Carol's Comments August 2017

Carol’s Comments August 2017

Hello Everyone! Welcome to another issue of Carol’s Comments. This Spring I read in the New York Times Book Review that Jane Austen, one of my favorite authors would reach a major milestone in 2017 when the literary world would commemorate the 200th anniversary of her death on July 18. I definitely knew I wanted to dedicate a blog to Miss Austen, just as I had done for Charlotte Bronte last summer and Harper Lee in 2015. At first, I thought I would read books that re-imagined most of Austen’s six novels. Then I realized that I had already reviewed P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley, a mystery “sequel” to Pride and Prejudice in May 2012 and while skimming through many recent modern retellings of her beloved classics, none of them – especially Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld thrilled me.

After much contemplation, I decided instead to focus on Jane Austen’s remarkable life in fiction and film rather than traditional biography. I first selected Kathleen Flynn’s unconventional bestselling debut novel The Jane Austen Project. 

Skillfully blending science fiction with historical fiction, Flynn’s imaginative book concerns two researchers from a technologically advanced post -apocalyptic future- Dr. Rachel Katzman and actor turned scholar Liam Finucane who time travel back to early 19^th century England to retrieve Jane Austen’s unfinished manuscript The Watsons while also trying to discover the cause of the author’s mysterious death at age 41 and possibly prevent it. 

When Rachel and Liam arrive in Leatherhead, Surrey England through a time portal on September 15, 1815, they pose as siblings Dr. William and Mary Ravenswood former Jamaican plantation owners. While living in the past, the pair must be careful not to influence or interfere too much with people and events that could dramatically change the timeline and irrevocably alter the future. About a month later in October 1815, they meet and befriend Jane Austen’s favorite brother banker Henry Austen a few weeks before she will be visiting him in London.

Unfortunately, complications arise for the time travelers’ mission when Henry Austen becomes smitten with Rachel (aka Mary) and proposes marriage to her. The consequences of this action could seriously disrupt the space/time continuum as well as Rachel and Liam’s efforts to obtain the lost manuscript and avert the circumstances surrounding Jane Austen’s untimely death in July 1817. 

Rachel begrudgingly agrees to a secret engagement to Henry Austen even after his bank fails and he begins studying to become a vicar. She hopes she can postpone the marriage long enough for the time portal to re-open in September 1816 and escape with Liam and the manuscript back to the future.

 Despite its very metaphysical and thought provoking conclusion, Flynn’s inventive novel has one serious drawback. The author only gives the reader a very sketchy description of the futuristic world. The story never fully explains how the apocalypse occurred or how the Prometheus Server, the machine making time travel possible, was developed. Although the reader must at times overlook some implausible plot elements, The Jane Austen Project is a very riveting and captivating adventure story for both time travel and Jane Austen fans alike. It’s such a terrific escapist read that I really had trouble putting it down.

Next I started my Jane Austen movie marathon with the 2007 feature film Becoming Jane starring Anne Hathaway. Directed by Julian Jarrold, Anne Hathaway gives a very ebullient and vivacious performance as the young aspiring author Jane Austen in this very stylized biopic.

Set in late 18^th century England, this lavish film primarily focuses on Jane’s intense romance with the brash young Irish lawyer Tom LeFroy- (one of Austen’s potential real life suitors) ardently played by James McAvoy. The film strongly suggests that this relationship along with other significant events in her life greatly influenced Austen’s writing of Pride and Prejudice and fueled her independent spirit.

Although the screenplay written by Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams seemed a bit too melodramatic and frothy at times, Becoming Jane beautifully captures the manners and customs of the English Regency period and also features memorable supporting performances by Maggie Smith as Lady Gresham and James Cromwell as Jane Austen’s father Reverend Austen. This lovely film is a must-see for all Jane Austen devotees and incurable romantics just like me.

Finally, I concluded my Jane Austen cinematic tribute by watching Miss Austen Regrets, a Masterpiece Classic TV movie first broadcast in 2008.

Directed by Jeremy Lovering, Miss Austen Regrets begins with a flashback to 1802 where 27 year old Jane Austen, strikingly played by Olivia Williams, accepts a marriage proposal and then quickly changes her mind the next day. Then the film suddenly fast forwards 12 years to 1814 where Miss Austen, now 39 is advising her favorite young niece Fanny Knight about whom she should marry during her visit to her brother Edward’s estate. While helping her niece with her romantic dilemma, Jane also solemnly ponders and reminisces about her own decision to choose single life as a writer over marriage.

Gwyneth Hughes’ screenplay uses Austen’s actual surviving correspondence to create a more realistic and unsentimental depiction of Jane Austen, not only as an author but her personal relationships with her family- particularly with her sister Cassandra, portrayed by Greta Scacchi and friends as well. For instance, when Austen’s idealistic overly romantic niece naively asks her aunt how to attract a suitor like Mr. Darcy, her Aunt Jane replies, “The only way to get a man like Mr. Darcy is to make him up.”

This television program also includes a very pleasant surprise for Downton Abbey fans. Hugh Bonneville appears as Reverend Brook Bridges, the former  beau that Jane Austen rejected 12 years ago. This wonderful and strangely poignant and bittersweet Masterpiece production is much more satisfying in its realism than the idealized and rather sumptuous Becoming Jane. In fact, at times, it seems to mirror Austen’s family relationships depicted in The Jane Austen Project. I highly recommend viewing this forgotten Masterpiece gem.

The book and movies reviewed in this blog can be found at most local public libraries. My readers in St. Joseph County, Indiana can visit the St Joseph County Public Library’s web site at libraryforlife.org for additional information. Thanks for reading! See you all next time.