I've been busy the past few weeks in final preparation for my friend's wedding which was held Saturday last. I was a bridesmaid in it-the "extra woman", in fact. The groomsman that I was supposed to have walked down the aisle/generally paired with was unable to attend due to a health problem (very serious, really) so it was a good thing that I am in the midst of reading Marjorie Hillis's Live Alone and Like It: A Guide for the Extra Woman so I was slightly prepared for the feeling that I was somewhat in the way. Especially when the bridal party was supposed to share a dance with the bride and groom at the wedding and I had absolutely nobody to dance with. I was on the brink of tears, but then Jane Austen came to rescue me. No, not the Jane Austen here, but in the literary sense. I realized that at that moment, I was Harriet Smith in Emma. Except, I had no Mr. Knightley to rescue me. Such is life, right? Especially the life of the "extra woman". I saw my future, and I have to admit it was kind of bleak.
However, I do have a mini-break at the beach planned for this weekend. Things could be looking up!
Showing posts with label Jane Austen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane Austen. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Recently there have been several articles about how I, Jane Austen, now rule the world. What a strange sort of time this has become when a daughter of a reverend can become one of the most powerful women in the publishing industry. And I do it all while dead...even more impressive.
Who would have thought that six novels would touch so many people? But what's really behind the JA love? It basically started with the BBC Pride & Prejudice mini-series where Colin Firth emerged from a lake and caused millions of female hearts to stop beating. Thus began the JA love. Now there are scores of books that take on my characters and even me. At times I'm just a side character and at other times I'm a vampire slayer.
The one thing that surprises me is how many people take on my characters in an act of love shall we say and then don't hold true to them. It's like Dorothy said: sometimes authors forget pieces. Like when one author has Lizzie saying she had known Charlotte Lucas a little. A little? They were good friends.
So how many people are actually taking on JA's characters because they love them and want to see what happens next. And how many people simply want to cash in on my fame?
It's a tough call. What are the worst and best works based on my novels that you've read?
For me: Best: Melissa Nathan's Persuading Annie
Worst: Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Elizabeth Berdoll
Who would have thought that six novels would touch so many people? But what's really behind the JA love? It basically started with the BBC Pride & Prejudice mini-series where Colin Firth emerged from a lake and caused millions of female hearts to stop beating. Thus began the JA love. Now there are scores of books that take on my characters and even me. At times I'm just a side character and at other times I'm a vampire slayer.
The one thing that surprises me is how many people take on my characters in an act of love shall we say and then don't hold true to them. It's like Dorothy said: sometimes authors forget pieces. Like when one author has Lizzie saying she had known Charlotte Lucas a little. A little? They were good friends.
So how many people are actually taking on JA's characters because they love them and want to see what happens next. And how many people simply want to cash in on my fame?
It's a tough call. What are the worst and best works based on my novels that you've read?
For me: Best: Melissa Nathan's Persuading Annie
Worst: Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Elizabeth Berdoll
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Didn't We Almost Have It All?
As I’ve been reading books lately especially the modern interpretations of Mrs. Radcliff which instead of gothic horror focuses on horror of horrors clothing, thinness, bad jobs and a lonely boyfriend free existence, I’ve noticed one thing: Chick Lit gives a woman everything.
Obviously we’re all looking for the happily ever after or HEA. It’s what we crave and it’s what we read these books for, but as I read about another woman who is a size six instead of a size four, lives in a big city and is trying to find her dream and somehow mysteriously meets that amazing man with a bank account that can buy her all the Prada she wants I think back to some of the classics where at the end of the book the heroine didn’t have it all, but almost had it all.
Can the modern day woman really relate to these women? Why are most of their dreams jobs in television or event planning or marketing and PR? Do modern day women yearn for Prada and Gucci and Versace? Do we want to read about these things because we want them or we know about them or because we are told that we should want them? What’s wrong with a story without all the flash and dash? Something like, well let’s face it, something like I would write. Great characters who have faults and even though most get the HEA let’s remember that not everything works out in the end.
Lizzie still has a vulgar mother and her sister Lydia is married to a wastrel. Anne gets Captain Wentworth after eight years of heart ache, but her family still looks at her as plain Anne. Emma gets Mr. Knightley, but instead of moving to Donwell Abbey she must stay with her father. Perfection doesn’t happen in an Austen novel. The hero and heroine don’t always get it all. They almost get it all.
And let’s face reality. That’s the way life goes. You don’t get it all, but if your really lucky a gem like Captain Wentworth comes along and well you almost get it all.
Obviously we’re all looking for the happily ever after or HEA. It’s what we crave and it’s what we read these books for, but as I read about another woman who is
Can the modern day woman really relate to these women? Why are most of their dreams jobs in television or event planning or marketing and PR? Do modern day women yearn for Prada and Gucci and Versace? Do we want to read about these things because we want them or we know about them or because we are told that we should want them? What’s wrong with a story without all the flash and dash? Something like, well let’s face it, something like I would write. Great characters who have faults and even though most get the HEA let’s remember that not everything works out in the end.
Lizzie still has a vulgar mother and her sister Lydia is married to a wastrel. Anne gets Captain Wentworth after eight years of heart ache, but her family still looks at her as plain Anne. Emma gets Mr. Knightley, but instead of moving to Donwell Abbey she must stay with her father. Perfection doesn’t happen in an Austen novel. The hero and heroine don’t always get it all. They almost get it all.
And let’s face reality. That’s the way life goes. You don’t get it all, but if your really lucky a gem like Captain Wentworth comes along and well you almost get it all.
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