There is something very magical about Christmas. We all love the colourful decorations, the candles and the bustle. For my part, at this time of year I love to settle down in front of a log fire, sip a glass of red wine (as sweet as I can get it) or if it is frosty outside, to indulge in a mulled wine and have a plate of mince pies within easy reach. Could anything be cosier on a dark December afternoon?
Although I am a fan of crime fiction, at this time of year I look for gentler stories. I am currently reading an old Robert Goddard novel Hand in Glove which is intriguing to say the least. Goddard is a very talented writer and tells a tale as convoluted as any author I know. In other words, this is a page turner. When I've finished it, it will nearly be Christmas so I'll either pick up a nice family story or I will go back to Jane Austen. Whenever I am feeling fragile, I start to re-read one of her novels. I haven't read Mansfield Park for a long time and it is thicker than her other works, so I must get this out for the festive season. Yes, I know the story and how it all ends happily, but it is a bit like visiting old friends, like putting on your pajamas and sliding your feet into those comfortable slippers.
What do you like to read to wind down at Christmas?
Showing posts with label Jane Austen's novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane Austen's novels. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 December 2018
Monday, 14 August 2017
A Letter to Jane Austen
Dear Jane Austen,
I have read all your novels and loved them all with just one exception: Northanger Abbey.
I return to them again and again. It's like visiting old friends. Emma Woodhouse and her father who is so careful of his health, Eleanor and Marianne making do on a low income, Fanny Price living in the awesome environs of Mansfield Park. I hardly need mention the lively Elizabeth Bennet and the stuffy Mr. Darcy, not that Mr. Darcy would be everyone's fancy but the telling of his proposal to Elizabeth and her spirited refusal is a treasure among "romance" novels.
You grew up in a world where women had to marry in order to have what was known as a comfortable provision. Or they had to be rich, like Emma Woodhouse. We know that you were not wealthy. Yet you refused to accept the norms of your day and your heroines are all rebels in their own way with the possible exception of Fanny Price. Many readers are impatient with Fanny but you remained true to the character - given her upbringing and circumstances, it is highly unlikely that Fanny would have been a rebel. That is what makes a talented author, to know the characters you have put on paper and understand how they would react.
Having said all that, I can't tell you how depressing I find it when modern authors "build" on your stories - murders and vampires included! - and books are published on your private life and "wild love affairs". I have read a collection of your letters many of which concerned domestic matters. You were most entertaining when you described acquaintances or people you had met and were very proud of recognizing an "adultress" on one occasion despite having been told she was not the one. I have read one or two biographies of your life and as far as I can gather, you fell in love with a dashing young man (I feel you built Wickham's character around him) and refused another gentleman's offer. There might have been more romance inbetween but as your sister Cassandra burned all your letters during a bad period of your life, we are never going to find out all the details. And we don't need to. We can admire your work and enjoy all the nuances of your characters (and compare them to people in our circle of acquaintances!).
So, thank you Jane Austen, thank you for the pleasure I get whenever I re-read one of your novels. You are a treasure!
I have read all your novels and loved them all with just one exception: Northanger Abbey.
I return to them again and again. It's like visiting old friends. Emma Woodhouse and her father who is so careful of his health, Eleanor and Marianne making do on a low income, Fanny Price living in the awesome environs of Mansfield Park. I hardly need mention the lively Elizabeth Bennet and the stuffy Mr. Darcy, not that Mr. Darcy would be everyone's fancy but the telling of his proposal to Elizabeth and her spirited refusal is a treasure among "romance" novels.
You grew up in a world where women had to marry in order to have what was known as a comfortable provision. Or they had to be rich, like Emma Woodhouse. We know that you were not wealthy. Yet you refused to accept the norms of your day and your heroines are all rebels in their own way with the possible exception of Fanny Price. Many readers are impatient with Fanny but you remained true to the character - given her upbringing and circumstances, it is highly unlikely that Fanny would have been a rebel. That is what makes a talented author, to know the characters you have put on paper and understand how they would react.
Having said all that, I can't tell you how depressing I find it when modern authors "build" on your stories - murders and vampires included! - and books are published on your private life and "wild love affairs". I have read a collection of your letters many of which concerned domestic matters. You were most entertaining when you described acquaintances or people you had met and were very proud of recognizing an "adultress" on one occasion despite having been told she was not the one. I have read one or two biographies of your life and as far as I can gather, you fell in love with a dashing young man (I feel you built Wickham's character around him) and refused another gentleman's offer. There might have been more romance inbetween but as your sister Cassandra burned all your letters during a bad period of your life, we are never going to find out all the details. And we don't need to. We can admire your work and enjoy all the nuances of your characters (and compare them to people in our circle of acquaintances!).
So, thank you Jane Austen, thank you for the pleasure I get whenever I re-read one of your novels. You are a treasure!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)