Happy Anniversary for Becoming Jane Fansite and all of us! One year young, and lots of things to do to explore the chaste love and camaraderie between Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy!
1. What was Jane Austen’s last letter that directly referred to Tom Lefroy? (Answer style: Letter Date Month Year)
2. Choose two places of BJ movie locations that have association with Tom Lefroy
b. King's Inn, Dublin
c.
d. Higginsbrook, Co. Meath
e. Bray, Co. Wicklow
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.
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…
Thanks to SK Barn, we learned that James McAvoy (swoon....) made an appeal to prevent cutbacks at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). The news is found in BBC here, and the excerpt is below. Ooohh....
A number of high-profile stars have become involved in the RSAMD campaign.
Among those who had put their names to a letter to the first minister were Bill Patterson, Billy Boyd and Alan Cumming.
Doctor Who star David Tennant, who also attended the academy, has already given his support to the campaign.
Mr McAvoy, a former student, described the academy as a "treasure".
He said that without Scotland's only conservatoire, students would be forced to find training south of the border.
Pic: Jane Austen Regency World Magazine, March/April 2007
This week my quote of choice is from my favourite Austen novel, Emma. (And of course it gives me an excuse to post a picture of the gorgeous Knightley, which cannot be a bad thing...)
Towards the end of chapter nine, Emma is chatting with her father, and she comments:
"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other."
(Emma, Penguin Edition 1996, p. 64)
The results for the Jane Austen Regency World Awards have been announced!!
You can see the results on The Giftshop Page kindly spotted by Linda but I am pleased to announce that Becoming Jane won:
It is clear from the site that other winners include:
Mr and Mrs Darcy by Alexandra Potter for Best New Fiction- click here for our review
Andrew Davies for The Outstanding Contribution Award
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,
To commemorate our 1st anniversary on
How to join? Just answer the two questions down here and send the answers to Icha (tara_parvati@yahoo.com) AND Rachel (rachkingston@aol.com). DON’T reply to the comment section, unless you want your answers copied by others. The winner will be announced on 28 May 2008 at the latest and he/she will get a Becoming Jane DVD shipped to his/her address wherever that is (thanks to Michelle Molloy for the DVD donation!).
Deadline:
Now the questions:
1. What was Jane Austen’s last letter that directly referred to Tom Lefroy? (Answer style: Letter Date Month Year; don't have to include letter number)
2. Choose two places of BJ movie locations that have association with Tom Lefroy
a. Carrigglas Manor
b. King's Inn, Dublin
c.
d. Higginsbrook, Co. Meath
e. Bray, Co. Wicklow
Don’t forget to give us your full name (real one, for postage) and postal address (including ZIP code) along with the answers.
Have fun with the easy quiz, and thanks a lot for your support! We’re one year young, and we can’t do it without you!
First, I want to apologise to our dearest friend Jane Odiwe for I am so late in giving this review. Second, I want to thank her for sending me the beautiful Lydia Bennet’s Story, which I finished two weeks ago with a feeling of ‘why didn’t I read it sooner?’
Indeed, dear friends, for although I was late in reading
For a start, I have to admit that although I admire Elizabeth Bennet, and of course, Mr. Darcy, they are not my favourite couple (everybody: gasp!). Indeed, they are romantic, interesting, etc, and I do have a particular fandom towards Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth pairing, though I admit that Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfayden were also very pleasing to watch (MM created this sensitive Mr. Darcy that was different from CF’s Darcy). My favourite couple is actually – strangely – Emma/Mr. Knightley, tailed by Marianne/Brandon, with Lizzy/Darcy and Fanny/Edmund as the third winners. Blasphemy! Yes, guilty as charged! :-D
Now, it is the truth universally acknowledged that Pride & Prejudice is one of the best-selling classical books ever written. Yet, it stopped there, with Lizzy/Darcy’s and Jane/Bingley’s weddings, leaving a vast imaginary land where many writers have dwelled and creatively written PP sequels. The sequels were mostly about Lizzy and Darcy though, and I could only recall one ‘sequel’, Miss de Bourgh’s Adventure, casting a non-Lizzy/Darcy character as the main spotlight. Instead, that book cast Anne de Bourgh, daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as the main heroine (Should have that on my pull list as well, the excerpt is very entertaining!). So, I was naturally interested when I learned that dear Jane Odiwe wrote a sequel about Lizzy’s sister. And the Lydia Bennet, of all people!
