actress like Emma Thompson could get away with grunting.
Not sure if you’ve ever watched The Vicar of Dibley, but Dawn French does a great riff off that scene in the final two-part wedding episode of the series.