GOTH ROCK RULZ

I stumbled across a book title that got me really, really excited: The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder. ZOMG. Laura Ingalls Wilder shaped my girlhood, and Jane Austen shaped my teen years. Must. Read. This. Book.

But when I actually started reading it today, I didn't get far before I lost patience.

And nowhere is Lizzy's raucus, flawed, and decided sense of self more clear or more enticing than in the moments in which she does the exact opposite of what she is expected to do.

A nice thought, except raucus? Raucus, as in harsh or rough? (I looked up Wiktionary's definition, just to make sure I remembered the meaning right.) Raucus and Miss Lizzy in the same sentence? Wow, which version of Pride and Prejudice have I been reading? I'm sorry, but Elizabeth Bennet is not raucus, nor are her manners. Nor, even, is her "sense of self" as a connoisseur of human folly.

Reading further, the intense admiration for Austen is adorable, but the constant harping on self and sense of self drove me nuts. Is it really so hard to figure out who you are and who you want to be? It must be for some, though that's kinda hard for me to relate. For me, the hard part is letting other people figure out who you really are, because that requires a lot of trust.

Happy 200th Anniversary to one of my favorite novels of all time! Congratulations, Miss Austen. Your work is still very much appreciated, even after all these years. If we fanatics have anything to say about it, we'll keep on reading and discussing and admiring for another two hundred years as well. And another two hundred after that.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Those words are immortal, and also one of the best and briefest proofs that Pride and Prejudice is not simply another mushy romance novel. The opening line is not about twu wuv, or how lonely hearts are destined to find each other some day, or some similar drivel. If Elizabeth Bennet's story was a romance, the first words would reflect that. They would promise sugar and spice and everything nice, drowned in saccharine feelings. Instead, Miss Austen provides us with a wry spin on life's quirks. If anything, it's a (somewhat gentle) parody of romance. She gives us the promise of a witty caper in manners, social commentary, and the way impressions and perceptions alter over time.

One more point, and I'll give it a rest. The title is Pride and Prejudice, not Love and Romance.

Apparently, the latest insult against dead literary giants that can't defend their own works anymore is. . . revamping classics so they read like Fifty Shades of Grey.

Yeah, you read that right.

And I thought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was infuriating. That's got NOTHING on this. I'm not sure whether to shoot myself or go on a killing spree.

WRITE YOU OWN FREAKING BOOKS YOU LAZY, GREEDY, PATHETIC PERVERTS.

Or just stick to fanfiction, at the very least. Do NOT tamper with the original work, written in blood and sweat and tears, of writers to whom you can't even begin to compare. Show some respect, even if you have no restraint or dignity.

Sorry if you can't hear me over my screams of "SACRILEGE!" Jane Austen is my hero, and has been for years, and I can't stand it when people trample her work because they're too stupid or too lazy to appreciate its wit and subtlety. I've just been reading a compiled work of her letters, and feeling more in awe of her than ever.

I shall try to say something more upbeat and happy.

Is it confirmed that Versailles (Philharmonic Quintet) is disbanding? I need more bad fandom news; I really do.

Yes, you read that right. B-O-N-N-E-T.

In this ONTD post about disappointing authors, boomstick disses Jane Austen in a way that I really can't wrap my mind around. As a huge Jane Austen fan, I'm seriously displeased. (Virtual cookies for anybody who can tell me which Jane Austen character I just quoted.) I'm not a member of the LJ community, so I can't comment. I'm not too keen on joining, so I'll post my thoughts here instead.

( On to the ranting )