Jane Austen Quote of the Week – Week 6

I admire many aspects of Jane Austen. But one of them that I admire the most is her persistence. Why, she was bombarded with many problems in her life; financial, love, loved ones passed away, silly publisher rejecting her manuscript… but she stood still and proud. And she did not lose her sense of humour at all. It seems that she was becoming more and more alive with each trial in her life.

So now, I want to present you a quote – no, a passage, rather – from Sense & Sensibility (Penguin edition). It’s not too serious, it might even prove her sharp tongue, but it also showed her sense of humour.

Mrs. Palmer’s eye was now caught by the drawings which hung round the room. She got up to examine them.

‘Oh! Dear, how beautiful these are! Well! How delightful! Do but look, mama, how sweet! I declare they are quite charming; I could look at them for ever.’ And then sitting down again, she very soon forgot that there were any such things in the room. (p. 105)

That was very funny, I remembered laughing myself out loud when I read it for the first time. And indeed it was true; how many of us actually gave compliments just for the sake of having a conversation, and then would forget about it the next minute? And then we made the exactly same compliment again after another 15 minutes of meaningless conversation? Sometimes… humans are so funny…

Pic: Cover to Sense & Sensibility, Penguin edition