Jane Austen

[Mercutio]

This is from From How to Become Ridiculously Well-Read in One Evening, compiled by E. O. Parrott (Viking, Penguin Books, 1985). It's a collection of spoofs (about 1 page apiece, attempting to cleverly summarize famous works of literature). Ask me for a book and I'll see if it's in there (but they take a while to type up.) They range from letters to poems to sonnets to newspaper headlines to conversations.

Pride and Prejudice, by Mary Holtby

``Marry well'', is Bennet tenet: Bingley singly must remain
Since classy Darcy (Lizzy-dizzy) thinks he's far too good for Jane.
Rummy mummy, jaunty aunty, these would drag both gallants down --
Plus the younger siblings' dribblings over officers in town.
See the specious Wickham trick 'em with his tales of birthright gloom,
See how hideous Lydia's ruin looms before she gets her groom;
Glassy Darcy saves the bacon, shaken out of former pride:
Is he Lizzy's destined love, to shove her prejudice aside?
Has she clout to flout that matron, patroness of priestly coz
(He whose ludicrous proposing Rosings rules -- like all he does)?
Darcy oughter court her daughter, destined his through two decades...

``Mulish, foolish girl, remember Pemberley's polluted shades!''
Dare she share his great estate, or can't Aunt Catherine be defied?
Yes! and ere the bells ring jingly, Bingley too shall claim his bride.

Emma, by Joyce Johnson

Miss Bates has a visitor:

'My dear Mrs Cole, how very kind -- yes, quite well, I thank you -- do pray take a seat. We have such news! Have you heard -- No? Well, I think it is all a secret, so perhaps I should not say but no one had any idea -- except Jane and Mr Churchill, of course, and all the time we thought he was only calling about my mother's spectacles. Dear Jane is much better already -- we are so thankful. Do oblige us by taking some refreshment -- one of Mr Knightley's baked apples -- some cake? Miss Woodhouse called yesterday and was so good as to taste a small slice and pronounce it delicious -- such kindness. She is now out with Jane -- she takes the news extremely well, considering -- no sign of disappointment -- Box Hill, yes, delightful -- but I am afraid my silly chatter sometimes -- however, Mr Churchill did seem so very attentive -- but then we are all so fond of the excellent Miss Woodhouse -- but to think all this time -- one can hardly credit -- it was poor Mrs Churchill dying, you know, that let it all out. We have surprises indeed in Highbury, do we not, Mrs Cole? First, Mr Elton suddenly brings back a bride -- charming -- but some thought he showed a marked preference for Miss Smith, some thought for another -- I never notice such things -- and now on top of Jane being engaged to Mr Churchill we hear Miss Smith is to marry the good Mr Martin of Abbey Mill Farm -- oh, must you be going? So sorry you will not take a baked apple, one of Mr Knightley's -- he will be marrying next, I should not be surprised -- so much talk of marrying going on -- and there's our dear Miss Woodhouse -- what could be more suitable?'

[sun-star]

LOL I've spent hours in bookshops reading that book (since I'm too stingy to buy the thing).

I like the bit:

"classy Darcy (Lizzy-dizzy)"

as long as you don't have a Northern accent of course.

[Khamûl]

I've just finished Pride and Prejudice and despite my expectations, I actually liked it. I didn't expect to like a book that basically consisted of people standing around talking. But much to my surprise, I liked it except for the fact that it was slow reading for me. I guess all the intrigue and drama kept me interested (as well as all the idiots that abound in that book).

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by Khamûl

I've just finished Pride and Prejudice and despite my expectations, I actually liked it. I didn't expect to like a book that basically consisted of people standing around talking. But much to my surprise, I liked it except for the fact that it was slow reading for me. I guess all the intrigue and drama kept me interested (as well as all the idiots that abound in that book).

*cough Mr. Collins cough*



Have you read Persuasion? Often times that is the best intro for a guy to reading Austen.

[BeardofPants]

Ugh, Mr. Collins, indeed. I can still hear Mrs. Bennet's shrill voice crying out for Mr. Collins from the beeb miniseries.... ::shudder::

[Rían]

Oh, "Persuasion" is great, but in a way, it's even less action than P&P, IMO. It's a lot of what's going on in what's-her-name's head.

*goes to find the book to find out what's-her-name's name*

Aaaack! It's GONE! It's GONE!! And Northanger Abbey is gone too!!!!

Who did I loan them to?!?! Oh, woe is me!!! Rats!!

*sigh* It must have been my sister-in-law - I'll call her tomorrow.

"Northanger Abbey" is more lively - really funny! And Henry is a great character, so a guy might identify with that book more.

[Khamûl]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

Have you read Persuasion? Often times that is the best intro for a guy to reading Austen.

