by Jane Austen
I have been watching Downton Abbey and was struck by the number of times Cousin Violet, the Dowager Countess and Maggie Smith's Character, told her granddaughters, "You are not living in a novel!" I also loved that Violet's response to the electricity was, "I feel like I am living in a H.G. Wells novel." Many other references to reading are made in the series, including Lord Grantham's willingness to lend his books. There is even a small card catalog in the family library.
I recently reread Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen to remind myself of its details before I begin, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. The former was published in 1813 and could very well be one of the novels to which Cousin Violet is referring. I love the coy behavior and the way it all feels a bit like a ballet. As I read, I am made ever more curious about the author, Jane, and her scandalous romances. It is possible that her novels were the Fifty Shades of Grey of her day?
If you have a young romantic at home, boy or girl, they should give any of Austen's books a try. They will transport them into a time and place, that is only in our reach because of the words of this beloved author. Her stories never fail to fascinate and the themes are timeless. In total, six films have been made of Pride and Prejudice, the most recent being in 2005. And no truer words were spoken than by Miss Bingley, as she attempts to gain Mr. Darcy's attention:
"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!"
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