h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Jane Austen has a following, but I found her hard to read myself (had to for Uni in the 1980s.) Do you know, she wrote during the Napoleonic wars, and never once mentioned them? That's supposed to be because war in those days had a negligible effect on civilians...

But all those eligible young officers dieing had an effect on the marriege market which was what really interested her.

A good point. In a way, Austen was writing romance novels - but they're valuable for their observation of a part of the society of the time..

Yes, its interesting how narrow a range of people it is. No real toffs, the only workers are servants, and the only professionals are doctors and clergy. Everyone else is minor gentry. Within her field she was a keen observer though.

Marilyn Butler wrote a very interesting book in the 70s, 'Jane Austen and the War of Ideas', in which she challenges the idea that Austen was quite as apolitical as she's sometimes portrayed. She certainly doesn't mention the wars directly, but traces of their effect can be made out in the novels - comments on British soldiery in 'Pride and Prejudice' for instance (not very complimentary about the officer class), on the Royal Navy in 'Persuasion'.

And it shouldn't be forgotten that her views on women weren't entirely 'orthodox' either - even if the inevitable 'happy endings' tend to blunt this edge that her novels have.

Adelaide - Janet Frame is tops!

She certainly satarises those she writes about, Mrs Bennett in P&P for example, but I always thought of her as small-c conservative. She has that whole English thing about the moral superiority of countryfolk over townfolk (especially in Mansfield Park I think)>

She's certainly pretty ghastly when it comes to tackling the city, I'd agree with that. When you consider she was more or less a contemporary of William Blake, she certainly sees London as something to get away from as fast as possible. But I don't really have a problem with that because it's just not her thing, if you know what I mean - and when it comes to small, gossipy market-towns, she's very acute.

I suspect thats part of why she is so popular in England. The English all seem to be obsessed with living in the country. I agree she is an acute observer and very witty.

Certainly that's a principal reason for the 'National Trust' Austen fanbase (which is also why Butler's is such a good book - take an icon of little England conservatism and try and make her into a revolutionary!)

Although her only serious rival as 'national novelist' is probably Dickens - and he's a city boy all the way.

But, in general, the 'living in the country' thing does seem to apply

Odd that, I'm a city dweller by preference, and left-of-centre, and yet I prefer reading Austen to Dickins

I will admit I've never really tried, too big and intimidating, too many films made of them

Also a city-dweller by preference (though not at the moment *sigh*) and also left-of-centre (whatever that means these days *big sigh*).

I do love Dickens, though I've not read any for a while - they do *look* big, but they whizz by!

I just finished reading, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown....how marvellous and educational about art at the same time...

As for words of wisdom for the day....ermm..

Ok..

Why is the rich unhappy man worse off than the poor unhappy man?

The poor unhappy man thinks money will solve all his problems.

Hmmm...I used to like that one, but now I just think being miserable in comfort is better than being miserable AND poor...*chuckles*

left-of-centre = noone you really want to vote for nowadays but you do to keep the Tories and worse out

I've got a Wilkie Collins novel to read which is pretty "big" but after reading "The Quidcunx", a pastiche of Wilkie Collins by Charles Palliser, I thought I'd try the original

I may get to Dickens 1 day, after that only Proust and Tolstoy will remain on my list of should-read classics

That's some heavy reading...Bc!

Lets see another words of wisdom...

ummm....

*scratches head*

*looks around for inspiration*

Think before you type?

who wants to be wise, not me
defnitely better to be unhappy in comfort but learning to be happy with enough is better than always wanting what you don't have

Woah Sounds pretty wise to me!

so long as I don't have to give up the and fags and spending money on what I consider important I'm happy to be considered wise
usually I'm better at cliches than wisdom though

Going to have to go and put the boy to bed and get serious with some Malibu left in da fridge..

Cheerio for a bit..!

Bottoms up..

Can you get serious with malibu?

" and fags" - amen to that (though I'm going through a very big 'I really should give up' phase at the moment)

And what is a cliché but a truth that's settled down on your sofa and got comfy with a bag of crisps?