(BTW, if you think that title was dumb, it was the best I could do)
When I was first introduced to Jane Austen, I picked Northanger Abbey. Why? It was the shortest and the summary on the back looked interesting. This is what happened: I got two pages into it and quit. I wasn’t used to reading ‘old-fashioned’ books and I couldn’t get through it.
We had just finished watching Mansfield Park 2007 so I decided to borrow the book from the library (wrong choice!). I didn’t understand a word of it so I gave up. (It didn’t help that the film is nothing like the book). After that I backed off from Austen for awhile.
A little later, I came across The Jane Austen Handbook in a little gift shop. My mom liked Jane Austen a lot so I decided to get it and if I didn’t like it, she could have it. I read it…and didn’t put it down for several days. Of course, I had never read any of Jane Austen’s books so I didn’t catch all the delightful hints that the author puts in.
I worked up enough courage to try Austen again. I bought a shamefully “lopt and cropt” version of Pride and Prejudice at…the dollar store. It left out many things such as Jane’s visit to Netherfield and Lady Catherine coming to see Lizzy, but I enjoyed reading it. I then set out to read the full, unabridged book.
I struggled through it for a few days and then finally found my pace and started to enjoy it. I still had trouble understanding parts of it so I read bits of it at a time. I finally finished it and as a reward, treated myself to Pride and Prejudice 2005.
I read Sense and Sensibility a little later on, using the same method, and then finally all of her wonderful books. I thought to myself “There! I’ve finished them all and I can say I have.” But, like Lizzy with Darcy’s letter, they were soon brought out for further perusal.
I am proud to say that I can read large portions of Jane Austen’s books without stopping for a breather. I have read all of them more than once and even got through Lady Susan (which wasn’t so bad once I got into it).
My Austen collection includes all her major novels, an abridged version of Pride and Prejudice (not the one I mentioned above), The Jane Austen Handbook, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, Jane Austen: A Celebration of her Life and Works, and a ‘deluxe’ Pride and Prejudice 1995 DVD.
Were you able to dive into Austen right away, or did you have to wade in?
The JAHW is drawing to a close. It’s been a great week. A big thank you to everyone who participated especially Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm.
Note: I will try to get the concluding post up tomorrow but it might have to wait until Monday.
Now for the giveaway! (Can you tell I’m excited? )
I have one lovely copy of the Pride and Prejudice 2005 soundtrack to give away. I know that the ’05 adaption isn’t everyone’s favorite, but the music is truly wonderful. You can check out my review of the soundtrack here.
The giveaway details
The giveaway ends April 1st. For a mandatory entry, comment and tell what your favorite Jane Austen adaption is. I will randomly pick a name out of all the people that entered. I will then e-mail you and get your address so I can mail you the P and P soundtrack. The extra entries detailed below are not mandatory but they do increase your chances of winning. This giveaway is only open to the residents of Canada and the United States.
Subscribe to this blog. (If you have already done so, put up an extra comment telling me, or else it won’t count.)
Subscribe to my writing blog. (If you have already done so, put up an extra comment telling me, or else it won’t count.)
Subscribe to my book blog. (If you have already done so, put up an extra comment telling me, or else it won’t count.)
Post about this giveaway on your blog/website. When you comment for this extra entry, include the link.
Good luck!
Heroine of the day – Catherine Morland
Catherine Morland is the youngest of all Jane Austen’s heroines. I think part of the reason for that is that Jane Austen was a very young woman when she wrote Northanger Abbey (or ‘Susan’ as she first called it). Catherine is cheerful and deeply in love with Henry Tilney (who can blame her? ). Catherine, though not one of my favorite heroines, is a true heroine.
The reason I’m not having a poll between the two Catherines is because I think everyone likes Felicity Jones the best. The older BBC version is atrocious. I couldn’t even finish watching it that’s how bad it was. NEVER watch it! Henry Tilney looks HORRIBLE!
Instead, I’m putting up a Secondary Heroine Poll. I couldn’t find any secondary heroines for Persuasion (poor Anne is pretty much on her own).
Today I will posting two lovely guest posts by two lovely bloggers – Miss Laurie and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The first one is by Miss Laurie.
My Favorite Jane Austen Heroines
Jane Austen’s heroines are definitely my favorite ladies in all of English Literature. I’ve spent so much time reading their stories, watching their film adaptations and dreaming about their lives beyond the books that I sometimes feel I know them better than I know myself! It’s difficult to choose which of the Austen heroines are is my favorite because they are so wonderful! Here I’d like to talk about the ladies who make it into my top three favorites.
