It's still Jane's World. We just live here.

Hello
In anticipation of Masterpiece Theatre's new adaptation of Emma, which screened Part 1 last night, my mom and I had a little Austen discussion yesterday. My mom and I have shared a love of "Jane" ever since I was teen. Luckily I was a teen during the Austen revival of the mid 90s. Her and I breathlessly saw all the various movie adaptations that were released at that time. I read the books for the first time, as she revisited them with each new adaptation.

Yesterday's discussion began with a debate about whether Clueless should be compared with more straightforward adaptations of Emma. I argue that it shares enough in common with say 1996's Emma (that's the one with Paltrow) that it should be considered. Her argument was that it set a dangerous precedent. Would we allow Bridget Jones's Diary to be compared with 1994's Pride and Prejudice? Not to mention all these hybrids which are adding zombies and sea monsters to our Jane's original texts? I did see her point, however I think Clueless is the best adaptation thus far of Emma for the screen. I guess I'm okay with making an exception in this case. My very literate mom held her ground, respectively.

Moving on... I then threw down a gauntlet: Rank Your Austen Novels. Although it's a bit silly and arbitrary, it's also kinda fun.
Surprisingly my mom topped her list with Persuasion. Now this was fairly shocking to me. I just assumed that P&P would be the tops for both of us. Isn't P&P universally loved and held on a pedestal by all us Jane-ites? Apparently not. Perhaps Persuasion is rising in people's estimations with the more information that we find out about Jane herself. I've always seen Jane as being an "Elizabeth Bennett"-esque character, but maybe she is more like Anne Eliot. With her use of writer's voice Austen is as much a character in her books as Emma Woodhouse. It is not difficult then to graft our own love for "our Jane" to certain characters that she has created. I feel that this emotional transference is starting to occur with the character of Anne Eliot, a woman who believes that she made a mistake in love years ago.

Persuasion was Austen's last finished book and it clearly reflects a more adult world view. Anne Eliot is Austen's most mature character. She is full of regret, world-weary, and lost. The return of Captain Wentworth is a chance at redemption. I think a part of us wants to believe that maybe Austen sought a similiar redemption as she was dying of what was most likely Addison's Disease. However I am also starting to believe that Austen, while she was in dire straights, was evolving as a writer. Persuasion was a step towards more adult subjects such as death, war, and lost chances. Will she settle for William Eliot? The stakes are more personal as Anne Eliot feels that she has blown her chance at happiness.

I prefer to believe that Jane Austen regretted nothing about her life. Perhaps she would have liked to make more money and write more books. But otherwise I'm not interested in the tragic view, we'll leave that to the Brontes. I think this is why my favorite is Pride and Prejudice because it reflects a convergence of comedy, commentary, and pure joy. As her first written book P&P, originally known as First Impressions, I still marvel at how different it is than any other books of the time. I've written about this at length here. But today I revel in the humor and knowing winks that Jane gives us through her 3rd person narrative voice. She is our guide in this 19th century country society world. And although she'll show us the silliness of this societies culture, she also shows us the nobility that exists. You get the feeling in P&P that Austen loves it, flaws and all.

Of course this entire discussion is highly subjective. With only 6 novels available in her literary oevre us Jane-ites have the ability to really dwell on all the nuances. The fact that so much discussion could be pulled from so little material is a testament to her skill. It's undeniable.

For anyone interested here's our respective lists:
(BTW In all fairness I have not read Sanditon or Mansfield Park and my mom has not read Northanger Abbey, so these have been omitted)
Mom
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
Mansfield Park

Me
Pride and Prejudice
Emma
Persuasion
Sense and Sensibility
Northanger Abbey

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Happy B-day Jane Austen

Hello,
Today our dear Jane would be 234 years old. As I've discussed before, I think that many of us female readers consider Jane Austen to be "our Jane." I think the fact that she died so young, didn't marry, and never sold out, means that I will always see her through a positive prism. She never fell from grace or let me down. Because I like her smart aleck, witty, narrative voice I feel as if I know her. But in reality all I know is a picture of her that I've created in my head. If she was still around today I am convinced that she would still be unmarried. Perhaps she'd appreciate the wit of Wes Anderson and moon over George Clooney. She'd enjoy the social commentary of Mad Men but also the lustiness of True Blood. At this point we are almost 200 years after the publishing of Sense and Sensibility in 1811. I want to add one more adjective to the discussion of Miss Austen's influence: revolutionary.

