Sunday, April 8, 2012

Let's Do This...Let's Talk Jane Austen


Jane Austen is timeless because her stories are about women struggling with friendships, family, and of course, men. Every year somewhere some woman writes an article on Jane Austen for some lady mag like Vanity Fair or Cosmo and every year it's true: Jane Austen understands us. She tells it like it is. No we're not all still obsessed with marriage and we live in a different world in terms of law and career and we don't need men to SURVIVE. But most of us still like to dream about romance...to dream about someone who will be a gentleman. Also she simply writes about real people that we all know. The fact that these novels were written two hundred years ago is so beautiful to me. So much has changed in terms of technology and the way we court each other and live our lives. However, the human being is much the same, and the way we feel and interact person-to-person remains unaltered.

Sometimes I nerd out because some of these stories feel like looking in a mirror. Do you ever feel like Elizabeth Bennet and you're surrounded by Mr. Collinses? I do. Or you're Emma and he is Definitely an Elton and she is Definitely a Mrs. Elton? Me too. Or you are crying over some son of %^& bastard and you realize you really are being ridiculous....you're being a Marianne Dashwood, and you know deep down you'll get over this. Even though that Willoughby was terribly entertaining for a while. Yes, yes, yes.

I'm probably the billionth lady to ever think and say all this. It's nothing new, but sometimes you have to celebrate something, even when it's old.

1 comment:

Alice JEans said...

Beautiful one, you might be the millionth lady to say these things, but you are the one lady who has touched my life with your words today.....it is so true. I despair of ever finding a gentleman. I have been single for two years now (after an 11 year marriage) and have yet to meet anyone I would consider being with - and I have never been regarded as 'fussy'. Where are all the Mr Knightly's hiding? Yay for Jane Austin, who allows us to dream for a moment that the world does hold hope and promise for a happily ever after, even if we sometimes have to wait for a time, like Anne in Persuasion ! Thank you for sharing these lovely thoughts today - I know I am not alone in my plight !!! XX