...That almost every woman in the UK who has the ability and inclination to read has read at least one novel by Jane Austen. You are in the simulated presence of one of the few who has not.
For many years I mocked fans of Austen - seeing them predominantly as women in their late 20's to early 30's, trying to maintain a "strong-working-woman" attitude whilst secretly harbouring all the anti-feminist desires to be swept off their feet by the rather dishy "Mr Darcy" two cubicles over and live happily ever after as a doting wife without a care in the world. For this assumption, I apologise; if only for the fact that it is highly hypocritical as I am one of those women (except I am still in my early 20s).
Despite this narrow-minded assumption, I have been convinced by a group of close, wonderful friends that I must read Austen's books. Most importantly because I am the only English member of this small group of women and it is a travesty that I haven't even touched one before, but also because I am assured I will love Austen's flare for character, wit and social insight. For these reasons, and so as not to be completely alienated and shunned, I have decided to begin reading the six completed novels of Miss Jane Austen.
I may be inclined to update this blog more regularly with views and opinions of what I read. But then again, I may not. I did, however, feel it was important to document this moment in history as it is one of those rare times where I swallow my pride and admit that my judgements may have been too hasty and I am now willing to backtrack and reconsider. I hope you can all appreciate how difficult that is for me, as a human being.
Under some very sound advice from many Austen-ites I begin my journey with Pride and Prejudice - the only book with which I am at all familiar having seen it on stage but six months ago. It should be of note that I have never seen any other dramatisation of Austen's work - not even the fabled BBC TV series of Pride and Prejudice, or the more recent film. And I have to admit, I will be a little sad when I can no longer make that claim.
