Indianapolis Star There's something about Jane
by Lisa Waananen
Author Jane Austen, who died in 1817, inspires continuing appreciation and a new wave of appropriation in movies and books
It is a truth universally acknowledged: that a novel authored by the timeless Jane Austen must be in want of a sequel . . . and an analysis and a retelling and a tribute novel.
Anne Hathaway stars as the title character in "Becoming Jane," a portrait of the young Austen. - Photo provided by Miramax Films
It's been two centuries since the romantic English author's work first received moderate praise, but interest in her life and writing hasn't faded with the years.
"Jane Austen is enduring because she is funny, she is witty, and she shows a lot of human nature -- it's all about love," said Deb Werksman, editorial manager for Sourcebooks, a publishing company releasing a number of Jane Austen-related books. "I think that's why her appeal is so fresh even 200 years later."
Austen has been called the mother of chick-lit for her wry observations about human nature and for her smart, plucky heroines. Werksman said sequels are irresistible to both readers and writers because most of Austen's novels end with a wedding. Writers' imaginations are further spurred by the film adaptations.
A whole new generation of Austen-themed books is hitting shelves as "Becoming Jane," a movie about Austen herself that won a Truly Moving Picture Award from the Indy-based Heartland Film Festival, opens in theaters Aug. 10.
Here's a sample of the latest books for insatiable Austen fans:
ME AND MR. DARCY
By Alexandra Potter, (Ballantine Books, $12.95)
Despairing about how her dating prospects compare to the fictional Mr. Darcy, 29-year-old Emily Albright ends up on a literary tour of Austen's haunts with a busload of gray-haired women and a disagreeable journalist named Spike. Just when Emily's outlook is at its dreariest, the time-traveling Mr. Darcy himself appears. The breezy chick-lit style doesn't attempt to imitate the original books, but instead takes the reader on an extended daydream with an appropriately pleasant ending.
CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT
By Laurie Viera Rigler (Dutton, $24.95)
After a night of heavy reading prompted by a breakup, Courtney Stone awakes in the Regency era as Jane Mansfield. She's soon swept up in the era's lavish social dance of young singles, committing a few comical etiquette blunders but eventually gaining perspective on what she really wants.
AUSTENLAND
By Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury USA, $19.95)
New York graphic artist Jane Hayes is hopelessly in love with Mr. Darcy -- or at least his BBC miniseries portrayal by Colin Firth -- and no real-life suitors can measure up. When her great-aunt bequeaths her a three-week stay at an Austen-themed resort, Jane decides to go along with the temporary Regency transformation and then move on from her Austen obsession. When she catches the fancy of Darcy-like Mr. Nobly and the estate gardener, Jane must figure out what is part of the resort's charm, what is real and what she will do once she returns to her modern life.
MR. DARCY'S DIARY
By Amanda Grange (Sourcebooks, $14.95)
Just what was that handsome, brooding man thinking during his first encounters with Elizabeth Bennet? This retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" makes use of the original dialogue without slavishly repeating every detail.
MR. DARCY PRESENTS HIS BRIDE
By Helen Halstead, (Ulysses Press, $14.95)
Following the traditional Regency language and customs, this sequel catches up with the newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Darcy as they navigate London society and their new life together. Beloved characters from "Pride and Prejudice" reappear with new adventures of their own.
BECOMING JANE: THE WIT AND WISDOM OF JANE AUSTEN
Edited by Anne Newgarden (Hyperion, $12.95)
This collection of quotations from Austen's novels and personal letters is a greatest-hits selection of favorite witty exchanges and nuggets of profound observation. Organized into sections such as "Family," "Vanity and Other Vices" and "Courtship," each segment is prefaced by an affectionate introduction with context about Austen's own life.
DEAR JANE AUSTEN: A HEROINE'S GUIDE TO LIFE AND LOVE
By Patrice Hannon (Plume, $12)
What would Jane Austen advise, Dear Abby-style, for young women in the 21st century? Borrowing Austen's combination of charm and pragmatism, the author imagines how Austen's keen observations would translate to modern-day dilemmas.
Call Star reporter Lisa Waananen at (317) 444-6305. << Back
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