There's no escaping Jane Austen.
Some people say she wrote trivial, light entertainment. That might
be true. After all, I have been told, by a Russian, that the works
of Dostoyevski were 'populistic crap'. However, even today, in the
21 century, people love to know who gets who. Love and relationships
are still important. And come, on, let's be honest, her language
was close to perfect.
Some people find her stories tediously
straightforward, but if you know a little about history and about
women's situation in her day, you'll find that she's actually put
in quite a lot of irony. Back then, a single woman wasn't worth
much. A female writer might make a living, if she was lucky, but
she would never be hailed as a prominent member of society. Novels
were seen as light reading for women.
Jane Austen didn't even have her
own study where she could focus on her writing. She only had a small
portable writing desk, that she had to put away, to make room for
domestic activities considered 'more important' than her writing.
Jane corresponded with her sister
Cassandra, and those letters have been published. So far I haven't
read them, but I'd like to.
In fact, I've learned that Jane Austen's
home has been preserved and is open to the public. Frankly, I'm
tempted to go there one day to experience her environment.
Writing is never easy, and to work
under her conditions must have been even more difficult. Remember
that, the next time you pick up one of her books. She's worthy of
all our admiration. Let's not forget her and other female writers.
Their work paved the way for us - today's aspiring female writers.
Try these two sites for more info.
Jane
Austen information page. (Part of the following.)
The
Republic of Pemberley.
>>
read more>>
|