Anne Elliot of Persuasion - Anne’s virtues are many! She is sweet, patient, kind, selfless, tenderhearted and mothering. She loves her family even though they frequently neglect her. She is a faithful friend, a caring aunt, a good listener and acts upon what she knows to be right. Her one fault is having not believed in her own good sense and worth enough to marry Captain Wentworth when he first asked. I identify with her in a way but until I had patience like a saint I could never be as constant as Anne. Loving as she did when all hope is gone can only come from a deeply attached heart. Her heart aches with regrets and yet still her sense is invaluable and she is always of use to those around her. She has the great elegance and sense that I especially admire in a heroine and hope to have myself. I admire her greatly and rejoice in her final gain of the man who truly loves and appreciates her. Miss Anne has been a favorite for a long time and each time I re-read Persuasion I just grow to love her more!
Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey - As the heroine of my favorite Austen novel Catherine has a lot of charm for me. She is young, a home school graduate, a minister’s daughter, loves her family very much and has a bit of a curious and adventurous spirit. She was a bit of a tomboy as a girl but is finally growing up into a lovely young woman with a taste for feminine things. She has a great love of books and enjoys their mystery and romance. Her faults are few but one of them is an overactive imagination (fueled by the novels she reads) that gets her into trouble sometimes. One great thing about her is that she is so pure of heart and makes decisions based on her good heart and a desire to do what is right. I have identified with Catherine many times over the past few years – like her sometimes my love of mystery and romance tales makes my imagination run away with me. Being young she has a lot of time to grow into the wonderful wife and mother that she will be.
Fanny Price of Mansfield Park - In the last few monthsMiss Price and I have become fast friends! Every time I read about her I find more to admire! I used to think that Fanny was just painfully shy, but she’s not really, she’s more methodical and chooses her words carefully. Even though Fanny is young she is so sweet, kind, caring and helpful to the people around her. She was a good big sister to her many siblings and when she’s transplanted it takes a little bit for her to start growing out of her shell but Mansfield Park really does become her true home. She has a good heart and a good head and always tries to make right decisions. She’s a good judge of character and stays firm to her purpose. Fanny has an abiding faith in God which guides her actions, even Henry Crawford sees this. She loves her hero faithfully and prays for his happiness even when he seems to be in love with another woman. I love Fanny dearly and strive each day to reach her level of Christian faith and virtues!
And I can’t finish without briefly mentioning dear sensible Elinor Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility. She’s a favorite too and I love everything about her story but sometimes she’s a bit too much like me! I hope to have as nice and happy an ending to my story as she has to hers.
Thank you Eva-Joy for hosting this lovely Jane Austen Heroine Week and for inviting me to talk about my favorite Austen heroines!
Miss Laurie is the admin of Old-Fashioned Charm. It’s a wonderful blog about Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and ‘Everything Old-Fashioned Under The Sun’
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Defining the Austen Heroine
After reading one of her books, we really get a sense of who Jane Austen’s heroines are. We learn their habits, their virtues, their vices, we understand what they are thinking and how they are feeling, we could read a quote and say “Yep, that sounds like a Lizzy Bennet.” But what is it that defines an Austen heroine? What characteristics do they all share that define them as Austen heroines? After all, not all Austen Heroines are the same. Jane Austen’s heroines reflect people that we may see in our lives (or maybe even ourselves), and though they are not identical, they share similarities that make them heroines. Some could even be considered opposites. For example, Emma Woodhouse from Emma and Fanny Price from Mansfield Park are pretty different when it comes to personality: Fanny is shy, and Emma is outgoing; Fanny has been described as dull, while Emma has been described as vivacious. But despite those differences, they have those qualities that make them heroines (for example, both attend and are involved in their church). As you read this post, keep in mind that some of the characteristics that I mention may apply to some heroines more than others.
Characteristic #1: A Strong Sense of Morality
When you read through a Jane Austen novel, you will notice that the book you are reading may fall under multiple categories. They’re works of satire, they’re comedies, they’re romances (though not in the mushy sense), but they are also morality stories. Jane’s heroines are a strong moral rock through which we watch the story in front of us unfold. Here are a couple of examples of this:
Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
Though not to say that her sister, Marianne, has no sense of morality, Elinor has both good sense and morality that makes her the strong moral rock in Sense and Sensibility. While reading Sense and Sensibility, there are times where Elinor tries to think the incidents of the novel with her good sense and morality. She tells Marianne when she is acting improperly (like when Marianne was touring Allenham with Willoughby: Elinor says to Marianne, “”I am afraid…that the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety”).
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
Elizabeth has a very strong sense of morality and the right way to act. She knows her younger sisters act improperly: they shamelessly flirt with all of the officers and don’t seem to have any propriety. When Mr. Bennet refused to take all the Bennets to visit Brighton to visit the militia, Elizabeth is relieved since she knows how her younger sisters would act and how it would look to all of the Bennets. But when Lydia tells her that she is to go with Mrs. Forster, Elizabeth, with her sense of morality and knowing what Lydia is capable of acting like, pleaded with her father saying that he cannot let her go to Brighton because of Lydia’s wild behavior. She knows that Lydia’s behavior would affect all of the Bennets, and she proves to be correct when Lydia elopes with Wickham.
