Jane Austen discussion

My first thought in posting the discussion folder this morning was about Jane's lost letters discussed in this book. The main character Emma is looking for something specific, which makes her different from me because I am a reader who believes Jane's stories ARE pretty related to real life.

The main difference in my thinking is that I don't think Austen's stories are about young ladies looking for husbands (which I saw quoted recently in another Austen-related novel) and believing in happily-ever-after. So from my different viewpoint, the contents of the lost letters didn't startle me or make me have to recollect my thinking.

I enjoyed the letters and the aspect of them in the story, but they didn't jump out at me. As a part of Pattillo's fiction, though, they make The Formidables and further episodes (novels) possible.

I'm fairly new to the board and this is my first comment. So,I haven't read the book. But, from what I've heard, I don't think I would enjoy it. If you read research on her life and have read some of her letters or what others have said about her, you know that her characters are somewhat based on her family and related to real life. If you haven't read Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen's Life by Nancy Moser, you should! She writes about historical figurs in a novel form, but does her research thoroughly. It's how I pictured Jane Austen to be. You can see from her characters in her books how similar some of them are to herself and her family. Just saying....And, I agree that her books weren't just about ladies looking for husbands and for their happily ever after. If you knew what society was like back then and how she was making fun of it or making a point, then you pick up on the subtleties in her writings.

Hi Jennifer, so glad to have you here in the group. I have Just Jane: A Novel on my list too. I wanted to try a novelization of Jane's life and I have read a couple of good biographies (I think they are listed here on the bookshelf). I also agree that Austen was writing real life stuff. I know that it is not everyday that a girl marries a wealthy, handsome Darcy, but there is so much more in her books about women, their position in the world, money, parent-child conflict, changing social classes, etc. Those subjects cover what a lot of us deal with still.

However, JA Ruined My Life seems to focus on the fact that our "romanticized" dreams (Darcy dreams, if you will) may ruin our chances of building our lives the way we want. But I think that the character of Emma discovers the deeper emotions of Austen along the trail she follows in this novel.

JA Ruined My Life doesn't provide major revelations, maybe just subtle ones. It is a readable book, but it depends on what readers are looking for in a book -- Jeannette and I mentioned this in the other thread in this folder. Take a look at that and see if you have any thoughts to share on that too.

Also, please do add any Austen-related book recommendations you might have either to the bookshelf or within the discussion threads.

I think Emma completely misunderstood JA's novels. As many of the already married couples in her novels have display a certain degree of dissatisfation in their marriages such as, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, granted she is resigned to her marriage and finds herself content with her lot but I would not call her happy in her marriage. Mary and Charles Musgrove, Mary being in constant need of attention and Charles always running off hunting could not have made for a very happy marriage, either. Examples can be found in any of her novels.
I have to say that I did not find the contents of the lost letters revealing or shocking in any way. But I can see them as being necessary toward moving the plot along.

The best example of an unhappy marriage would have to be Mr. & Mrs. Bennett. He married a pretty and silly girl instead of someone he could love and respect as they both aged. So, Austen was always showing us how marriages to the "wrong" person could go badly. Even Anne Elliot, she could have married the horrible cousin!

The point you folks are making is important. Austen is telling us a lot, not just the romantic story of Elizabeth and Darcy, for example. All the characters, not just the leads, tell us about society and interaction and marriage, and more.

That is something of what I was saying in our Emma discussion going on right now (Emma the novel, not Emma, the character in JA Ruined My Life). I don't really see Emma Woodhouse and her views as the ultimate center to that novel either. There is more going on to tell us the story of society. Looking past Emma and her funny interpretations, you see unhappiness and people struggling that she isn't seeing. I think THAT is the story of Emma.

So back to Emma in this novel, maybe her never seeing all that Austen shows us is just the parallel of her not seeing the important things in her own life like her worth as a writer or having more independence from her husband within the marriage.

Sarah, you've hit so well on one of my favorite thing about Jane (and the reason, in my opinion, her work has inspired so many offshoots). Her body of work is SO rich. It's like a miniature painting...you could look at it superficially, or you could look closer and see the texture and every little detail of her society and time. When you start to read the way you're describing Emma, it's like discovering a whole new set of books.

How I wish the lost letters aspect of this book was real!! Wouldn't it be amazing if one day some letter of Jane Austen (that supposedly were thrown into the fire by Cassandra) were found?