November 07, 2003

Uncovered at Last?

Posted by Kieran

Austentatious is having a poll to establish everyone’s favorite Jane Austen novel. Mysteriously, the seventh option is “Other,” which is currently ahead of Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Perhaps the Janeites have finally gotten hold of a complete copy of Sanditon. Or perhaps someone is making a case for Lady Susan, The Watsons or her History of England.

On the topic of lost masterworks, let me recommend The Eyre Affair and its sequels Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde, for your next plane ride. Looking at the covers, I find myself wondering why the graphic design of books published in the U.S. tends to be so much poorer than that of U.K. editions.

Posted on November 7, 2003 01:38 AM UTC
Comments

Ew, chat about Bridget Jones, and explaining to the boyfriend that Bridget Jones is an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. In fact not unlike a blog Bridget Jones might keep. Ew.

Posted by Ophelia Benson · November 7, 2003 01:56 AM

I love Jane Austen’s History of England.

But I voted for Emma.

Posted by Invisible Adjunct · November 7, 2003 02:14 AM

I find myself wondering why the graphic design of books published in the U.S. tends to be so much poorer than that of U.K. editions.

The same thought occurred to me in comparing the Grafton edition of Barbara Pym’s books with the Moyer Bell.

Posted by caroline · November 7, 2003 02:45 AM

Perhaps people are confusing Jane Austen with her less-famous contemporary Jane Austin? Her work Winchester Park is, after all, a sadly underappreciated masterpiece.

Posted by cd · November 7, 2003 08:49 AM

I love them all, but Pride and Prejustice wins by a hair. Mr. Darcy is way cooler than Mr. Knightley.

Another good poll — Austen v. the Brontes?

Posted by Laura · November 7, 2003 02:51 PM

oops. prejudice. typing too fast.

Posted by Laura · November 7, 2003 03:05 PM

Had the opposite thought about graphic design at recent forays through Heathrow. De gustibus, I suppose.

Posted by Doug · November 7, 2003 03:21 PM

I always thought I was the only person who prefered Northanger Abbey. Now I see there are three others.

Posted by David W. · November 7, 2003 04:32 PM

Looking at the covers, I find myself wondering why the graphic design of books published in the U.S. tends to be so much poorer than that of U.K. editions.

I think it varies; I’d agree with you on the above-mentioned books, but I have bought U.S. editions in preference to the U.K. editions in the past, mainly because of the jacket. More importantly, why it that U.S. hardbacks invariably have better paper and better bindings than the U.K. editions?

Posted by Jakob · November 7, 2003 04:36 PM

“Mr. Darcy is way cooler than Mr. Knightley.”

Yeah but is he as cool as Mr. Rochester? And is anybody anywhere as cool as Heathcliff? Who’s so cool he doesn’t even need a ‘Mr.’ and who is so cool the way he tortures everyone and hangs Isabella’s dog and everything, I just love him.

Posted by Ophelia Benson · November 7, 2003 04:38 PM

The “Jane Austin” site was amusing. Incidentally, in nineteenth-century periodicals JA’s name is spelled “Austin” as often as it is “Austen.”

Reginald Hill’s mystery Pictures of Perfection is another clever JA rewrite: it parodies the plots of several different novels, throws in the odd reference to Love and Freindship (sic), and even has the occasional character named after real-life Austen acquaintances. Very funny.

Posted by Miriam · November 7, 2003 06:23 PM

Ophelia — I’m so with you. Bronte men are much sexier than Austen men. I’m partial to the mysterious Mr. Rochester tromping through the moors with his dog.

Posted by Laura · November 7, 2003 08:58 PM

The Bronte men may be sexier, but that’s exactly why I prefer Austen men. The brooding romantic tortured souls are just too high-maintenance.

Posted by Invisible Adjunct · November 7, 2003 10:37 PM

Er, yeah, there was quite a lot of irony in my post, ackshly. The bit about Heathcliff? Hanging the dog and so on? That was kind of a hint?

Mostly I was making some more fun of the site, to go with the fun I made of it in my first post. Talking about Austen and Bridget Jones in the same breath - gets on my nerves, that kind of thing.

And if I have to be po-faced for a moment, I much prefer Austen men too. Lower maintenance as Adj says and also frankly more interesting. You can talk to them, you don’t have to just stand around watching their chests heave up and down.

Posted by Ophelia Benson · November 8, 2003 01:32 AM

Emma was my favorite Jane Austin novel.

Posted by Laura in DC · November 8, 2003 04:44 AM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.