Pride and prejudice
As I get older, I realise the writings of a certain Ms. Austen still ring true today. Perhaps even more so.
I never really understood the pull of her novels whilst reading Emma at A level. Perhaps, due to the way texts are read thematically and paragraphs unlocked to make you test ready at the end of the year. I'll even admit to it being a bit uncool; I'd much rather own up to reading a T'Pau or INXS album sleeve from cover to cover! Or bookwise, a Danielle Steele romance! I loved her 'No Greater Love'.
It wasn't until my degree where I reread Emma in my own time, that I fully appreciated them. I even chose to read all her other novels for my dissertation and loved it! I caught up on the dramatic irony my tutor had been professing was funny and I actually got what Austen was saying! I loved her portrayal of men and women of her time, her messages about social standing and class and her detailed study of characters and their relationships. She created some comic male characters, in their quest to find a mate. Imagine internet dating in Austen's day? The first question would be, how much money do you earn per year? And the second, do you still have your own teeth? In fact, looking at this chat up line, things have definitely changed!
I watched Pride and Prejudice again the other day, where Lizzie is at Pemberley and is asked to take a turn around the room. This always tickled me, the women folk walking around the room, hoping for the men to look at them whilst they walked!
Saying that, I'd have run the marathon to get a glimpse from the Mr Darcy! Everyone surely remembers the iconic lake scene!
I do feel Austen was, and still is underrated as a novelist; she did not just write romance novels. She was very funny, I assure you. The way she describes some of her characters, like poor Mrs Bennett and her nerves is so comical. This is helped along by the amazing acting of
Alison Steadman from Gavin Stacey!
Austen was very good at poking fun at her main female characters, especially Emma, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Her readers laughed along but in a good way! What's fab is that we've all met a bumbling Mr Elton and Mr Collins, a shy and awkward Mary Bennett or a misguided but means well Emma. These are all people we meet on an everyday basis. Emma has been my fave novel and film! Love them!
Jane Austen cleverly wrote her novels, following strong themes that still stand today. The two main ones being, pride and prejudice. This stands today where people let pride, and prejudice get in the way. We should just like each other for who they are, not what they are. How many times do people ask the socially awkward question,
'What do you do?'
I'dove to answer,
'Does it matter?'
Especially now I don't have a profession! Or I could just make something ludicrous and shocking up! That would be fun to see their reaction. I'd either get snubbed or propositioned!
One of the worst things is the lack of sense people have but too much sensiblity. This has been me; I've been so guilty of this, letting my personal feelings get in the way, especially at work. You need to remind yourself to take a step back and look at things from a more neutral angle. This is easier said than done, not letting your emotions get in the way.
I have actually met a new friend who loves Austen novels and the Regency period as much as me. When we realised, we just chatted for ages. It was fab. It always is great meeting someone who has the same passion for something. They told me to watch Lost in Austen, where the modern character swaps with the Austen character. I would absolutely love that! I mean, I have the cleavage already!
There are so many books that have been written based on Austen and the ones on Pintetest look interesting. I have to agree with this one, introducing Mr Darcy into our minds without letting us meet him in person!
I can't help but be a hopeless romantic. It's inbuilt from a young age, reading Anne of Green Gables, hoping to meet my Gilbert Blythe. I think Austen maybe was an old romantic with a quick witted mind. I imagine this next quote might fit her quite well.
Even though Austen's heroines all married and had their happily ever after, I always felt it a shame that her fiction did not mirror real life. Austen in fact, did not end up relying on a man did she? Even though her novels all covered women who needed to marry for money in addition to love, her heroines did marry for love, as in this next quote.
Austen does poke fun at the women fancying men because of their money. She pokes fun at their mothers trying to matchmake their daughters with rich, eligible bachelors, as with Mrs Bennett whose main aim in life is to get her five daughters married off because they don't inherit their father's estate.
When asked who you would invite to an imaginary dinner party, I have to think hard because there are so many amazing famous people. So I'll save that for another blog and think about who I would invite to my Ladies Only Book club. That's already narrowed it down! Inspired by this fab book I need to read.
Invites would go out to:
Jane Austen, of course
Agatha Christie
Enid Blyton
Margaret Atwood, Canadian author
The Dowager of Downton, Dame Maggie Smith
Jacqueline Wilson
J K Rowling
Jennifer Saunders
Dawn French
Victoria Wood
Jo Brand
Joan Rivers
Can you imagine the laughs around that table? I would love that! Looking at this quote, Austen and the Dowager had a lot in common with their clever observational skills of people!
