I apologize for the lack of links to some things. . .school is starting and I’m busy setting up my classroom, running off copies and generally hating meetings that take away my time to do the former two things.
After reading Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict I’ve got to admit that Miss Austen’s works are appearing more and more in popular culture. Not that it’s a bad thing, at least to me.
After reading Confessions I felt the great need to watch the BBC Pride and Prejudice again and immerse myself in the wit and wisdom of that bygone era.
Though Jane Austen wasn’t well received in her time, her novels were popular among the people. One of the things that I remember hearing once about the story by Rudyard Kipling about soldiers during WWI who called themselves the Janeites. These soldiers read Austen’s works in the trenches and fought to defend English womanhood as put down in Austen’s novels.
WWI has more of an impact on Europe’s subconscious today than it does in America, and the idea that these young boys read her novels on the field of battle to defend that which they held dear is an interesting idea. The fact that the works of Austen can soothe the horrors of war, especially the attrition of WWI is an amazing thing.
Fast forward to today and Austen seems to be everywhere. Pride and Prejudice was remade a couple of years ago (even though they Bronte-ized it, Matthew McFayden makes a great Darcy), for the sixth or seventh time. I just read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and Sybil gave me another book to try, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. It releases in January of 2008! The movie of Becoming Jane just came out, about where Jane got her inspiration from, though I’m happy the producers spread around that they took all sorts of poetic license with her life. Coming soon is The Jane Austen Book Club starring some very pretty people who are neurotic but love Jane Austen.
What is it about Jane Austen that has made her so popular? Regency set historicals are rather popular now, as if we hadn’t noticed. Television and film have given the 5-hour Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Clueless, Sense and Sensibility, as well as BBC produced versions of Persuasion and Mansfield Park. Her work seems to fit the screen so well due to the characterizations and large amounts of dialogue in each of her novels.
My personal favorite is Pride and Prejudice, though I haven’t read very many of the others. Anyone read all of Austen’s novels? Thoughts on the seemingly greater popularity of Jane Austen? Questions? Comments?
Huge Austen fan here. (I did see Becomng Jane and, though it is purely speculative, I had a big grin on my face through alot of it!)
BBC’s Pride And Prejudice is my favorite media version of a JA book with Sense and Sensibilty a close second, followed by Persuasion.
For the books it’s P&P all the way. I’ve read all of them but Emma and Northanger Abbey– though I have them on my shelf! (I’ve seen all the movies too.)
I heard in one of the commentaries of the recent release of P&P that the actors had so many people talking to them about their perspective portrayals as if they knew the characters personally. The guy playing Mr. Collins said he thought it was because so many people “own” JA’s work. In other words, they take it as their’s. I certainly feel that way (I was agahst at Knightly playing Elizabeth. She wasn’t my Elizabeth Bennet, that’s for sure!)
Oh wait, haven’t read Mansfield Park yet either!
I’ve read all the books (yet to see all the film / mini-series adaptions though!) and my favourite for a read is P&P followed very closely by Persuasion – I’ve reread the scene with Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne about a million times. *Sigh*
As for the movies – the BBC’s mini of P&P with Colin Firth as Darcy is my absolute winner. I enjoyed the Kate Winslet / Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility (BTW this is my least favourite book) and I also liked the BBC’s Persuasion as it strikes me as being the most realistic looking film I’ve seen so far of that era.
Oooh, I just saw Becoming Jane on the airplane on the way home from the UK. Loved it! When we were in Bath, we visited Jane Austen’s home, too. Way cool – they even have a museum there in her honor.
That was intriguing . I love your finesse that you put into your writing . Please do move forward with more similar to this.