Getting Schooled by Jane Austen

Getting Schooled by Jane Austen

I’ll always regret avoiding Jane Austen’s acquaintance in my younger days.  About twelve years ago, however, a friend sneaked Ms. Austen into my house by means of a present. Surveying the cover of Jane Eyre, I suppressed a sigh.  Austen was bad, but the Brontes were even worse.  I gazed at the book, silently wondering how a seemingly rational modern woman could possibly be interested in the fantods of insipid heroines and, furthermore, be so insistent about foisting them onto me.

Ms. Eyre languished in my study until a relative nosing around my shelves one afternoon suddenly exclaimed, “That’s one of my favorite books!” I was almost speechless with shock as this person, who cared about social justice and other important issues, urged me to read it.  So, dear reader, I read it, and as you can no doubt guess, fell in love.  Eventually, I moved on to Austen, and discovered that she blew the Brontes off of the map.

Austen’s main characters are flawed people, suffering from bad parenting and surrounded by people trapped in ill-considered marriages.  As their stories unfold, the heroines and heroes learn the dangers of vanity, self-delusion, impulsiveness, and excess emotionalism – the very flaws that led others to make poor marriages and become neglectful, indulgent parents.  Perhaps even more important, Austen’s characters learn to distinguish good advice from bad. An invaluable skill, since someone is always handing out unsolicited bad advice in Jane Austen’s world.  Armed with self-knowledge and the confidence to take their own counsel, our heroines and heroes make happy marriages.

So, whenever you feel perplexed or unsure, get a nice cup of coffee or tea, settle down with any of Ms. Austen’s books, and prepared to be schooled.

(Whether new to Austen or a diehard fan, you will enjoy Dear Jane Austen, A Heroine’s Guide to Life and Love, by Patrice Hannon (New York, 2005)).

If it happens to strike your fancy, take a look at my book at  www.andresblanton.com