No, I haven't. Pride and Prejudice was my first experience with Jane Austen. Because of all the talk here, I'm tempted to give Northanger Abbey a try when I get some free time.

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Oh, "Persuasion" is great, but in a way, it's even less action than P&P, IMO. It's a lot of what's going on in what's-her-name's head.

*goes to find the book to find out what's-her-name's name*

Anne?

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by Khamûl

No, I haven't. Pride and Prejudice was my first experience with Jane Austen. Because of all the talk here, I'm tempted to give Northanger Abbey a try when I get some free time.

Northanger Abbey Rocks!!! And make sure you read Emma as well. I love Emma.


Rian, the main protagonist is Anne.

[Rían]

ANNE!! *smacks brain and re-boots it*

Thanks

Yeah, Northanger Abbey just had me in stitches! Henry is really funny.

Emma is great, and I thought the movie with Gweneth Paltrow was a v. good adaptation. Have you guys seen it?

[Mercutio]

Yes...I like it a lot. However, if I was a die-hard Janeite, I'd go for the Beckinsale version--better matches Austen's original. And I'm not sure if I'm that die-hard, since I enjoyed the recent Mansfield Park movie (there were lots of liberties taken with that...as a movie it stood well by itself, as Austen, not so much).

[sun-star]

Pride and Prejudice voted most romantic novel of all time

They're screening the TV adaptation in the common room here tomorrow, for all us sad people who can't get dates (or who prefer Austen to Valentine's Day )

[Minielin]

Originally Posted by sun-star

They're screening the TV adaptation in the common room here tomorrow, for all us sad people who can't get dates (or who prefer Austen to Valentine's Day )

If that's the TV adaptation with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, I'd prefer it to most Valentine's Days myself. That was such a good adaptation. I loved their casting (especially of the mother and Mr. Collins)!

[dawningoftime]

When my boyfriend dumped me a couple of weeks ago. My mum attempted to console my by saying I could call him Mr. Elton.

[Mercutio]

So the new P&P comes out in Sepember at the Toronto Film Festival and then the UK...The U.S. doesn't get it until November. And then it starts only in select theaters (NY & LA).

[Mercutio]

So have any of our UK-ians gone to see the new P&P?

[sun-star]

It's not on general release yet. I'm planning to go on Thursday...

[Elvellyn]

Can anyone tell me why, in P&P, it says --------shire all the time instead of giving a name?

[Mercutio]

I've borrowed this from a wonderful Austen site everyone must visit: www.pemberley.com

More or less, ;-) Written by Caroline in response to -------shire? by Diane Catherine

] I always assumed that it was because if she used a real place name, readers living there would say, "This author obviously knows nothing about this place. What a stupid book!" But I would like a more definitive answer if there is one. Thanks!

That's one reason why they did it. A development of this was that if they used real places, or real regiments, or what looked like real places and real regiments, then people could say "Well, the Colonel of that regiment wasn't callled xxxxxx, or the Colonel of that regiment didn't do that/wasn't the fool you make him out to be/couldn't possibly have given that order!" Authors would be opening themselves up to accusations of libel, if not stupidity.

It's also a fall-out from a literary convention of the time when many books and pamphlets were written criticising the government of the day, or important figures, by using false names. Defoes' Gullivers Travels is possibly the best known of the earlier ones. Since the reporting of Parliamentary discussions was banned until about 1808, it had to be reported in newspapers under false names (and Samuel Johnson first did it by reporting the activities of the people of Lilliput!). Some rather scurrilous stories were also printed which were thinly veiled parodies or criticisms of important figures.

So when Jane Austen wrote the _________shire regiment, or the Earl of _________, she was a)avoiding the pitfall of being accused of inaccuracy and b) avoiding the pitfall of being accused of criticism of some important political figures.

And just for the record, there realy was a militia regiment that went to Hertfordshire and then camped for the summer at Brighton. It was the Derbyshire Milita.........

Now the Bronte sisters followed in this tradition, although I really don't know if they were as worried about political consequences as JA was. Jane Eyre is fairly obviously set in Northern Yorkshire and Durham, (The reference to Gateshead, a real place gives it away.) But Lowood Schooll may wel be based on a real place, in which case Charlotte was playing safe by not giving any more deatil about its location than she absolutely needed to.

[sun-star]

I think there's also a (c), which is that P&P is fairly obviously set in a neighbourhood similar to Austen's own home, and even while her authorship was secret she wouldn't have wanted to be accused of depicting real people she knew who lived there. Imagine local gossip saying you were the original of Mrs Bennett! When her novels are set further afield in counties she had less connection with, she doesn't avoid naming them outright (P&P says Rosings is in Kent, Mansfield Park opens by saying that the house is in Northamptonshire and in Persuasion Kellynch Hall is said to be in Somerset). Cities or large towns are usually named directly e.g. London, Bath, Lyme Regis etc.