Consider that in the early 19th century the idea of the novel was fairly new. Sure you had Don Quixote, Henry Fielding, and the gothic world of Radcliffe. Novels were largely written in epistolary or Journal form. Fiction was still an evolving art form. Being an avid reader Austen was able to read literature critically with a discerning eye. This is evident in her satirical critiques of books and reading. I think her finest sections in North Hanger Abbey involve her discussion of the effects of too much reading has had on the characters. Also remember that Emma decides to read more when she sets upon her own self improvement. (Of course the joke lies in the fact that it didn't do Emma much good. So clever.)

However her revolution goes even further. While it is obvious that she was not as interested in Romanticism as her peers were, she does not completely discount it. Austen showed an austere pragmatism in her realization of the world she inhabited. But rather than be as cynical as Voltaire or Wharton her stories wrap up in happily ever afters. Generally the lovers find suitable partners, villians get there comeuppance, and society goes on.

One has to ask: Where did this approach come from? It's not immediately evident in the literature of the time. Robinson Crusoe was too busy finding God. Radcliffe was more interested in creeping people out. Ivanhoe was fighting in the 12th century. So that leaves us with the clearest influence on "our Jane"-William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's comedies display in theatrical form all the aspects that Jane Austen would later bring to the novel form. Lovers long separated, misunderstandings, and even the obligatory marriage endings. She clearly saw that this is what the reading audience would want. That's some forward thinking, considering there wasn't even a massive literary distribution in place at that time. There was no promise of money or notoriety in being an author. In fact the profession was notorious, especially for women. So what motivated her? She just had to write. In her eyes there was no other option.

What a blow it must have been to have her first 3 novel attempts end up going nowhere. No wonder she stagnated for a few years while suffering in Bath. In the end her talent and foresight was so strong that eventually a publisher gave it a chance. It still took until 1811 that Sense and Sensibility got published. Austen had to wait for the literatti to catch up with her. By 1811 Gothic had played itself out. Audiences wanted a secularization of literature. And "our Jane" brought it.

Jane Austen found a new way to tell the stories that she wanted to tell. And didn't give up. That's a revolutionary act in and of itself.

Here's a fun Jane Austen entry from the past: Teach Me Jane I'm Willing to Learn...

Happy Birthday Jane!

Have a great day, Book Slave.

It's Elizabeth Bennett's world, we just live here.

Hello All,
Yes I am back! I took a week off, blame it on the fall weather. Either way the fates have brought us here tonight. I think we're going to turn to the left. (Don't worry we'll return to Review Lane soon.) Let's see where it takes us eh?

One place to consider: 19th century Austen England. I finally caught the BBC series Lost in Austen where a modern day woman switches places with Elizabeth Bennett. Lately I've been drawn to the heavily metatextual. (Loved Inglourious Basterds for the same reason.) And Lost in Austen draws upon it's fair share of the post-modern. Lead character Amanda Price finds herself stuck between maintaining the story she loves, Pride & Prejudice, and facing the fact that her very presence creates an alternate reality. In this alternate reality the fictional characters are able to realize their own strengths.

Here's some examples:
-Mr. Bennett leaves the library!
-Bingley finds an individual strength & really fights for Jane.
-Jane stands up for herself & tells the truth to Mr. Collins. And it's not nice.
-Mrs. Bennett shows that she can be a ball buster!

I could go on but I think you see the point. I think that there is definitely some Lacan at work here. How much of Pride & Prejudice, or any other work, is a representation of what the reader brings to it? I subscribe to the idea that once an author sends there writings out into the world then their interpretation becomes moot. It's up to the reader to interpret what's on the page in their own way. So if Amanda Price knows this fictional world as one way, Elizabeth Bennett-centric, then of course it's going to be different if you remove Elizabeth Bennett! Price finds herself trying desperately to maintain the storyline of P&P, but she can't. Maintaining her own expectations of the fictional world she now inhabits only causes frustration. Price has to let those expectations go & accept the new world being created in front of her.