That being said, I enjoy re-reading Lizzy and Darcy in Lydia Bennet’s Story, for Jane Odiwe (herewith abbreviated as JO to differentiate with our Jane Austen) wrote their character to resemble the Lizzy/Darcy I have in mind when reading Pride & Prejudice. But I have to say that I dislike, dislike, dislike Lydia Wickham nee Bennet.
Why, no wonder. For I never liked her either when watching/reading PP. I think she’s a brat in need of a spank, and my opinion remained during the first half book (Part One). I don’t say that JO did not write
I have to admit again that I read Part One pretty fast; with the very reason of disliking
Later, JO switched to third-person style, and
Part One ended with
After about a month staying in Pemberley (and was treated with some new clothes and bonnets by Lizzy),
Of course, Netherfield is not Netherfield without dances and parties, so dear Jane and Bingley held another ball while
Knowing not what to do,
So shocked about the latest truth she learned about Wickham, Lydia decided to hunt down the information to the very first source. But alas, Wickham himself had run away earlier, possibly after detecting Molly’s presence in Netherfield. What a former brat like Lydia should do then?!
Dear friends, I won’t spoil more now of the ending of the book. Suffice to say that although I was not a fan of Lydia Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, I grew to like her in this book.
Bottom line: pick the book if you have not, and join me to thank Jane Odiwe for bringing us a fresh take of the Pride & Prejudice sequel that does not evolve around Lizzy and Darcy alone.
There is a second edition of the book here, with longer sub-title (‘A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice/The continuing adventures of Mrs. Darcy's youngest sister’), still in paperback. It’s a very lovely cover too.
Pic 3.
Pic 4. Second edition of Lydia Bennet’s Story, Amazon.com
The following is Linda’s choice for Jane Austen quote for the 4th week. Thanks so much dear Linda for the lovely quote!
Persuasion, Chapter 11
This passage made me curious about the writings that Jane Austen might have read, so I began collecting the works of
I have only found a few minutes of time to glance at these, but I was amazed at what I found. Then I stumbled onto “The Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy” where I got the shock of my life on page 2 of the Preface. The Chief Justice states that:
"I had from the year 1795, more or less, read the Scriptures, but not with faith - nor as a little child - but in the pride of a Socinian spirit, and consequently I remained long in the dark."
-- Now what on earth happened to him in the year "1795" -- He met Jane!
It sounds like he began an earnest reading of the Scriptures in 1795. To be perfectly clear, let’s place the Chief Justice’s words in context from the Memoir:
“…written by himself (the Chief Justice) under the date 10th Aug., 1822:
The papers in this parcel were written at different times from the year 1816, when I first began to have any view of God’s true method of salvation for a sinner. I had from the year 1795, more or less, read the Scriptures, but not with faith - nor as a little child - but in the pride of a Socinian spirit, and consequently I remained long in the dark. As truth began to dawn I was enabled to see many things, but darkly, and therefore in these papers will be observed more or less of error; but I have preserved them, and mention the circumstances, as a testimony to the great benefit of applying with constancy to this source of all truth, and to glorify the long suffering, the tender mercy, and grace of our Lord God, and at the same time to show what it is that hinders us from reaping the blessed fruits with which the Scriptures abound, as soon as we otherwise should do – namely, leaning on our own poor though proud understandings.”
The situation could be so similar to the events with Anne's advice to Benwick in Persuasion, namely, to read more of the scriptures and how to read them, in addition to his secular studies at school. Also, his words “our own poor though proud understandings” reminds us of whom? “Proud”, oh no, not Mr. Darcy!
After reading the Memoir in its entirety, I couldn’t help but notice all the lovely and touching religious passages. I am going to stick my neck out and say that during the conversations at those country dances, Jane might have suggested to Tom the same advice that Anne gave to Benwick. For me, at least, I see a lot of “real life” in Jane’s writings that others might classify as “made up or fanciful” stuff. In my opinion, she wrote what she knew.
