A Janeite?

Have to confess. My love of Jane Austen at first do not spring from books. Rather, my sister brought home (at that time Video Cassette )the incredibly addicting mini-series of Pride and Prejudice by BBC.

I remembered that everytime after I got back from my boarding school, I would plonked down my bags, get some foods and prepare myself for a 9 hour marathon of Pride and Prejudice (the whole miniseries for what I remembered lasted that long, or less or more.. I may had forgotten). I may had done this monthly. The video cassette suffered incredibly through my repeated viewing (and perhaps my laziness by leaving it lying around ).

My sister bought a DVD collection of it now. It is left untouched. Maybe I will see it again.

From there on, it piqued my interest to pick up her books. Her first book I read was Emma. I thought it was good, funny and loveable. Though I don't like Emma one bit. I read Sense and Sensibility and I don't understand much of it. I read Northanger Abbey and found it a tad bit depressing and more flighty compared to her other work. I read Pride and Prejudice and loved it and wish I could be like Elizabeth Bennet and always wondering if Charlotte Lucas ever finds love. Every year I would reacquaint myself with it (as with Bridget Jones and Anne series). Persuasion is intriguing and I love the story, the heroine is what I should be grown up, staid, sensible. Mansfield Park is a bit overbearing in its morality, but I haven't finished reading it yet. Its my least favorite book by Jane Austen and the heroine have no... gumption.

With all this, does it make me a Janeite? I only knew such a term exist after reading a review of Becoming Jane. I love the movie. I cried buckets. I know. I usually cry at the most average looking movie while moving Oscar-worthy movie usually left me dry.

The story focused on the flirtation Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy had when they were young. It played about that they are in love with each other and suggested that the arrogant Mr Darcy is fashioned after Lefroy. I love James McAvoy (Ewan McGregor move over. I have a new Scottish love), so I love him here. Anna Hathaway is one of my favorite actress too, so the movie is enjoyable by their performance alone. Though it would fare better if I could be saved by the idea of Jane Austen parents having oral sex in the morning.

I also love the character Mr Wisley. He looked like someone *I* would fall head over heels for. Don't worry McAvoy, I would still throw myself at you whenever you are around. I love that Mr Darcy seems to be like a combination of these 2 men (Lefroy and Wisley). However, Mr Wisley maybe fictional, so we can only guess that Lefroy is perhaps the hero Jane Austen molded Darcy over.

We all knew Jane Austen died a spinster. So it is with great interest for many of her fans to know if she could write of love stories that are celebrated till today, she must had been in love. Personally I think she must had. If its with either Lefroy or the mysterious man she met by the sea... who knows. The story of Becoming Jane maybe somewhat of a fictional biopic, but somewhere there's a shred of truth in there. I would love the thought that she did have a deep, passionate and abiding love for someone though.

In keeping with the Jane Austen theme like of this post, I had finished reading the Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowles. I would like to know which critics lauded it as funny. Not. Funny. Not that it isn't any good. I guess its ok. But its just ok. The characters varies, but the secondary characters stories are sometimes left hanging or unsatisfactorily finished.

I wouldn't categorize this story as a light story, nor is it an epic saga. The characters tell their stories of childhood dreams dashed, parents who failed, innocence taken, separation and divorce. It is hardly stuff fluffy chick lit are made of, in spite of what the misleading "critics" quote put prominently at the book. However the characters are as ordinary as everybody else which make it an enjoyable read. Not everyone can get into a wonderful adventure or met a dashing handsome rich young man who fell head over heels for you without no reason at all. And I am glad that the characters do not fall into the same plots as Austen in her novels. That would be a cheap ploy.

It would helped that you had read all of Jane Austen novels before reading this book. Or you would be confused or disinterested in their discussion of Austen's work. I find myself looking forward to this part of the book. Interesting to know others insight of the characters. I myself like to pick apart a book or movies by how the characters are portrayed.

I guess, I would be interested in how the movie played out I suppose, but not enough to pay for it *evil grins*. (Oh yes, there is a movie that had been made of the "Jane Austen Book Club") A more prettier and younger version I suppose.


p/s: I am not a Janeite I guess. Maybe a little bit. A definite fan of her work, but hard core fan? I am not too sure. Am I ?