Fanny Price
Now, having not completed Mansfield Park (which I really need to get back to), I cannot fully comment on all of Fanny’s behavior, but I think I have a clear enough of a picture of her to write up a short section. Fanny has a very high sense of morality, which can lead to many readers finding her dull (though I certainly do not!). That is what I like about Fanny, that in contrast to Mary Crawford she has a very strong sense of right and wrong. When Mary Crawford makes inappropriate remarks at dinner, Fanny realizes that it was wrong of her to do so.
Characteristic #2: Honesty (It is the best policy, after all)
How many of Jane Austen’s heroines can you say are liars and cheaters? None. Every one of Jane Austen’s heroines are honest. Not all of them are bluntly honest since some of them say things a little more delicately than others, but they are all honest. Here are some examples:
Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey)
“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.” This is one of Catherine’s most well known quote. Catherine, though she is a bit naive, is very honest. She doesn’t always put things delicately, but you can never accuse her of purposely misleading anyone. When she was caught exploring Mrs. Tilney’s room at Northanger Abbey, she doesn’t cover up why she was there: she tells Henry Tilney up front why she was there; now, perhaps in that instance, she didn’t need to mention her suspicions of General Tilney, but she didn’t lie about why she was in Mrs. Tilney’s room.
Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
Could anyone accuse Marianne of saying anything that she did not have her full heart in? No. Because she has so much heart in everything she says and does, Marianne is very honest…Sometimes too honest. If she doesn’t like the way Mrs. Jennings is acting, she doesn’t hide it. In some instances, she can sometimes say some mean things because of her severe honesty. She probably needs to work on putting things more delicately, but she ought to keep her honesty.
Characteristic #3: A Good Nature
All of Jane Austen characters have a good nature. There are many levels to having a “good nature”, but Jane Austen’s heroines have a good nature in more than one way. For one thing, there really isn’t any malice in any of them. Sure, they may be wronged, but we don’t see them say that they wish ill on those who wronged them. For instance, in Sense and Sensibility, when Marianne recovers from her illness and though Willoughby was the cause of it, she didn’t wish ill on him: she only wishes that he will suffer no more than she has.
What can also fall under a good nature is good intentions. In Emma, Emma Woodhouse makes a lot of mistakes, but you have to remember that she means well. She doesn’t mess up on purpose, but she genuinely wants to help out her neighbors, though her attempts are usually met with failure.
There is also a caring nature apart of that good nature. Persuasion’s Anne Elliot is possibly one of the most caring characters in literature: she is a good listener and listens to all of her family’s problems (even when it’s about other family members) and she helps wherever she can.
Sure, for a good nature, some Austen Heroines have different elements of a good nature, but they are all good-natured women.
Those three characteristics are some of the ways that an Austen Heroine can be defined. Jane Austen has created a variety of characters and a variety of heroines that though they are very different from each other have those characteristics that bind them together. In each of her heroines, we can see the role models that Jane Austen intended.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet runs Elegance of Fashion – an excellent blog full of great posts.
Thanks for joining me on my JAHW, ladies!
Heroine of the Day – Fanny Price
As Miss Laurie said, Fanny Price is not dull or boring. She is one of my favorite heroines. I can’t really say anything more than Miss Laurie said, so I’ll post the poll and be done.
Today I will be having an unscramble game. Here’s how it works: All the words are something that to do with Jane Austen’s novels – they can be people, places, or things. Once you’ve unscrambled all that you can, send me an e-mail at kraftyhorselover@hotmail.com. I will send you an e-mail back telling your score. You can get two points for each correctly unscrambled word. The total number of points possible is 36. Have fun! I’ll be posting the answers and the scores on the 18th. I hope I haven’t made them too difficult.
List of words
Dlannor Prak
Drawde Rarrefs
Ywllioghub
Buornlong
Oracnile Nibgley
Bmeplyer
Jluia Rebtarm
Psrotthoum
Namsdleif Prak
Rrietah Sthim
Dwonllew Babey
Sism Tabes
Thicgo Nvoles
Nerhy Tlinye
Hojn Prothe
Lizbaeth Lliote
Chnyllek Lalh
Btha
Heroine of the Day – Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet is one of the best-loved heroines of literature. Her liveliness and wit appeals to everyone. She doesn’t bow to the social expectations of her day. She refuses two proposals of marriage- both of which would have given her a comfortable home. Elizabeth Bennet is a true heroine.
Jane Austen’s heroes and villains are the same in almost all her novels. The villains are charming, handsome, and what seems to be the perfect man. The heroes almost always are not as handsome, charming, etc. as the villains.