Linda the Librarian
Pic 1. Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot, Persuasion, ITV 2007, from Daybookery
Thanks so much for Alessia for the gorgeous wallpaper! It's here for people to download, and it's very gorgeous that I shall put it on my laptop right away!
Thanks so much for all of you readers. Becoming Jane Fansite is meaningless without your attentions. Truly.
Maria has a new BJ music video. I like this one very much, Maria! Not only it has one of my favourite songs ever (Accidentally in Love), but it's lively and definitely not sad. Though we know how it ends... but it's okay isn't it to pretend they have a happy ending?
It might get my vote for favourite BJ music video...
Dear ladies and gents,
I would like to kindly remind you all of the upcoming deadline of the Jane Austen Regency World Awards for the favourite actor, actress and film of 2007, which is this Saturday, 10 May 2008. If you have not voted for Becoming Jane, Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy, it's time to click this link and vote for our favourites!
In addition, the 1st anniversary of Becoming Jane Fansite is coming up this 24 May, the very date Jane Austen moved to Winchester with Cassandra in 1817, where less than two months later she would leave this world for good. Hence, to celebrate the 1st birthday of our fansite, I would like to ask the opinions of all of you, of what we can do. Some ideas are:
1. Vote for the most popular Becoming Jane music video so far (linked to YouTube) for we have at least a hundred of them out there
2. A fan-art exhibition. I don't think voting for the best one will do, for we have only but a few fan-arts floating around
3. Article submission from fans on the ever-hot topic of Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy (so far, only Mariana has been a regular contributor here outside the Team Jane; thanks, Mariana!)
Any more ideas? Please don't hesitate to drop a comment, and we shall try to accommodate it.
Mr Darcy has always remained one of my most intriguing Austen characters and from the first time I picked up Pride and Prejudice, the following line has made me chuckle and has remained imprinted on my brain:
"I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle."
- Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 58
Mr Darcy declares this near the closing of the novel when Elizabeth and himself reveal their true feelings for each other. Lizzy continues to thank him for his involvement in the Lydia situation and he is honest with her when he tells her that he loves her. I love this chapter!
Icha and I started this site almost a year ago and we still havent revealed the origins of our Jane Austen Love. I thought it important to keep Michelle's theme running so I took it upon myself to offer my own particular favourites. I also became aware of Austen from a young age. I remember my mum having a set of her books at my Nans house and I used to look at them with wonder- when I was very young, my main focus was simply an appreciation of the smell and set of books. I read Sense and Sensibility when I was 12 and then was captivated with Andrew Davies Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth. I was then hooked and have never looked back.
Favourite Book: Sense and Sensibility
Favourite Character: This is really tough. I love Colonel Brandon for his constant devotion. But Emma Woodhouse wins it for me for her independence and intelligence.
Favourite Hero/Heroine: Mr Knightley and Elizabeth Bennet (We try to be unique in our views but we cannot help but love her!)
Today's Favourite Quote: "I abhor every commonplace phrase by which wit is intended; and 'setting one's cap at a man', or 'making a conquest', are the most odious of all. Their tendency is gross and illiberal; and if their construction could ever be deemed clever, time has long ago destroyed all its ingenuity." - Marianne to Sir John in Sense and Sensibility
Favourite Adaptation: I dont think that many will differ in their opinions for this one. Ang Lee's 1996 Sense and Sensibility stands out for me- Kate Winslet as Marianne and Emma 
Thompson as Elinor was for me a triumph. The sense and sensibility of their characters was depicted perfectly.
Andrew Davies 1995 Pride and Prejudice was also brilliant. I just adore the Mr Collins portrayal!!
I have to say that of the three recent adaptations, I really liked Persuasion- I really felt a chemistry between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth.
Thank you Jane for allowing my life to be more fulfilled from reading your words.
Any of you want to share your favourites....leave a comment below.
Pic 1 Sense and Sensibility site
Pic 2 Entertainment Site
I confess that I had some choices for the JA Quote of the Week, but eventually I gave up and stole the earlier quote I had installed in the blog before. It’s from my utmost favourite Austen hero, Mr. Knightley. Yes dear friends, you know what it is…
‘If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.’