To me the most interesting idea presented by Lost in Austen is that all the characters are better off without Elizabeth Bennett. However the trade off is that they gain Amanda Price. It could be argued that Amanda Price derives her strength from the fictional Elizabeth Bennett. Does your head hurt yet? My apologies. Apparently Elizabeth Bennett, whether fictional or actual, as presented here is the representation of feminine potential. Elizabeth Bennett influences those around her to look for their own personal happiness. While Elizabeth finds it in the modern world, Amanda Price finds it in Austen's fictional world.

So in the end do I recommend Lost in Austen? Yeah. Anything that can lead me to vomit up this much thought can't be too bad. If you're an Austenite, well I'm surprised you haven't see it already.

The Reading List
Books
25 Scripts
Astro City Vol. 2

Mags
Four Four Two

Comics
Flash Rebirth #4

Check Out Count: Shockingly Getting Lower.

Comic Pull List: Adventure Comics #2, Amazing Spider-Man #604, Blackest Night Batman #2, Bprd 1947 #3, Red Robin #4, Secret Six #13, Superman World Of New Krypton #7, Wednesday Comics #10

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Did Jane Have a Christmas Tree?

Hello,
Happy holidays y'all! The end of the year approaches quickly don't it. Tomorrow I'll be putting up my own tree. Only a real tree for this girl. And Christmas lights! Oh I can't wait, it's very exciting. Anyway Onward!

Shout Out
BTW Today is Jane Austen's Birthday. She would be 233 years old today. So Cheers to you Jane, I raise a glass in your honor.

My Posts about Jane: Teach Me Jane I'm Willing to Learn, Austen and Socrates, Critic Proof.

Review
More Information Than You Require
I love John Hodgman. Ever since I saw him on The Daily Show to promote his first book Areas of My Expertise I knew that we were kindred spirits. His new book More Information is an expert sequel to Areas. Hodgman has a unique absurdity to his comedy which can be exhausting, but produces endless cackles of laughter. Who else could give us 700 mole man names? Hodgman is great at satirizing the pursuit of useless arcane trivia. He also makes a great swipe at celebrity as he talks about his status as a MINOR TELEVISION CELEBRITY (yes he puts it in All Caps). Highly Enjoyable and definitely re-readable.

Author Link: John Hodgman

Other Reviews
AV Club|Student Voice|jesterjournal

The Reading List
Books
Local
Mrs. Dalloway

Comics
Secret Six #4

Magazine
Newsweek

Checkout Count: Varied

Comic Pull List: Batgirl #6, Batman And The Outsiders #14, Buffy The Vampire Slayer #20, Deadpool #5, Fables #79, Trinity #29

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Teach me Jane, I'm willing to learn...

Hey World Out There,
How lucky are you? Yes, an extra entry this week. I am introducing a new feature:

Lessons I’ve Learned From Classic Lit: Jane Austen


1. Beware those who speak cleverly. Whether it’s Wickam, Willoughby, or Mr. Elton watch out for men who are dangerously attractive. Let’s not forget the Crawfords as well. Austen throughout her 6 books continuously drills this point home.

2. Sisters are important. Of course in her own life Austen depended upon her sister Cassandra and one can’t help but see parallels between two different sets in her books. The relationship between the sisters Dashwood and Bennett play this out. Both sisters are opposites of each other whether it is sense/sensibility or intellect/beauty. They may disagree with each other from time to time, but when a sister is under attack the other sister is there to defend her.

3. Beware mothers who are focused on wealthy marriages rather than happiness. Mrs. Bennett, Mrs, Farrers, Lady Bertram, Enough said.

4. Watch out for false friends who seem to have your best interests at heart. Throughout all six books the main protagonists have their happiness thwarted by their supposed best friend. Cheekily in Emma the false friend is the main character making it a change up in formula. Be paranoid of your friends folks.