Pride and Prejudice
The Villain: Wickham is handsome, cheerful, always ready to talk, and very charming. It’s small wonder that Elizabeth almost fell for him. But he has a rotten side to him as his elopement with Lydia and his near-elopement with Georgiana shows.
The Hero: Mr. Darcy is proud, taciturn, and has an irritating habit of meddling with his friend’s love life. He snubs Elizabeth and if Wickham’s account is true, treated him very badly. However, Elizabeth’s response to his first proposal causes him to truly examine himself and Jane Austen shows how much he has changed when he does everything in his power to find Wickham and Lydia and have them safely married.
Sense and Sensibility
The Villain: John Willoughby is everything Marianne ever dreamed of. Handsome, witty, and romantic. But he lets Marianne think he will still marry her while he courts Miss King. She almost dies because of his treachery.
The Hero: Colonel Brandon is a true gentleman. He is kind and caring. He is not like fickle Willoughby – he stayed true to Marianne even when she was in love with the man who had dealt so badly with his ward, Eliza. Colonel Brandon is, however, several years older than Marianne and in the beginning of the book she views him as old and infirm. But he proves an invaluable friend during the time of Marianne’s illness and she comes to love him and he loves her.
Note: I do not believe that Marianne grew bored or unhappy with being Colonel Brandon’s wife and longed for Willoughby to come and rescue her, as some spin-offs of Sense and Sensibility portray it. In S and S, Marianne clearly recognizes the danger that she was in when she was so friendly with Willoughby and ‘renounces’ him.
Mansfield Park
The Villain: Henry Crawford is charming, kind, and attentive. He is devoted to Fanny. But she sees through him and remembers his treatment of her cousins, Julia and Maria. Even when he is kind to her and her uncle pressures her, she still holds fast to her refusal of his proposal. Her instincts prove right when he scandalously elopes with the now married Maria.
The Hero: Edmund Bertram is quiet and unassuming but honest and capable of deep feeling. His earnest desire is to go into the church which he does. He is infatuated with Mary Crawford from the first, but Fanny still maintains her love for him. After Mary shows her true (unsavory) colors, Edmund turns back to the one woman who always gladdened his heart – Fanny.
Emma
The Villain: I wouldn’t exactly classify Frank Churchill as a villain. He’s just a man of weak character. But I didn’t like the way he treated Jane Fairfax. He was very villainous there. He led Emma into doing some awful things (dreadful gossip about Jane Fairfax, insulting Miss Bates) and for that I cannot forgive him.
The Hero: Mr. Knightly is one of the best heroes Jane Austen created. Generous, kind, and so much more. But he’s sixteen years older than Emma which made her take so long to find out she loved him. Mr. Knightly is probably my favorite Austen hero (especially when he’s played by Johnny Lee Miller )
Persuasion:
The Villain: I never really paid much attention to Mr. Elliot but I do know that the only reason he came to see Anne and her sister and father was to see if Sir Elliot was going to marry again. I can’t really say I think he’s much of a villain (correct me if I’m wrong).
The Hero: Although Capt. Wentworth isn’t my favorite Austen hero, he does have many good points. He’s kind and caring and he still loves Anne, although he tries to deny it. And he does write a wonderful, love letter. :)
Northanger Abbey
The Villain: Although he doesn’t elope with anyone, or anything like that, John Thorpe is still (to me) a villain. He tries to propose to Catherine, he swears a lot, and he’s really irritating (like his sister). And in the 2007 NA, he’s very creepy.
The Hero: Now we get to everyone’s favorite Austen clergyman – Henry Tilney! As I read in a Jane Austen book yesterday NA is the only Jane Austen novel where the heroine is in danger of being eclipsed by the hero. Henry Tilney is charming, witty, and well…just perfect in every way.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. Please tell me your favorites and least favorites of the villains and heroes.
I will be hosting a Jane Austen Heroine Week (JAHW) from March 11-18. This the introductory post. I’m putting this up early so that you can have lots of time to post about it on your blog and spread the word. I’ve been planning this for weeks and I hope that it goes well.
Here are the buttons. Please put one (or two) up on your blog and link back to me.
Here is an overview of the posts of the JAHW.
Sunday – Fan-fiction contest, blog award
Monday – Tag questions
Tuesday – Jane Austen Heroine-related games
Wednesday – Guest Post
Thursday – Misc. Jane Austen Heroine stuff
Friday – My tag question answers
Saturday – An AWESOME giveaway…don’t miss it!
I will also be featuring a different Austen heroine. Here they are in order of when I’ll be featuring them.
Elinor
Marianne
Elizabeth
Fanny
Emma
Anne
Catherine
Do you know what I used as a rule for the order in which they come?
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