(Emma, Penguin edition 1996, p. 403)
And I must say… though I fancy Tom Lefroy using that sentence to admit his feelings of Jane Austen (hence, my fan-fiction), I admit that Jane truly was observant towards human nature. She knew that when one truly loves somebody, one tended not to talk of it often. He/she would only confide said feeling within a very small circle, either out of respect to the person loved, or of fear that it might not be reciprocated, hence better to have it unknown to anyone.
Because Jane Austen adhered to what George Knightley said. And I truly respect her for that, for I understand the tendency of keeping one’s feeling in check within a very small circle when we are madly in love with someone, particularly when – like Mr. Knightley or Jane herself – the said feeling was unlikely to be returned. Of course, Jane made Mr. Knightley much happier than herself by allowing him to finally be together with Emma Woodhouse, the girl of his dream.
And how many of us still do what Mr. Knightley did? We love someone, and because of one thing or the other, do not let the world know, despite of the intensity of our feelings. Perhaps we are afraid that the feeling will not be returned; hence better keep a low profile. Or perhaps we are afraid to jinx it, hence better not letting anyone know about it. Or for other reasons. But it still arrives with one conclusion: George Knightley and Jane Austen were correct.
Pic: Emma/Knightley in my favourite version of Emma (1996); Gwyneth Palthrow as Emma Woodhouse and Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley
Masterpiece Theatre Q&A with Screenwriter Andrew Davies 
If you could be an observer in one of Jane Austen's books, which one would you chose to be in?— M. Shatto
An interesting question, and one I've never been asked before. I think I'd like to be a participant observer in Emma, observing how the mystery of Jane Fairfax's piano and Frank Churchill's haircut — and I'd be tempted to intervene and dissuade Jane from what I think is a bad choice of husband.
Do you think Jane never found an enduring romantic relationship because she was so very judgmental of the society she lived in? That she "scared off" potential suitors?— K. Puchek
She certainly had a sharp tongue and didn't suffer fools gladly, but she was very attractive in her youth, and very flirty. Her real trouble was shat she had no money, so Tom Lefroy (with whom she did have a love affair) couldn't afford to marry her (no doubt the same for other young men). She was made an offer by one wealthy chap, and she accepted, only to change her mind the next day.
I am a screenwriter and a huge admirer of your work. When first sit to write a 
scene, looking to carry Austen's prose to screenplay, what is the first thing you think of? Is it an overall shape to the scene? A feeling? Do you have a series of questions you ask yourself to keep focused? Or does each book ask for its own style, rhythm and approach?— J. Fox
Generally I'm thinking: how does this scene advance the story? What does it reveal about the characters? Is there an essential "key line" in it? And as this is a visual medium, I'm often looking for ways in which the feeling or the meaning can be carried by a look, or an action, rather than the spoken word. But yes, different books, even by the same author, have different moods and rhythms. Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice are very speedy and sparky, while Persuasion is much more sedate, almost melancholy.
When you are writing a teleplay with time constrictions, how do determine which scenes to exclude from it and which ones are most essential? Do you ever worry that fans of Austen's works may be angry at their favorite little moment being missing from the adaptation?— S. Kowalski
There are a number of scenes which are essential if the story is to make sense and make an impact. And then I tend to choose my own favorite little moments, and not worry about other people's favorite bits. They can always read the book again! Selfish, I know, but there you go.
Is there anything, in any adaptation, that you wished you had done differently? Maybe you had an "ah ha" moment long after the project was over or maybe with unlimited funding and time you would have "tweaked" the adaptation a bit?— C. Yancy
The only one I can think of at the moment is Darcy's second and successful proposal in Pride and Prejudice. Too much walking, not enough tender looks, not enough passion.
Do you believe Lady Susan, The Watsons or Sanditon could ever be adapted? You could pull it off — and the Austenites might even let you.— H. Veistinen
It's a tempting thought...maybe I will one day!
What do you think of all the prequel and sequel books to Jane Austen's novels, and would you ever consider writing an adaptation of one of them?— S. Hawkins
I have read a lot of them now and there isn't one that comes near to capturing Jane Austen's style, way with character, and expertise with plot. But I live in hope!
