Jane Austen and Me
I was in high school when I first knew the name Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice was of course mentioned. I thought the novel has an interesting title so I proposed to myself that I shall one day read the book. Little did I know that Jane Austen was more than an author. Little did I know that Pride and Prejudice was more than a novel.
It was in college when I found out that Jane Austen lives beyond her time and circle. Her works, of course, are among the sought after in classic literature. Pride and Prejudice definitely tops the list among her six novels.
I have read Pride and Prejudice in summer of the past year. Too bad I have failed to write a review or any blog entry about the book. I have enjoyed reading the novel, not because of the romance in it, which most of its readers, I believe, were fond of. My favourite character, like Jane Austen, was Elizabeth Bennet. It was easy for me to relate with her wit and thoughts.
When I watched Lost in Austen, I have become fonder of Pride and Prejudice. I believe I would love to watch the mini-TV series again. I have also become excited to read the other five novels of Jane Austen.
As of now, I am reading Mansfield Park, which I began doing so a couple of months ago. I have not finished reading Mansfield Park yet because it does not appeal to me the way Pride and Prejudice did. The former was more of a social story involving a lot of people I could hardly remember. As for the latter, the story was like Elizabeth Bennet riding on a train with Fitzwilliam Darcy sitting beside her.
I was reading Mansfield Park this afternoon but I have not pursued more pages as I have remembered the film Becoming Jane, which I've just watched last night. Watching the movie again was like the first time, but better. Perhaps it was because I have already read Pride and Prejudice, something I have not done when I first watched Becoming Jane. Relating Jane Austen's life and her works has also become easier because I have watched Lost in Austen.
But something unfortunate had been when I watched Becoming Jane again. I felt sadness more than I should have as I watched Jane Austen's story rolled before me. I have not expected to have such reaction. The melancholy I have was the reason of my halt in reading Mansfield Park.
Hopefully, when my memory is no longer greatly affected, I shall be able to pursue my reading. I would love to finish Mansfield Park as there are four more Jane Austen novels waiting for me. I have made it a goal when I was in college to read all her works.