Mrs. Elton in America by Diana Birchall

Last week I read Mrs. Elton in America, published in 2008 by Sourcebooks, which comprises all three of the Mrs. Elton stories by Diana Birchall. It's a fascinating notion - taking one of the most hated characters in Austen and attempting to redeem her. This began with In Defense of Mrs. Elton, the second story in the volume, which is a fairly straight forward retelling of Emma from Mrs. Elton's perspective. The entire text of this story can be found online at jasna.org along with a set of quirky illustrations by Juliet McMaster which are sadly absent from the Sourcebooks edition (like this one of Mr. Elton). Mrs. Elton is displayed as a misunderstood woman, aware of her own social awkwardness and inclined to put her foot in her mouth when sincerely attempting to endear herself to her new neighbors. It is a pretty story and the depiction of the relationship between Emma and Mrs. Elton, which is followed many years beyond the end of the original novel, is highly believable.

The first story in the volume (the second one composed by Ms. Birchall) is entitled The Courtship of Mrs. Elton and is available online at jasnasaz.org. I understand that this has been adapted into a short play. It is my favorite of the stories in this collection. Miss Augusta Hawkins is a young lady in Bath for yet another season and is absolutely determined that this year will find her married. She meets Mr. Elton almost immediately upon her (and his) arrival and they are instantly taken with each other:

There was nothing new in this social round to Augusta, with her eight seasons' experience of the place; but it did often occur to her, in the course of her multifarious activities, that, of all the people she had met during them, none had ever been more attractive to her than this Mr. Elton. He was very handsome, and decidedly agreeable; that he liked her was beyond question; and the Miss Milmans had swiftly found out, and swiftly related to her, that he was installed in an excellent and modern vicarage in one of the very finest towns of England, as well as being possessed of a comfortable competence of his own. Augusta had lived enough years in the world to know that she could hardly do better; that this might, indeed, be her last and best chance; and though she did not call herself desperate, she had already made up her mind, before she set eyes upon him for the second time, that, if he were ever to ask her to marry him, she would accept.

Surrounded by company so vulgar that she seems (comparatively) the embodiment of refinement, Miss Hawkins fastidiously encourages Mr. Elton in a manner that must be gratifying, considering his recent rejection. So satisfied are both parties by the success of the courtship that one may honestly remark (without the bitterness that tinges Frank Churchill's words), "Happy couple! How well they suit one another." This story inspires much more sympathy in me for Mrs. Elton than the other two. It is a thoroughly sweet tale and I will certainly reread it many times in the future.

The final (and longest) story in this book is Mrs. Elton in America. I have been puzzling over what to say about it for a week and am still at a loss. The story sees the transformation of Mrs. Elton from the character created by Jane Austen into an entirely new and unrecognizable creature. Roughly picking up where In Defense of Mrs. Elton leaves off, the Eltons, having over spent, retrench to the United States as missionaries. Here they survive horrific hardships as they head West in the ubiquitous covered wagon, where Mr. Elton is sent to convert the Comanches. By the end of the book Mrs. Elton has been fully democratized, turning into a sensible, no nonsense woman. I admit to being transfixed by the story as I read it but cannot actually say I liked it. It is a curious read but one too far outside the scope of Austen for me to feel comfortable with it.

Mrs. Elton in America leaves me wanting more books of redemption for Austen's less likable characters. As far as I know, no one has yet to defend Elizabeth Elliot, Lucy Steele, or Isabella Thorpe, all of whom seem ripe for such treatment. Aunt Norris would also be a challenging but fascinating character to defend.

Later Days at Highbury by Joan Austen-Leigh

I just read this absolutely delightful epistolary novel by real life descendant of Jane Austen and co-founder of JASNA, Joan Austen-Leigh. Later Days at Highbury might be out of print - I have yet to confirm this and it does seem to be available direct form Barnes & Noble, though not at Amazon (where I was able to purchase a cheap used copy). The book is primarily the correspondence between Mrs. Goddard and a saucy younger sister in London, Mrs. Charlotte Pinkney, who has a tongue worthy of Elizabeth Bennet or Marianne Dashwood. There are occasional letters by secondary characters (including those exchanged between Mrs. Elton and her sister, Mrs. Suckling). The year is 1817 and great changes have come to Highbury since the end of Emma. We learn about the different fates of familiar characters but the story mostly focuses on the new players Ms. Austen-Leigh has introduced to the society.

