New favorite Austen heroine

My new favorite Jane Austen heroine is Catherine Moreland. How can anyone not love a gal who fancies herself a heroine in a gothic novel and keeps casting these romantic fanasies with herself and the gentleman du jour in the leading roles?

Last night’s KCPT presentation of Northanger Abbey was a frothy concoction with delightful characters, a likeable heroine and plenty of exaggerated drama to keep viewer interest.

Besides, the production opens with this musing by one of the older female characters regarding Catherine:  “I wonder if it can be good for her to read so many novels?”

Answer: Of course. All the most fascinating women read. 

Wentworth is my weakness

For some women cowboys are their weakness but for me, it’s Captain Wentworth. I have a confession to make. I couldn’t wait until January 13th to watch Persuasion. It is, after all, my favorite Jane Austen novel. The minute someone posted the ITV movie on YouTube last summer I sat in front of my computer and watched it. Mind you, I will still watch it when it airs tomorrow and I’ve pre-ordered the DVD from Amazon. There is just something about Wentworth that makes him stand out to me over all the other Austen heroes. Apparently I’m not the only one that loves him and will have to challenge author and Austenphile, Laurie Viera Rigler to a duel at dawn for him.

I made a friend read his letter. She gushes, “I believe that I would die, or at the very least, feel faint, if a guy sent me a letter like that.” Listen up, gentlemen. You don’t realize that that’s all it takes.  Not jewels or expensive trips or even flowers, just something that comes straight from the heart that no price can be placed upon.” The actor that portrays Wentworth in the Masterpiece/ITV movie is a very good physical actor. Just watch him even when he’s not speaking. Which is a lot because Wentworth doesn’t speak much.

Monday I will review the movie. Believe me there are things I am dying to discuss. Be prepared for spoilers.

How do you say?

Okay, folks. Settle a little debate here. One of my Jane obsessed fans insists the proper pronunciation of one of Jane Austen’s earliest novels, Northanger Abbey, sounds like this “north anger abbey.” I always heard it pronouned like this “northenjer abbey.” You know, a soft ‘g’.

So which is it? 

Reader meets Jane

How’d you two meet? Seriously. Every Janeite I know has a story about the first time she or he picked up one of Austen’s works. Most talk about languid summers between seventh and eighth grade or unwelcome introductions in English classes.

Jane and I met over some dental pain medication. It’s perfectly true! In February of 1996, my Frankendentist assured me that all my wisdom teeth had to be removed. I was strongly encouraged to take a week off from work and stock up on reading material and under no circumstances was I to get behind the wheel of a car. Not even to tune the radio.

So I decided this would be a good time to get to know one of those classic authors I had somehow avoided in my formative reading years. I brought home Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Persuasion.

I was hooked. I read Austen all day and all night, stopping only for check-ups and meds. (It’s not like you can eat or anything without any wisdom teeth.) I started with Pride and Prejudice and wondered how I had managed to get through high school without reading this sparkling little gem. Next was a battered library copy of Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed this novel of the two sisters as well, only occasionally did I want to shake Marianne Dashwood. I trotted off to the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet movie right after and was pleased with the film adaptation, but thought Hugh Grant a bit feeble in the role of Edward.   Emma was my hands down favorite. There is something delightfully unvirtuous about Emma in all her charming faults. Who could not like a woman who meddles selfishly in the lives of her friends and yet is so giving to her father? Emma is a very real combination of the best and worst traits in a person.  I next turned to Persuasion and found this work to be the polished and mature of all the titles I’d read in the previous week. Anne and Frederick’s rediscovery of their love after the rash dissolution of their engagement years before is poignant. This story was more character study than plot driven and I appreciated how Austen was handling her evolving writing talent.

Where and when did you and Jane hook up?