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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-27 12:35:56.
(Language: English)
I've done the unthinkable. I just finished a Jane Austen book after reading an article, albeit from a feminist, who wrote rather kindly about the author on salon.com. This cocked my eyebrow since I didn't care for Austen's subtle irony on gender politics in the novels I read by her before. I resigned myself to accepting that not only did I not understand her but I didn't WANT to understand her either! She was too complacent, too light-hearted and not passionate enough for me (as opposed to Emily Bronte who violently questioned the patriarchal structure of her times and openly condemned it's oppression). However after reading that one of my favorite authors (J.D. Salinger) liked Jane Austen, my interest was peaked. And then there was the Salon article. After all but detesting her other books, I found myself liking this one - her signature piece. Of course it was well-written but this one actually infused a certain level of human compassion and liveliness (something I found lacking in her other novels). What I'm trying to say is I finally understand the comical, light-hearted style of Jane Austen and I've learnt to accept it for what it is. There is not one character in that novel that does not fit the very definition of some people I know today. I decided that, considering that she was not formally educated or exposed, this was an extraordinary feat. Jane Austen is what she is. Or I should say was what she was. Not every book is meant to be a profound rebellion against the society the author once lived in. Sometimes a biting satire blended with a form of resigned sensibility is profound in it's own way.
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