As I get older, I realise the writings of a certain Ms. Austen still ring true today. Perhaps even more so.
I never really understood the pull of her novels whilst reading Emma at A level. Perhaps, due to the way texts are read thematically and paragraphs unlocked to make you test ready at the end of the year. I'll even admit to it being a bit uncool; I'd much rather own up to reading a T'Pau or INXS album sleeve from cover to cover! Or bookwise, a Danielle Steele romance! I loved her 'No Greater Love'.
It wasn't until my degree where I reread Emma in my own time, that I fully appreciated them. I even chose to read all her other novels for my dissertation and loved it! I caught up on the dramatic irony my tutor had been professing was funny and I actually got what Austen was saying! I loved her portrayal of men and women of her time, her messages about social standing and class and her detailed study of characters and their relationships. She created some comic male characters, in their quest to find a mate. Imagine internet dating in Austen's day? The first question would be, how much money do you earn per year? And the second, do you still have your own teeth? In fact, looking at this chat up line, things have definitely changed!
I watched Pride and Prejudice again the other day, where Lizzie is at Pemberley and is asked to take a turn around the room. This always tickled me, the women folk walking around the room, hoping for the men to look at them whilst they walked!
Saying that, I'd have run the marathon to get a glimpse from the Mr Darcy! Everyone surely remembers the iconic lake scene!
I do feel Austen was, and still is underrated as a novelist; she did not just write romance novels. She was very funny, I assure you. The way she describes some of her characters, like poor Mrs Bennett and her nerves is so comical. This is helped along by the amazing acting of
Alison Steadman from Gavin Stacey!
Austen was very good at poking fun at her main female characters, especially Emma, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Her readers laughed along but in a good way! What's fab is that we've all met a bumbling Mr Elton and Mr Collins, a shy and awkward Mary Bennett or a misguided but means well Emma. These are all people we meet on an everyday basis. Emma has been my fave novel and film! Love them!
Jane Austen cleverly wrote her novels, following strong themes that still stand today. The two main ones being, pride and prejudice. This stands today where people let pride, and prejudice get in the way. We should just like each other for who they are, not what they are. How many times do people ask the socially awkward question,
'What do you do?'
I'dove to answer,
'Does it matter?'
Especially now I don't have a profession! Or I could just make something ludicrous and shocking up! That would be fun to see their reaction. I'd either get snubbed or propositioned!
One of the worst things is the lack of sense people have but too much sensiblity. This has been me; I've been so guilty of this, letting my personal feelings get in the way, especially at work. You need to remind yourself to take a step back and look at things from a more neutral angle. This is easier said than done, not letting your emotions get in the way.
I have actually met a new friend who loves Austen novels and the Regency period as much as me. When we realised, we just chatted for ages. It was fab. It always is great meeting someone who has the same passion for something. They told me to watch Lost in Austen, where the modern character swaps with the Austen character. I would absolutely love that! I mean, I have the cleavage already!
There are so many books that have been written based on Austen and the ones on Pintetest look interesting. I have to agree with this one, introducing Mr Darcy into our minds without letting us meet him in person!
I can't help but be a hopeless romantic. It's inbuilt from a young age, reading Anne of Green Gables, hoping to meet my Gilbert Blythe. I think Austen maybe was an old romantic with a quick witted mind. I imagine this next quote might fit her quite well.
Even though Austen's heroines all married and had their happily ever after, I always felt it a shame that her fiction did not mirror real life. Austen in fact, did not end up relying on a man did she? Even though her novels all covered women who needed to marry for money in addition to love, her heroines did marry for love, as in this next quote.
Austen does poke fun at the women fancying men because of their money. She pokes fun at their mothers trying to matchmake their daughters with rich, eligible bachelors, as with Mrs Bennett whose main aim in life is to get her five daughters married off because they don't inherit their father's estate.
When asked who you would invite to an imaginary dinner party, I have to think hard because there are so many amazing famous people. So I'll save that for another blog and think about who I would invite to my Ladies Only Book club. That's already narrowed it down! Inspired by this fab book I need to read.
Invites would go out to:
Jane Austen, of course
Agatha Christie
Enid Blyton
Margaret Atwood, Canadian author
The Dowager of Downton, Dame Maggie Smith
Jacqueline Wilson
J K Rowling
Jennifer Saunders
Dawn French
Victoria Wood
Jo Brand
Joan Rivers
Can you imagine the laughs around that table? I would love that! Looking at this quote, Austen and the Dowager had a lot in common with their clever observational skills of people!
Can I have an invite! Great books!
ReplyDeleteOoh yes! Glad you like her books!
ReplyDelete