Diaries from Down Under
Chapter Five
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Just before we left for Australia, Julie bought me Jane Austen’s epic novel, Pride and Prejudice. The avid reader and book lover that I am had never read any of her works before and Julie’s literary mind simply couldn’t comprehend this. Actually, Julie is not the only person that has been surprised to hear this! For many years now, when people inspect our book collection (aka. The Smyth archives!), they are often puzzled to not find a well loved version of at least one of Austen’s novels.
Growing up, few things agitated me more than having to read the likes of Shakespeare, Margaret Atwood and yes, Jane Austen, only to find myself having to dissect the very story that I fell in love with. The writer in me understood the importance of such analysis but, the reader in me cringed at the very thought of it. Books were meant to take your imagination away and open you up to a whole new world. English literature classes betrayed this very covenant that I had between my self and my beloved bookshelf.
At long last though, thanks to Julie’s undying love for Jane Austen, I too have fallen in love all over again! I’m in the final moments of Pride and Prejudice and I can’t get enough of it. It’s so beautiful and romantic, and for the first time, I understand the passionate love affair that occurs between Austen and her readers.
Most of my books have very important significance to me. Beautiful stories aside, each one reminds me of a specific time in life, a season, an emotion, a person and sometimes, when all else failed, I clung to those novels as a life line anchoring me to a world a little less turbulent than my own.
This being said, not only is Jane Austen going to have a permanent place on my book shelf and in my heart, but Pride and Prejudice is going to be the common thread that followed me through a less than common adventure! While we have changed seasons four times, taken nine different flights, changed time zones seven times and changed our lives eternally, I’ve also found myself rooted in the romantic life of Elizabeth Bennett at the turn of the century. While I’ve been out chasing kangaroos and dodging snakebites, she’s been juggling the likes of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham. I find it amusing that even back then, men still managed to cause us so much grief!! I’ve found myself living so many alternate lives this month, and I suppose, in the end, that’s what experience is really about…stepping outside of yourself in order to broaden your peripheral vision.
Like most of my books, I never want them to end. It takes me the same amount of time to finish the last ten pages as it does the entire rest of the book. Like so many other things in my life, I tend to have a hard time letting go. While I’m eager to know what happens, I’m also sad about not being lost in the language anymore.
Ms. Bennett and Mr. Darcy…I reckon that you should call of upon your carriage and join me in a fortnight in Ottawa! I hear that the weather will be simply splendid!!
Growing up, few things agitated me more than having to read the likes of Shakespeare, Margaret Atwood and yes, Jane Austen, only to find myself having to dissect the very story that I fell in love with. The writer in me understood the importance of such analysis but, the reader in me cringed at the very thought of it. Books were meant to take your imagination away and open you up to a whole new world. English literature classes betrayed this very covenant that I had between my self and my beloved bookshelf.
At long last though, thanks to Julie’s undying love for Jane Austen, I too have fallen in love all over again! I’m in the final moments of Pride and Prejudice and I can’t get enough of it. It’s so beautiful and romantic, and for the first time, I understand the passionate love affair that occurs between Austen and her readers.
Most of my books have very important significance to me. Beautiful stories aside, each one reminds me of a specific time in life, a season, an emotion, a person and sometimes, when all else failed, I clung to those novels as a life line anchoring me to a world a little less turbulent than my own.
This being said, not only is Jane Austen going to have a permanent place on my book shelf and in my heart, but Pride and Prejudice is going to be the common thread that followed me through a less than common adventure! While we have changed seasons four times, taken nine different flights, changed time zones seven times and changed our lives eternally, I’ve also found myself rooted in the romantic life of Elizabeth Bennett at the turn of the century. While I’ve been out chasing kangaroos and dodging snakebites, she’s been juggling the likes of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham. I find it amusing that even back then, men still managed to cause us so much grief!! I’ve found myself living so many alternate lives this month, and I suppose, in the end, that’s what experience is really about…stepping outside of yourself in order to broaden your peripheral vision.
Like most of my books, I never want them to end. It takes me the same amount of time to finish the last ten pages as it does the entire rest of the book. Like so many other things in my life, I tend to have a hard time letting go. While I’m eager to know what happens, I’m also sad about not being lost in the language anymore.
Ms. Bennett and Mr. Darcy…I reckon that you should call of upon your carriage and join me in a fortnight in Ottawa! I hear that the weather will be simply splendid!!
1 comment:
Emma was on Bravo last night (the Gwynneth Paltrow / Jeremy Northam version), and I must confess to grinning like an idiot through most of it. And while it lacked the delicate richness of the novel itself (obviously), it still got to me. Austen is magic. It's as simple as that. ;)
Drink lots of water and take vitamins - it helps with the jet lag (I overindulge in both and never ever suffer from the dreaded 'lag).
Post a Comment