I do not want to give away the details of this story, much preferring to urge others to read it themselves, but will disclose that there is a strong abolitionist narrative in the tale in order that I may wonder out loud if this might be a direct response to criticism of Mansfield Park (the author takes great pride in her heritage and Austen's legacy, as made evident in this pleasant article, My Aunt, Jane Austen, published in Persuasions #11, 1989). Instead of elaborating on the plot, I want to discuss the prose. Ms. Austen-Leigh has a voice distinct from that of her inimitable aunt but shares her ability to capture the simple truths of human existence. This struck me in a particularly personal way in Letter 46, in which Mrs. Pinkney explains to her husband something I have long struggled to express to mine:

Mr. Pinkney remarks that it is quite amazing the degree of pleasure a female appears to derive from the prospect of a new gown. I try to explain to him that there is more to it than the mere gown, itself. It has something to do with being a woman, a desire to have other people regard one with approval. He asks if I suppose that a stranger seeing me for the first time would discern any difference between my wearing a new gown or an old one. I tell him that a new gown gives a woman a presence, a radiance, an éclat. Because she knows she is looking her best she is affable and amiable, which indeed can be observed by everyone. This would not be the case, I assure him, if she were feeling inferior or dejected for being seen yet again in the same old dress.

Now this isn't exactly deep philosophy, but it is an interaction that has occurred millions of times between couples across the ages and it made me laugh aloud - not with the cackle Austen's wit inspires, just a polite chortle. As in those of Jane Austen, this book captures the simple pleasures and follies of human kind, wrapped in the comfort of early 19th century gentility and, in this case, the familiar pleasantries of Highbury. There is a deficit of Emma sequels available and this is one of the best. It is a safe recommendation for even the fiercest Austen purist's reading list.

All About the Brontes Challenge 2010

Before there was Jane, there was Charlotte. Well, maybe not chronologically, just in my life. While as an adult my fixation has been everything Austen, as a teenager I was all about the Brontes. I read and reread Villette, dramatically relishing the heartbreak every time (very Marianne Dashwood-like, I was such a drama queen and loved to wallow). At sixteen, I could truly relish "the happiness of such misery, or the misery of such happiness." So after some deep reflection, I have decided to use this forum to join the All About the Brontes Challenge 2010 on Laura's Reviews. The thing is, this is supposed to be a place to exclusively contemplate Austen. In order to rationalize my participation I intend to tie all my Bronte postings back to Austen, somehow or other. This isn't strictly complying with the rules of the challenge but, as long as I still provide a review of the Bronte related items I consume, I don't think it's too out of line. Let's just pray this doesn't turn into a series of rants about passion.

This brings me to the question of what to read (or watch). I have read all the Bronte texts before, including the juvenilia, and have absolutely no interest in rereading either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. I've never read any Bronte fan fiction (wait a minute - I did read The Wide Sargasso Sea years ago at the recommendation of a teacher - not repeating that one) so feel I would need to do quite a bit of research before learning what, in that genre, is most worthwhile. It's not like Austen, where I am willing to read almost everything: if I am to read Bronte fan fic I want it to be the best. At this stage, I am willing to commit to the following reviews, with the intention of adding in some fan fiction and maybe a movie or two later:

1) Villette (for old times sake)
2) Shirley
3) The Professor (which I had totally forgotten about)
4) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
5) Agnes Grey

So now I need to go find my copies of these books and hope against hope that they aren't completely filled with totally embarrassing notes and insights from my youth (which they most certainly are as I used to write incessantly in the margins). Maybe I need to go buy new copies to prevent this experience from being polluted by dismay at my childish scribblings.

Regina Jeffers & Wayward Love

I read Wayward Love: Captain Wentworth's Story last weekend and have waited to blog about it until I could finish rereading Darcy's Passions by this same author. The fact of the matter is that I have now read four books by Regina Jeffers and, for the most part, I have greatly enjoyed them. So in this post I not only want to review her newest book but also think a bit about her career publishing Austen fan fiction.

Ms. Jeffers' first book, Darcy's Passions: Fitzwilliam Darcy's Story, was written in response to a challenge from one of her students while she was teaching Pride & Prejudice. Though the concept has been done several times before, this book is one of my favorite versions. I love her take on Darcy. As she explains in the Preface:

Most believe George Wickham to be the villain in this classic tale, but I am of the persuasion Darcy is both villain and hero - disdainful pride to benevolent rescue. Yet, I also do not believe that anyone changes completely; Darcy's transformation must be based in all his previous experiences. The disagreeable social facade and the potential lover lie within the same man. This is the tale one finds in Darcy's Passions.

Being amongst those who are guilty of thinking far too well of Fitzwillaim Darcy, this perspective of Darcy as "the bad guy" is both refreshing and perfectly in keeping with the original story. I only wish she had ended the book with their marriage instead of pressing on. This is largely because I did not at all enjoy the second volume Ms. Jeffers wrote, Darcy's Dreams: A Sequel to the Fitzwilliam Darcy Story, the plot of which is set up at the end of the first book. Now it's not that this book is bad, it's just that its subject is so distressing to me I hate to even think about it. After all the emotional turmoil Elizabeth and Darcy go through to reach the happily married state, Ms. Jeffers sends Darcy off to have an accident in which he looses his recent memory and cannot fathom what on earth would have possessed him to marry Elizabeth Bennet. It's so upsetting. Here's that "villain" from the Meryton Assembly back in full force. I honestly found this book traumatizing which, I happily will admit, it would not have been was it poorly executed. Still, poor Elizabeth!

