First Impressions

Dear Reader,

Thank you for stumbling upon my humble blog. I trust it will meet with your approval.

I hope your first thought is not 'Oh look, another person banging on about Jane Austen. I can't stand her books, they are so boring! I probably won't like anything this person says.' But if it is, then I must trust you to be the best judge of your own feelings, and leave you to continue your ramblings around the web (or whatever it was you were doing before you found yourself here!).

If, however, your immediate reaction was 'Oh look, another person rightfully singing Austen's praises! I love her books, and the films and TV series based upon them, and have even enjoyed some fan fiction!', then settle back in your chair, and be ready to have all your opinions about Austen's greatness and genius confirmed by a highly biased source.

If you fall into a third category, one somewhere between the aforementioned two, then I shall endeavour to provide you with thought-provoking ideas that will change the way you perceive her writings.

I was first introduced to Austen by Andrew Davies, through his highly regarded adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for the BBC. Being only five at the time, my understanding of its finer parts was mediated through my Father, who would explain why such a line was brilliant or why characters were acting in certains ways. I vaguely remember a period where we seemed to watch the series every weekend, binge-watching it well before such a practice became fashionable. This enjoyable second hand acquaintance would move to a more intimate footing when I had Pride and Prejudice read aloud to me (by the same Father no less!). I remember, even at that tender age, being caught by just how funny it was.

Over the years I consumed the other novels, first through films and television, then finally Austen's actual words. Her sentence structure often threw me, and many of the words were foreign; overall, however, I was hooked. Throughout high school I eagerly awaited the opportunity to study them, to test my knowledge in the scholastic arena; would Year 9 would be the year, or perhaps Year 10. Alas, the closest I came was studying the BBC mini-series for the topic '19th Century Ways of Thinking'  in my final year.

At university I took a semester course called 'Jane Austen and Her Contemporaries.' I was challenged out of my approach to her novels, which had previously been to read them in the shadow of the visual adaptations. For the first time, I read P&P extremely carefully, phrase by phrase, even out loud (when in the privacy of my own room!).

It was like reading it for the first time. I noticed things that I had never seen there before. It was the same for Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility. By divorcing the characters from their physical portrayals, I was able to see them much more clearly and in far greater depth, and found myself reevaluating my response to them.

The scholarship I read also expanded my reading. Though I won't detail here what I learnt from it, rest assured, dear reader, that I will refer to it often on this blog. All these years have left me with a wealth of ideas about all that I have read and seen. In order to organise and preserve them, I have decided to inflict them on the wider world.

Having read this far, I must thank you for your attention, and trust that this first impression I have offered has met with your approval. You shall hear from me quite often, as I share my many musings and observations on all aspects of Austen. If I say anything that offends your pride, or contradicts your own opinions, please use the comments section. Agreement and praise is also welcome.

With many wishes for your health and happiness,


Julia Mac