Happy 250th Birthday, Jane Austen!

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Photo by Photo by Leah Newhouse: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-assorted-books-1666320/Leah Newhouse from Pexels

This year marks the 250th birthday of literary icon, Jane Austen! While her birthday is technically December 16th, August is known for being "Romance Awareness Month," so I feel it is appropriate to celebrate earlier than later! Upon my own celebration, I have been wearing my Austen-like book earrings, wearing my Pride and Prejudice t-shirt from Litographs (which includes sections of the novel as blocks of text creating the photos on the front and back of the shirt!), and reading Austen's juvenilia novel The Beautifull Cassandra (yes, that is a purposeful two L's) and the graphic novel biography of Jane Austen, titled The Novel Life of Jane Austen, by Janine Barchas. I also finally watched Clueless for the first time, which as you know, is based on Austen's Emma, and is perfect timing as this year also marks the 30th anniversary of the movie. As if!

In terms of Austen's juvenilia, or works of the author while they are still young/before they became popular, I enjoyed reading Claudia L. Johnson's Afterword on The Beautifull Cassandra. The story was thought to be based on Austen's sister, Cassandra, which I thought could be true, given how close they seem from stories I heard and read. In the Afterword, Johnson commented on Austen's high intelligence and ability to play with words and write for all ages, even at a young age, how this short story was most likely written to amuse her family, and also on how people either like Austen's work or hate it (though I feel the same could be said of many novels, especially a recent book discussion I attended!). The takeaway from her analysis of Austen's writings is that The Beautifull Cassandra took a story and embraced the uneventful. It was a short, day-in-the-life following of a girl who took what she wanted (a bonnet, ice cream, a ride) and enjoyed her day, no matter the havoc that ensued. The events listed were not grand adventures, but a small adventure, nonetheless. Only, we embrace it in short sentences, are not told details, and everything is over just as it started. I read it as I would a children's picture book, as the copy I had borrowed from the library was illustrated, and enjoyed the short and simple story. It amused me, especially the dedication, and I was delighted to read something from an author I enjoy that I did not know previously existed. 

I work in a library and recently curated a Jane Austen anniversary display, in which I created fun Austen-esque buttons, with her books, movies, books based on her books, photos, and of course, Regency-like ribbons! I love to have fun with my work, and enjoy watching the smiles of others who interact with what I set up. The display sparked an animated conversation between me and a fellow fan, and I realized that not many people knew about the limited release of the new French movie, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. I was lucky enough to catch a showing in my area, and I loved it! It was released to DVD in late July, and I believe it is finally hitting libraries around now. If you are an Austen fan, you will love this romance that takes a bit from the author herself, while also giving a great homage to the work she did in her life and to those she inspired. It made me want to visit the estate!

Speaking of her estate...

You can visit Jane Austen's House as they celebrate the entire year with birthday celebrations! Each season is marked for a book of hers, such as the upcoming Persuasion and poetry festival beginning September 12th and ending on the 21st. The year ends with Austen's birthday celebration during the month of December, and an extra special one on her actual birthday, December 16th! If you are like me and missed out on tickets or cannot make it over to the United Kingdom, you can walk through a virtual tour, listen to their podcast, or if you are feeling especially enthusiastic, you can join the Jane Austen Society of North America, who are offering a free year membership to current students!

Whether or not you have Austen-mania, I hope your summer has been fun, that you have read many books (or at least enjoyed time reading), and have many fall things to look forward to! I am excited for the spooky season approaching and the lovely weather that beckons me to sit under trees with my cat and read.

Until next time, Happy Reading! :)