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The Appeal of Austen, Why do so many love her work?

Pyxis View Member Profile	Apr 11 2008, 10:52 AM Post #1
Exclusive distributor of The Dungbomb Protection Kit Posts: 2,642 Joined: 10:52pm March 5, 2007	Jane Austen's second novel, Pride and Prejudice was first published on January 28, 1813. Over almost 200 years, the book has emerged as a work of classic literature that is beloved by people from all walks of life. What is it about this novel that is so attractive? How does this timeless romance have influence and meaning in our modern day? Which characters do you identify with, and why? This post has been edited by Pyxis: Apr 16 2008, 05:55 PM

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Replies (10 - 14)

chocolate89 View Member Profile	Apr 22 2008, 06:45 PM Post #11
Ollivander's Phoenix Feather Plucker Posts: 4,232 Joined: 9:37am January 29, 2005 Location: In Ammoro, where the hearts are pure, and filled with love	I think what is so great, is that her characters, like Jo, are so simple. They are just like people you would see outside, your family, the neighbors down the lane. They arent extremely extravagant and have all of these amazing things about them, they are just people, as simple as they can be without all of their antics, egos, and money. -------------------- of course it is happening inside your head Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" I am Hans. Proud CoC staff member. I SUPPORT JO ROWLING. No Day But Today.Harry Potter does not bow down to Edward Cullen

HPPhoenix07 View Member Profile	Apr 22 2008, 11:54 PM Post #12
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 7 Joined: 10:02pm January 2, 2007 Location: The Weasley's Backyard	QUOTE(Auriga @ Apr 20 2008, 12:59 PM) However, as much as I adore Austen's works, I will have to agree with Charlotte Bronte who criticized Jane Austen's productions saying she "had no passion, no fire". The obvious reason for this was that Jane Austen herself only ever observed the goings on between a man and his wife, never the closed door aspects. As a result, her works tended to leave quite a bit more to the imagination, a thought that lends the reader to create their own ideas. Hence the reason there are so many sequels and addendums that have been written over the years to enhance what Jane herself was incapable of exploring within her own manuscripts. I agree that her lack of knowledge of married life is mostly the reason for the absence in her works of what goes on after the weddings take place, but I don't think that that necessarily means that her novels "had no passion, no fire." I've always disagreed with Bronte's statement. I think part of the charm of Austen is that you're reading something that you know will eventually end well, but that the situations are not without obsticles and the characters are not without their flaws. And leaving the details of what happens afterwards to the readers' imagination is not necessarily a bad thing either. What I've always liked about Austen is something that I don't always accept in other books (I tend to be a bit of cynic with everything else except with Austen): the fact that the characters manage to have happy endings after all. Do you think her novels would still be as appealing if she were to have shown the married lives of her couples? It's well known that relationships take work and that it is not always a smooth ride, and not showing that at the end of her novels is what I think a lot of people like about them -- it doesn't shatter the beautiful illusion that was the entire romance and just see in them the happy ending that isn't always possible in real life. This is probably just me, but I rather like it when authors leave certain things to the imagination; it's the beauty of reading, being able to picture these characters and familiarize yourself with them and make them your close friends and at the end of it all imagining and creating in your own mind the details that the author doesn't always provide. Now, all of that being said... I agree with what practically everyone has already mentioned: at the core of all of Austen's novels, beyond the romance and the plots, it is really her writing and the way she manages to convey these characters on papers that is the biggest appeal of all. Her descriptions of characters and situations and her dialogues are just plain brilliant. Her characters can deliver a line with wit or humor or seriousness and the simple power of her words and the way in which they are said by someone like Lizzie Bennet or Jane Bennet or Eleanor Dashwood or Colonel Brandon....it just makes me wish that people talked like that in real life. -------------------- "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals" - Sirius Black

theonlysong View Member Profile	Apr 24 2008, 05:21 PM Post #13
Iconista Posts: 1,291 Joined: 11:35pm January 7, 2007 Location: Forks	I got this book from the library almost four weeks ago. When we first took the poll I was really excited to actually read a Jane Austen book because I never had before... but now, as much as i'd like to finish this one, i'm not sure I will ever finish it or want to read another. I have only read about 100 pages and her sentences drive me nuts. They are so long and dragged out that by the time I get to the end of one I've forgotten what the beginning of it was about. -------------------- Need a new avatar? CLICK HERE and request one from me

Superfreed View Member Profile	Apr 28 2008, 08:13 PM Post #14
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 11 Joined: 10:26am April 22, 2008	QUOTE(theonlysong @ Apr 24 2008, 05:21 PM) I got this book from the library almost four weeks ago. When we first took the poll I was really excited to actually read a Jane Austen book because I never had before... but now, as much as i'd like to finish this one, i'm not sure I will ever finish it or want to read another. I have only read about 100 pages and her sentences drive me nuts. They are so long and dragged out that by the time I get to the end of one I've forgotten what the beginning of it was about. Okay, so here is the thing with Jane Austen: It takes a little while to get used to her style. Her sentences are long and her humor can seem pretty subtle if you aren't used to it. Jane likes to give a good long description of a view at times. In P&P, she is really round about in the way she describes characters. That is why P&P is sometimes better the second time. I suggest starting with Northanger Abbey first, because it is lighter and shorter than her other books. It's also good to watch a movie first. Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet is a good one. Then maybe you will get to understand her humor better. S&S is also a good one to read second. Lots of silly characters. Once you figure out her voice, you realize that the whole thing is full of wonderful characters and funny situations and also romance baby! When I was in high school, I read P&P for the first time. I thought it was boring until I got half way through. Then suddenly it was a really funny and I loved the characters. It is worth the effort to get used to Jane. Her books are so wonderful. Besides, she is Jo's favorite author! Can't be all bad, right? I hope this helps you out! Jane to a new reader can be Jane once you get her style can be

chloe squibbulus View Member Profile	Apr 28 2008, 09:41 PM Post #15
Sundae-Nut-Chopper at Florean Fortescue's Posts: 921 Joined: 10:41pm March 2, 2007 Location: Entering the Ministry of Magic	Because of her wit and the subtlety of the characters interpersonal relations. Its all about the games people play. But it is also a very feminist statement in its way, for its time. I like Elizabeth's piercing intelligence and her stubbornness and rebelliousness. Austen was just so good at capturing the complexity of social interactions. And her writing is such an interesting window into a period of time when women's options didn't really include independence - in Austen's time an independent thinking woman who was not wealthy was just thought of as strange, asexual or foolish. -------------------- "I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! And now before we go to bed, let us sing the school song! Everyone pick their favorite tune...and off we go!" Dumbledore; Sorcerer's Stone.

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