Darcy's Passions was first released in October of 2008 followed by Darcy's Dreams that June by Xlibris, a self-publishing company. They were then rereleased as Darcy's Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes in February of 2009 and Darcy's Temptations: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in September of 2009 by Ulysses Press, a traditional publisher. The particularly strange thing about this is that both editions are still available. If you go to Ms. Jeffers' website you will be linked to the Xlibris site for purchase. I don't know much about Ulysses but it's very interesting that they would option a book without demanding full publication rights.

This is not the case for Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation, which was released directly through Ulyssses Press in October 2009 and so is not available for sale via Ms. Jeffers' website. This is by far my favorite of the monster takes on Austen. You can read my pseudo review in an earlier post, Jane Austen and the Gothic.

This brings us to the subject at hand. Wayward Love: Captain Fredrick Wentworth's Story, released by Xlibris in April 2009, is a wonderful retelling of Persuasion. The story begins a few months after Anne and Fredrick's marriage when they are on ship, the British Navy having been recalled following Napoleon having escape from Elba. Captain Wentworth is injured and, as he recuperates, he relives his courtship with Anne in his dreams. The story then follows them back to land where they begin to establish their married lives. Unlike the other books I have read of this nature, Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange and the Fredrick Wentworth, Captain series, None But You (which, by the way, is phenomenal) and For You Alone by Susan Kaye, Wayward Love shows us what Anne and Fredrick's life might have been like after marriage, in the same manner as so many of the Pride & Prejudice sequels. I would love to see Ms. Jeffers write another volume, continuing the tale where she left off (as long as Captain Wentworth doesn't bump his head and develop amnesia that is).

This same book under a new title, Captain Wentworth's Persuasion: Jane Austen's Classic Retold Through His Eyes, is due out from Ulysses in March 2010. I'm seriously thinking about sending my manuscript to Ulysses and seeing if I can't cut a similar deal.

Intimations of Austen by Jane Greensmith

Earlier this week I read this wonderful collection of short stories entitled Intimations of Austen by Jane Greensmith. I really enjoyed these surprisingly modern "backstories, sequels, and what-ifs", all of which play with the basic assumptions we make about Austen, the best in a manner which adds new dimensions to the way we analyze the complete body of Austen's work. My two favorite stories were Three Sisters, which provides a new perspective on Mansfield Park and Persuasion (and which hits on a point raised in the first class I ever took on Austen, much to my delight), and Heaven Can Wait, which imagines an entire love affair out of Mrs. Bennet's mention at Netherfield that Jane Bennet once was courted by a man who "wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were."

I must admit that some of these tales made me cringe a bit, largely because they were premised upon ideas that made me uncomfortable. For example, I was frustrated with Ms. Greensmith's portrayal of a rather incompetent Fanny Price (now Bertram) in Bird of Paradise as I believe her to have largely run Mansfield, especially at the end of the book, rendering Thornton Lacey an easy house for her to manage. Similarly, while I was absolutely enthralled with the concept behind All I do, a "What If?" story of Elizabeth and Darcy that has them just finding each other in middle age, I couldn't reconcile myself to the absence of decorum between the characters, especially as we're now talking about a Victorian Darcy and Elizabeth who should be even more socially inhibited than their youthful selves. Cringing aside, these stories caused me to think deeply about the characters in ways I hadn't previously. My petty complaints should really be ignored; the entire book is thoroughly worthwhile.

This is a literary collection. The stories are written in a manner that at first seems shockingly stark but that is just because the modern language and prose style is in such huge contrast to Austen's writing and the conventions usually adapted in Austen fan fiction. The prose are simple and poetic, not at all something that could have been written before the 20th century. I would love to go through this book, story by story, and write an essay on each one but that would ruin them for those who have yet to read the book. Instead I will urge anyone with a passion for Austen to bump this book to the top of their reading lists so they can relish Ms. Greensmith's unique rethinking of these beloved stories as soon as possible. Maybe sometime down the road I'll pull the stories apart in detail. They are just begging for close analysis.

Book Cover!!

I finally bought the rights to the cover art and so can now share what First Impressions will look like! We are reviewing the pdf, ready to be sent to the publishers, one more time for any obvious mistakes. Once that clears, it's off to the printer!

I had such a good time helping to lay out the book and design the cover. It has totally changed the way I think about books. I always considered myself a bit uptight about which publications I preferred and why but I never really thought too much about what I based those preferences on. This entire process has been extremely diverting.