Have you ever thought of taking up pen, and writing a sequel to Pride and Prejudice?— R. Crader
Not seriously, but if I did, I'd take them a generation later, as parents of a rather wild and rebellious son, and two daughters, one romantic and the other sensible.
When you are writing your screenplay, do you have a particular actor in mind for a role and make suggestions to the casting director? Or, do you tweak the script to better fit the actor once they've been cast? So many actors in your projects seem tailor-made for the roles.— D. Kallgren
I don't usually think about particular actors when I'm writing a script, though I have a clear visual picture in my mind. I generally start thinking about casting when the script is complete, and I do make suggestions, and some but not all of them are successful. One of the nice things about Jane Austen is that her heroines are so young (around 20, most of them) that we can cast fresh talent, straight out of drama school, and I love being able to launch careers like that.
Have you ever pondered what happens to the characters after the novel's end? I especially would like to know if Pride and Prejudice's Lizzie Bennett truly lives happily ever after with her Mr. Darcy. She would have Lady Catherine as a disapproving relation. Darcy would have the detested Wickham as his brother-in-law, and he still would be involved with Lizzie's mother and foolish sisters.— J. Perrin
I think Austen foresaw a happy marriage — lots of clever, active children. Pemberley is a long way from Hertfordshire, so they wouldn't need to see too much of the Bennett family. Ditto Lady Catherine. Darcy would probably have to bail Wickham out financially at least once more.
In the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the movie seems to follow the book pretty closely until the end, when the tension of Elizabeth telling her mother about her engagement and her beginning life at Pemberly was left out. Was this a conscious decision to leave out these parts?— C. Smith
Absolutely. There is pleasure in reading a novel and seeing how all the little details get worked out, but in a drama, once the audience can sense the ending coming, I like to wrap it all up pretty quickly.
Did you find it difficult not to be influenced by Emma 
Thompson's 1995 Oscar-winning screenplay of Sense and Sensibility? How did you get it out of your head and go with your own version?— P. Ellison-Pierce
I liked the movie, but I thought that it (and indeed the book) had weaknesses, particularly to do with the men who get the girls. Edward is dull in the book, and weedy and ineffectual and silly in the film. And Colonel Brandon is so underwritten in the book and such a shadowy presence in the film (!!!!!) that it's hard to see how Marianne would turn from Willoughby and come to love Colonel Brandon (OMG - Rickman's Brandon? Really?!). So I did a lot of work on the men. Also, Emma Thompson junked the back story in which Willoughby seduces Brandon's ward and gets her pregnant, so I thought, "We have to foreground this." Apart from that, I looked at the movie several times to make sure that there was nothing in my script that was in the movie, but not in the book.
I really admire Davies as a writer, and would loooooove to be in a masterclass with him. I really enjoyed these Q&A, but I have to say I disagree with him with Q5 over Darcy's proposal. The book is perfect, but I think the BBC proposal is pretty excellent as it stands. Walking - yes, passion - oh yes. It was just such a massive moment that any gesture would be futile, and fail to capture the largeness and, well, extraordinariness of the moment. An overflowing joy. I think their overwhelment with their new situation is captured as near perfectly as it could be. And nary a snog in sight. (I just had to say it. It's the most hideous word!)
Pic 1: Pride & Prejudice 1995 from: Shepherd
Pic 2: Emma 1997 from: Highbury Online
Pic 3: Sense & Sensibility 1995 from: Rickmanista
Pic 4: Northanger Abbey 2007 from: MSN
Pic 5: Emma 1996 from: Corshamtown
Pic 6: Sense & Sensibility 1995 from: Zamok
This is a reminder for all the regular UK visitors to the blog:
I am excited to introduce a new weekly feature for the Becoming Jane Blog - the "Quote of the Week" - which will be rotated between Team Jane members. It will focus on a single Austen quote or passage, with a short analysis or dialogue, with the central theme of the continual (and personal) influence Jane Austen has on our lives. Please comment with your thoughts and impressions - I'm certain it will make very interesting discussion!
From Pride and Prejudice Chapter 24. Lizzy and Jane discuss Mr Bingley's sudden departure from Netherfield:
There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.
I love Austen's beautiful depictions of resonant human truth; her gems of wisdom that we can refer to, and recognise in our lives - her uncanny perception of humanity, perhaps.