5. Marry for love and happiness, not wealth. This is obvious to us today but back in her day marriage meant security. Without marriage you could end up dying penniless in a cottage with your mom and sister. Considering her own personal situation I find it astounding that her books are relentlessly optimistic.

6. True love takes time to develop. Throughout her books, especially in Persuasion, Austen implies that loving relationships require a certain amount of maturity. Elizabeth Bennett has to turn down Mr. Darcy when she does because they are both not ready. In Persuasion, Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth prove that love may require a long wait.

Well there’s a few, I know there are many more. Jane Austen managed to cram an immense amount of life into 6 books. I’ve never read Lady Susan or Sanditon because I don’t like reading books not finished by the original author. Hence they are not included her. In the future I’ll feature some more eclectic authors, but I thought I’d start with something easy.

Have a great week. Book Slave.

Austen and Socrates

Hello blog-o-sphere,
I had an excellent memorial day weekend. It included an entire day when all I did was watch a series of historical docs that blew my mind and read. Highly recommend it to all.
Well let's get it on, baby (not like that you dirty birds!).

Reviews
A Fine Brush On Ivory
This was a sojourn into high-brow literary criticism that took me back to my English Lit student days. Jenkyn's literary analysis of the six novels of Jane Austen is not for the weak. It definitely exercised my intellectual muscles. It should be noted that Jenkyn subtitles this "an appreciation," this shows that he is clearly a fan of Austen's work. His enthusiasm is apparent in his writing, especially when discussing Pride and Prejudice. While I don't buy some of his assertions, I did find this an in-depth critical read for Austen fans.

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
Having read his well-known novel Devil in a Blue Dress I decided to pick up another of his series. Devil and this book are about man's struggle with violence in a society that is against them. Socrates Fortlow, an ex-convict, struggles daily against his base nature. Throughout these short vignettes Fortlow is shown trying to help people. But it never comes off as "The Fugitive" due to Mosley's stark realism. I enjoyed this work immensely and will look out for other books in the Fortlow series.

What's in My Bag
Graphic Novels
Essex County #1: Tales From the Farm
Batman: The Long Halloween

Comic
Wonder Woman #19

Magazine
Four Four Two

Check Out Count: Aaaahhh!

Have a great weekend all! Book Slave.

Critic Proof

Hello,
Felt a little neglected? My humble apologies. Life does get in the way. Well here's a surprise post!

There are some author's that I will pick up no matter what the critics say. These authors to me are critic-proof. As you may have picked up already I currently work in a large independent bookstore. I've worked in "books" for a little more than 8 years. At one time it was part of my job to pick and choose what new books my store would get in. Because of this I got into the constant habit of knowing what books were coming out, and whether they had any buzz about them or interest. I also keep track of trends and what well-known authors are up to. Even though I am not a buyer anymore I still compulsively keep track of what's up. Occasionally I get a surprise, we don't all have crystal balls to look into.

However as I said at the beginning there are authors and subjects that will always get my attention no matter what anyone says.

Here's a short list:

Ian McEwan
I will read any book put out by this amazing author.

Alan Moore
As I've said before-Everyone should read all his graphic novels. They are incredible, literate, and often mind-blowing.

John Le Carre Espionage
I love spy stories. However I am more interested in intricate plots, grey old man spies, and moral ambiguities. Don't get me wrong James Bond is awesome, however I want my Espionage with meat. Le Carre, as a former company man, brings the breadth of his experience to these tales. He is not afraid to expose to dark underbelly. Everyone should read "The Constant Gardener."

Jane Austen
Revisionism be damned. Her stories are funny, romantic, and revolutionary. There's more going on than "women talking in drawing rooms." Austen, mind you she was not college educated, was the first to publish stories with a narrative voice. You can hear her voice/personal commentary within the story. She is a character herself; a reader feels as if Jane is a personal friend. This is why she is Jane, and not Miss Austen.

Cormac McCarthy
His books are integral discussions of the human condition. McCarthy is dark and raw. I can't wait for his next book.

These author's I would never miss. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.