Jane Austen

Only I write tolerable romance.

When I was in my late teens, I went through a romance novel phase. I call it a phase because it didn't last long, only a year or two and now I only read romance novels when my grandma gives them to me and I don't have that much else to read.  I think I just got sick of the formula to be honest. Some of the stories weren't so formulaic, but read the same romance author more than once and you're lucky if you don't feel like you're looking at the exact same novel with the names changed.

Thank you, if I want that stuff, I'll read Harry Potter fanfiction. At least then, the characters' names don't change, but the plots generally do.

However, there is one author of romance novels that I could never give up ever in my life. I really like her six books... well, the four of the six that I've read.  I even have a favorite.

I am a Jane Austen fan.  Now, there are several different types of Jane Austen fans. It depends on what they're reading it for.  I read Jane Austen for the satire and the sarcasm... and the strange outdated language.

I'll never get over a line from Pride and Prejudice: "He simpers and sighs and makes love to us all!"

It has lead me to inform a great number of people about how queerly gay I am or how gayly queer I feel.  For those of you not up on your language, before "queer" meant "homosexual", it meant "strange"; and before "gay" meant "homosexual" it meant "happy".  I've also told people that I felt "knocked up" when I actually meant I was tired just to get the raised eyebrows.

I don't like to cause a fuss; I just think language is a funny thing.

Anyhow, back to Jane Austen.  She lived in a time where people didn't hug or kiss or hold hands really until they were married.  It makes her novels very... clean. Of course, some of the books end with some woman compromising herself by running off with a man. Actually, my two favorites end that way: Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice.

Now, a lot of people are shocked when I tell them that Mansfield Park is one of my favorite books and a favorite Jane Austen.  Why? The main character is this spineless goody-two-shoes who spends most of the book acting like a martyr, the book centers on morality, and for some reason people think the book is boring.  Personally, I feel an odd connection to Fanny Price.  I mean, I could never be like her because I have grown up around strong women who could all take care of themselves. I'd be more like Mary Crawford... possibly... maybe.  Maybe not.  I think I'd be a mix between the two. Miss Crawford was a bit more callous than I could ever be at times.  On the other hand, I know that I'd be exactly like Fanny Price if I grew up in her position.

It makes me feel a sort of kinship with her while also wishing she were real so I could protect her and smack some sense into her when she was being an idiot... I'd also abuse Henry Crawford a fair amount too...

I like Pride and Prejudice because it makes me laugh and after reading it, the world just seems... better.  I read Mansfield Park and I want to make myself and the world I live in better.  One leaves me contented while the other leaves me wanting to make the world content.  They're two halves of the same coin in a lot of ways.

Though, Eliza Bennett has the advantage of not marrying her cousin.  Though, she almost did! *cough* Mr. Collins *cough*

So, if you have a chance, pick up a bit of Jane Austen and laugh at the language and figure out which book you like the most and why.

Sweet Dreams!