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edel's corner
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jane's writing deska guide to jane austen's writings, life and times"You are now collecting your People delightfully, getting them exactly into such a spot as is the delight of my life; — 3 or 4 Families in a Country Village is the very thing to work on — & I hope you will write a great deal more, & make full use of them while they are so very favourably arranged." Some critics contend that Jane Austen's world was rather confined — that her stories are of no significance, her writing style nothing exceptional. She might not be counted among the literary giants of our globe, she might not be called a social revolutionary, yet she was a keen observer of the society around her. With a discerning, often somewhat satirical yet always compassionate pen — or perhaps rather quill or nib — she noted down what she saw. And although she did not report on any of the momentous historical events of her times, her writings are very much situated in her world, which plays a subtle background to her lighthearted wit. This page hopes to offer a path to Jane Austen's oeuvre, its adaptations into different media, her life and the world she moved in to those interested in just such subtleties and who like to look at our human idiosyncrasies with a twinkle in their eyes. A short note as to some technical details: To access the resources mentioned here, the keywords Jane Austen were used; the only exception — and as that only partly true — being the paragraphs on the history of that era. Specific information will follow under that heading. I decided against giving any call number notations. Living in a country where at least three different main notation types are used — chronological within various major sets according to formats, modified Dewey, topical division noted with letters (somewhat along the lines of the LC, but not quite) — it is much easier for the interested lay person to find information via keywords instead of trying to learn the specific ways items are organized in various libraries.
cordially yours...Jane Austen did not leave a large number of novels, much to the chagrin of her devoted readership. With her observations she also stayed within her own society and the topics she knew best. Yet in her selection she became a master, polishing her art until it sparkled. Why not go down to your local library and pick out one of these small treasures? Juvenilia and fragments: Beginning with the age of 12, we have Jane Austen's first literary efforts: short novelettes, poems, prayers and even a history of England. Already then her wit was obvious as the byline to the history illustrates: "... by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian" — to which she appends the addendum: "There will be very few Dates in this History." Among the fragments are a draft of a novel in letters, Lady Susan, plus the first few chapters of two further novels: Sanditon and The Watsons Sense and sensibility (1811): The two older Dashwood sisters, the sensible Elinor and Marianne who is full of romantic sensibilities, stumble over roadblocks of their own personalities' making in their affairs of the heart. Pride and prejudice (1813): Against the backdrop of a host of hilariously eccentric friends, family members and other assorted co-humans, proud Fitzwilliam Darcy and prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet meet and battle toward a truly satisfying finale. Mansfield Park (1814): Although often described as Austen's lack-lustre heroine, Fanny Price stands up for what she deeply believes even in the face of disapproval of those she cares for most. This inner strength is not obtrusive, yet it helps her master her fate. Emma (1816): Emma Woodhouse knows what she wants and even more so what the people around her need — at least in her own mind. This misconception nearly leads to disaster for her friends and herself. Northanger Abbey (1818): Because Catherine Moreland practically lives in the world of her beloved Gothic novels, she sees horrific misdeeds everywhere, herself, of course, placed as the splendid heroine. But one has to be able to differentiate between everyday and imaginary life, lest one miss out on what real life has to offer. Persuasion (1818): When still an impressionable youngster, Anne Elliot let herself be persuaded by a well-meaning older friend to refuse a suitor deemed objectionable. Now the situations have changed. Is the same true for their feelings for each other or are they based on a more solid foundation and can be rekindled in spite of hurt pride? Innumerable different editions have been published of Jane Austen's novels for each taste and pocket book. Below are a handful that might be of special interest. Special editions:
visually yours...Over the years, there have been many adaptations of Jane Austen's literary works to the movie or TV screen. One of the easiest to use one-stop sources is the Internet Movie Database. Selecting all sections of the database and entering the term Jane Austen into the search window will bring up options of movie titles, actresses and Jane Austen (writer). This latter link leads to all movies and TV productions in the database that were adapted from her books. Spanning a time period of six decades from the 1940's to the year 2000, different directors tried to bring to life visually what Jane Austen expressed so brilliantly in words. From Garson Greer and Lawrence Olivier to Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant, famous and not so well-known actors and actresses have portrayed Jane Austen's heroes and heroines. Some adaptations have been very close to the originals, others have taken much more liberty with the texts. All but one are English language productions. The exception is an Indian version in Tamil of Sense and sensibility, perhaps making for a fascinating comparison with Ang Lee's movie. Critical analyses of most of these adaptations, comparing them to each other and to Jane Austen's texts, can be found in a number of books. Following are two examples:
biographically yours...Jane Austen was born in 1775 and died in 1817 — a relative short life. And although the amount of information about her is rather limited, quite a few Austen biographies have been written. To get to know the person behind the stories, perhaps the best way is to read her own letters first, then investigate sources of her times, ending with modern biographies. Each different set of resources has its specific advantages and interpretations and, of course, also its own perspectives and blind spots. Yet, put together, a colorful picture can emerge. La Faye, D., ed. (1997). Jane Austen's letters. Oxford : Oxford University Press. Austen-Leigh, J. E. (1994). A memoir of Jane Austen. London, UK: Routledge-Thoemmes Press. Ross, L., ed. (1995). Jane Austen's family history. London, UK: Routledge Press. Among the newer Jane Austen biographies are:
Although all biographies can only draw from the same somewhat narrow materials, they each have their specific focus. Nokes is a bit speculative and interested in a less-than-perfect Jane, whereas Tomalin presents a more sober account interspersed with sly humor. Shield explores the life-long close relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra, and Myer concentrates on the relationship between Austen's stories and how much they reflect her life.
critically yours...How do scholars view the literary value of Jane Austen's novels — their relationship to the issues of the changing century she lived in and also to our modern day concerns? Articles and books on literary criticism deal with those aspects. Topics range wide from sexual roles to mathematics, from religiosity to education, from food to social realities, from music to romance. All these items can easily be accessed in larger libraries with the keywords Jane Austen. Scholarly series on literature offer in-depth analyses:
To retrieve magazine articles about Jane Austen and her works, contact your local library to see which subcription electronic indexes they have available. Any of the ones mentioned below offer a wealth of critical information on Jane Austen either in abstract form or in full text:
There is also some free literary criticism to be found on the Web:
historically yours...The period between the last decades of the 18th century and the 1830's was a time of paradoxes in England: elegance and vulgarity, manners and vices, the etiquette of the high aristocracy and the squalor of the poor. Although characterized by an insular detachment, the country also felt some of the rippling effects of the French Revolution. All this appears only now and then as faint shadows in Jane Austen's writings. Yet, it does exist. And perhaps by understanding a bit about English history and society of the times, one can also gain a deeper appreciation of Jane Austen's novels. Using combinations of keywords like the ones below will offer a plethora of historical background to Jane Austen's novels. Some are more general accounts, others refer specifically to Jane Austen's life.
Here are a few interesting morsels to hopefully whet your appetite:
virtually yours...The Web abounds with Jane Austen sites. Of course, many of them are inter-linked with one another; it does not matter that much where you start, eventually you will be linked to all the others. Below are listed some of the major official and private web pages that present intriguing information:
The Republic of Pemberley is rather difficult to navigate but it contains a huge amount of information if one is willing to dig deep and explore the various links within links. Here are a couple of those informative pages:
just for fun...Some photos of Chawton Cottage and Winchester. If someone else had written Jane's stories...
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© 2002, rev. 2004 Edel Sturcke |