So both of the images are engravings that we toned for depth and color. It seems to be de rigueur to have a period looking lady on the front of these things; while these ladies aren't precisely period, I have seen worse (for example, the ladies gracing the cover of this Barnes & Nobles Classic Edition of Sense & Sensibility - I feel like it gives me a good bit of leeway).

I would really have liked to use the engraving on the back cover (doesn't it just feel like Meryton?) but the image was too small. I wasn't able to make this jpeg big enough for any but the most nearsighted to read so here's the blurb in a more legible form:

"In Pride and Prejudice Fitzwilliam Darcy begins his relationship with Elizabeth Bennet with the words: 'She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.' What would have happened if Mr. Darcy had never spoken so disdainfully? First Impressions explores how the events of Jane Austen's beloved novel would have transpired if Darcy and Elizabeth had danced together at the Meryton Assembly. Jane and Bingley's relationship blossoms unimpeded, Mary makes a most fortunate match, and Lydia never sets a foot in Brighton. Austen's witty style is authentically invoked in this playful romp from Longbourn to Pemberley."

So what do you think? Since it's too late for me to change this, I sincerely hope your responses are positive.

My Personal Austen Rankings

This comes up all the time. What is your favorite book by Jane Austen? Of course they are all amazing but everyone must have their preferences. Here's my sure-to-anger list and why:

1) Persuasion

For me this is Austen at her best. First off I should admit that I adored Cinderella as a child and Persuasion is the ultimate Cinderella story. Watching Anne Elliot, really Jane's most perfect heroine, bloom into such deserved happiness is one of the most fabulously cathartic experiences literature has to offer. I will also admit that I love depressing stories (despite what one might assume based on the thoroughly happy tale I just wrote) and there is A LOT of melancholy in this story. It's difficult not to attribute it to the circumstances of Austen's life while she was writing it. For that reason, this is an extraordinarily personal tale, as close to the writer as we ever get in her fiction.

2) Northanger Abbey

This book is such a remarkable delight to read. Henry Tilney, after Mr. Darcy of course, is my favorite Austen hero and Catherine Moreland has to be the sweetest heroine she ever created. This was the first book I ever read of Jane Austen's, so it holds a special place for me in that respect, and it still makes me laugh aloud every time I read it. I get a silly grin on my face whenever I read Austen (it just makes me really happy) and it's at its biggest when I read Northanger Abbey.

3) Mansfield Park

This is Austen's most ambitious work and her most flawed novel (the attempt in and of itself is remarkable). So much more complex than her other stories, Mansfield Park depicts a rather frightening world of ambition, lust, and folly. This book is much more than a romance: it's deep social philosophy, much more akin to George Elliot's work than Austen's other novels. In Mansfield Park we see the remarkable heights of Austen's potential. It's a book that inspires awed respect.

4) Pride & Prejudice

This is the perfect romance: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet personify true love. Of course its appealing. Every time I pick up this book I know I shall laugh, cry, and feel triumphant (sometimes all in the course of one page). Pride and Prejudice is a highly emotional story and the reader becomes fully engaged in the dramatic roller coaster that forms the plot. This is why I think so many revere this tale - it gets you about as close as anyone can come to perfect happiness. Vicariously, we bask for a moment in Darcy and Elizabeth's glory. It's terribly gratifying.

5) Emma

Now I have to move into defensive mode and say why I put these last two books at the end of this list instead of just declaring what I love them. Emma is wonderful but this story has just never grabbed my imagination to the same degree as the others. I suppose this is because I'm a spoiled brat myself and Emma's faults too closely resemble my own. It's very painful when your too-good opinion of yourself takes a beating, to that I can attest, but all Emma's happy ending teaches me is that, though there may be some trials along the journey, I am sure to get my way in the end. This is the only one of Austen's books that doesn't demand I try to be a better person.

6) Sense and Sensibility

After having read all of Austen aloud to my husband last year, I must acknowledge that this is the worst written of Austen's book. Sense and Sensibility is a wonderful story but the writing is choppier and more contorted than her later work. I wish she could have done another draft of this one, just to smooth out the language. I adore the dynamic between Elinor and Marianne but think that Austen had a hard time working with two heroines. Notice she never attempted to do so again.

So there you are. Please argue with me: this entire exercise is totally arbitrary and demands it. I love debating Austen.

Note added 12/5/09: I just began A Truth Universally Acknowledged (which, so far, seems an attempt to raise Austen to the level of a divinity) and came across the following quote in Susannah Carson's intro which is very relevant to this post: "Some readers are certain there is a fixed hierarchy and take no greater pleasure than in defending their choices and converting opponents. Others find the question as impertinent and irrelevant as if they had been asked to pick a favorite child." I like to think that I fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.