my friend, miss austen

A response to Travis' response:

I would argue that Jane Austin is not a Romance writer in the sense of the word and definitely is not the genesis of romance works. Northranger Abbey itself seems to indicate instead that she find Romance distasteful. I believe it is the film treatments that have perhaps made Jane's works appear to be that of what one would call Romance. It is true her works do speak of love and courtship but also of many other things as well.

I do notice something interesting though. When Jane is writing there is a distinct lack of mention of the War against France though many of her stories are contemporaneous to that conflict why is this?

I agree. Most heartily. I don't think Jane is a romance writer, especially in the modern sense of the Harlequin romances. And the movies have very much played off the romantic aspects within the novel, knowing that the viewing audience is looking for something easier to digest.

I love talking about Jane Austen, because she has had such a profound influence on my life. If you were to start the orthodox version of the movie, Pride and Prejudice, I could tell you exactly where they were in the story through sound only. I'm almost that good with Persuasion, as well.

The movies are one thing - they are beautiful to behold, and they've allowed millions of women to fall madly in love with Collin Firth's Mr Darcy.

But the books, oh those glorious books!

Miss Austen is quite witty. It's in the little asides, the things that can't truly be translated. For example, when Lizzy is explaining to her father why she is accepting Mr Darcy's proposal, she relates how Mr Darcy was instrumental is resolving Lydia's marriage to Wickham. Mr Bennet finds this most fortunate, for he can offer to repay Mr Darcy, or Fitwilliam (how utterly unromantic!) but he will storm about his love for Lizzy, and that will be the end of it!

Side note: in attempting to relate the above sequence, I realized that I do not have my own copy of Pride and Prejudice. gasp!

Lastly, Travis asks why is there no mention of the wars with France.

One biography I 'read' (audible.com is fabulous!) suggested this was because Jane writes of what happens in drawing room in the middle to upper class women of society. War was not really a subject talked about. It happened, and in Lydia's case, it brought 'all the officers' near her.

I think I'm inclined to agree with this perspective. After all, how often do we talk of the very real war that is occurring in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East? I would suggest that, well, not often.

Jane wrote about peoples lives. Their daily lives with all the little conversations that make people seem so conceited and not part of the world in general. The same question could be brought up why Austen speaks nothing of religion, and when there is a religious figure in the book, more often than not, he is the object of ridicule. This too, I believe can be answered with the above reason.