This may not be the most cheerful way to initiate the Quote of the Week, but I feel very strongly about this passage, and it often comes to mind - those immortal words of Lizzy, The more I see of the world ... And this is from Elizabeth Bennett! One of the brightest and loveliest people (in print, true) who acknowledges that connecting with true friends of the soul-mate variety is a rare occurance, how ever lovely you may be really has nothing to do with it...
In Elizabeth's words I recognise the truth that true friends do come in small doses, so therefore to make sure I love and cherish them while they are in my life. I used to think that I would be surrounded by droves of (true) friends, but as time passed, I realised that this is not (generally) the way of the world. And while there are few that I love, and even fewer that I "think well" of, the merry fact remains that there are many more that I tolerate. (I so did not want to delve into triteness, but it was starting to feel very heavy ...)
I find it endlessly fascinating, that's all.
Pride & Prejudice pics from: Thrushcross
The truth is that great novels are great fairy tales – and the novels in this series (Lectures on Literature) are supreme fairy tales. - Vladimir Nabokov
I stumbled across Vladimir Nabokov’s Lectures on Literature by happy accident, whilst reading Amazon reviews on Dickens, and I am sold. I am only part-way through the book, but I recommend it very highly. I will be buying my own copy, and if you can find a copy at your local library, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. It’s very accessible, and not at all intimidating – just an exhilarating read recounting and unfolding literature masterpieces with great love and passion.Vladimir Nabokov (1899 – 1977) was a multilingual Russian novelist and academic, most famous for his 1955 novel Lolita. Lectures on Literature is a collection of nine lectures published posthumously, taken from his collection of one hundred lectures (!) on great novels. In this collection, Nabokov reveals how the masterpieces work, and teaches how to use imagination and memory most effectively – to enjoy “shivers of the spine”, while studying Mansfield Park, Bleak House, Madame Bovary, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Walk by Swann’s Place, The Metamorphosis, and Ulysses.
But, as I discovered (to great amusement), Nabokov did not always hold Austen in high regard:
After recovering Nabokov in my opinion - women writers in another class! - I read his Mansfield Park (MP) observations with great interest. I have read one of the works mentioned in MP, Lovers' Vows, but it would be an exercise on another level altogether to read all of the works mentioned in a particular work, and to familiarise myself with the character's own reading. It's quite exciting, and I think I will put it into practice with other books also. Nabokov believes there should be an, "“artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind … The reader (must) get clear the specific world that author places at his disposal. We must see things and hear things, we must visualize the rooms, the clothes, the manners of an author’s people. The colour of Fanny Price’s eyes in Mansfield Park and the furnishing of her cold little room are important. (p. 4)Nabokov goes on to describe reading, in interesting detail:
…The best temperament for a reader to have, or to develop, is a combination of the artistic and the scientific … If, a would-be reader is utterly devoid of passion and patience – of an artist’s passion and a scientist’s patience – he will hardly enjoy great literature. … Although we read with our minds, the seat of artistic delight is between the shoulder blades. That little shiver behind is quite certainly the highest form of emotion that humanity as attained when evolving pure art and pure science. … The brain only continues the spine: the wick really goes through eh whole length of the candle. If we are not capable of enjoying that shiver … we cannot enjoy literature. (p. 5, 64)
…Since the master artist used his imagination in creating his book, it is natural and fair that the consumer of a book should use his imagination too. (p. 4)
Time and space, the colours of the seasons, the movements of muscles and minds, all these are for writers of genius (as far as we can guess and I trust we guess right) not traditional notions which may be borrowed from the circulating library of public truths but a series of unique surprise which master artists have learned to express in their own unique way. To minor authors is left the ornamentation of the commonplace: these do not bother about any reinventing of the world; they merely try to squeeze the best they can out of a given order of things, out of traditional patterns of fiction … and minor readers like to recognise their own ideas in a pleasing disguise. ( p. 2)
At the beginning of his Mansfield Park lecture, Nabokov addresses what he calls the "space and time" issue, identifying the "time element" of the novel - the world scene, political players, etc, and then the "space element" - the family history and the Park itself. Nabokov then moves on to discussion of Jane Austen's "machinery” – her four methods of characterization utalised in MP. He identifies them as: 1.) direct description with gems of ironic wit on Austen’s part (Much of what we hear of Mrs. Norris comes in this category). 2.) direct quoted history, including mode of speech and mannerisms (example: Sir Thomas’s “elephantine speech”). 3.) reported and oblique speech and 4.) imitating the character’s speech when speaking of him.
I found Nabokov's explanation of a clergy living enlightening:
An incumbent is a parson who is in possession of a benefice, of an ecclesiastical living, also termed a spiritual living. This incumbent clergyman represents a parish: he is a settled pastor. The parsonage is a portion of lands with a house for the maintenance of the incumbent. This clergyman receives an income from his parish, a kind of tax, the tithe, due from lands and certain industries within the limits of the parish. In culmination of a long historical development the choice of the clergyman became in some cases the privilege of a lay person, in this case of Sir Thomas Bertram. The choice was subject to the Bishop’s approval, but such approval was nothing more than a formality. Sir Thomas, by the usual custom, would expect to receive some profit from the gift of the living. This is the point. Sir Thomas needs a tenant. If the living remained in the family, if Edmund were ready to take over, the income from the Mansfield parish would go to him and would therefore take care of his future. But Edmund is not yet ready to be ordained, to become a clergyman. Had not Tom, the elder son, been guilty of debts and bets, Sir Thomas might have given the living temporarily to some friend to hold until Edmund’s ordination, with no profit to himself. But now he cannot afford such an arrangement, and a different disposal of the parsonage is necessary. Tom only hopes that Dr Grant will soon “pop off,” as we learn from a reported speech with characterises Tom’s slangy manner and also his light carelessness for Edmund’s future. (p. 17)
Well, I'm stuck! There is such an amount of interesting material in this lecture, but I am at risk of dragging this post out waaay to much. Perhaps it needs two parts. I will wind down now (not even quarter the way through the lecture!) with a brief mention of alluded literary works early in the novel.
Nabokov turns to the "first big conversational piece in the book" - where the Crawfords, Rushworth, the Bertram's and the Grants are shown in speech. The subject of the conversation is gardening, which, “from the age of Pope to the age of Henry Crawford was a chief amusement of cultivated leisure. Mr. Humphrey Repton, then the head of his profession, is introduced by name. Miss Austen must have seen his books on drawing-room tables in the country houses which she visited. She misses no opportunity for ironic characterisation” (p. 22)
Mrs Norris’s “baron apricot tree” story follows, and her laments of Mrs Norris’s poor health and consequent uselessness (more or less). Here, “the inedible apricot, nicely corresponds to the late sterile Mr Norris – this bitter little apricot is all that Mrs Norris’s long voluble speech about her improvement of the grounds and all her late husband’s labours are able to produce.” (p. 23)
Nabokov then discusses Fanny’s tendency to quote poetry, or at least allude to it during her conversations, often with Edmund. He says, that, “we must bear in mind that in Fanny’s time the reading and knowledge of poetry was much more natural … and widespread than today. Our cultural, or so-called cultural, outlets are perhaps more various and numerous than in the first decades of the last century, but when I think of the vulgarities of the radio, video, or of the incredible, trite woman’s magazines of today, I wonder if there is not a lot to be said for Fanny’s immersion in poetry.”
I have to add – the “trite woman’s magazines of today” – this was written in the 50s, or thereabouts. How Nabokov would shudder (and much worse) at today’s magazine culture!
He quotes William Cowper’s poem “The Sofa” at length, as Fanny quoted it to Edmund – Ye fallen avenues! – and then moves on to Fanny’s poetic allusions, this time in the chapel at Rushmore’s Sotherton. Nabokov informs that Fanny is quoting loosely from Sir Walter Scott’s The Lay of the Last Minstrel. I had no idea!
I will continue reading the lecture, and if anything extremely interesting grabs me, I will post it. I'm currently reading Nobokov structural analysis; Mansfield Park's breakdown into themes and motifs. Very interesting. Lectures on Literature is worth reading for this reason alone.
Mansfield Park pics from: Thrushcross
Maria has just created her fourth Becoming Jane fan vid, and it's gorgeous! Thank you, Maria. :)
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