My Jane Austen Obsession

Seconds prior to my writing of this post, I was wedged, staring on a wallpaper of Elizabeth Bennet walking past upon the English moors thumbing her favorite book. Whilst writing this, I am listening, on shuffle mode, a compilation of Pride and Prejudice (2005) movie soundtrack. In my desk sits the book "Emma," which I borrowed with too much imploring, I'm afraid I frayed her clemency that the owner is currently sewing her wits to sum right now. In my Bit Torrent 6.4 software, a "Northanger Abbey" download is pending and while in restore mode, Youtube is loading "Kate and Leopold."

I am "completely, perfectly and incandescently" lost in Austen.

By now, I've read and re-read six out of her seven books. I try to pull myself out of bed during the wee hours of my weekdays just to flip through the pages of her books despite my busy schedule. My weekends were spent in front of my computer watching adaptations of her novels.

Pride and Prejudice: I read the book when I was a high school - sophomore. I spent a long two weeks finishing the book. I didn't comprehend the book so well by then. But to date, I've read the book for like, five times, watched the 2005 adaptation for three times, watched the six-hour miniseries, 1995 version, and watched in monochrome the 1987 version. Who doesn't know Lizzy and Mr. Darcy? Their love story is kept in books preserved for generations.

Sense and Sensibility: I first read the book when I was in fourth year high school. It made me cry. By then my adeptness to comprehend her language just improved and this is where I took off. I watched the 1995 and 2008 versions for hours. The 1995 is the one I prefer.

Persuasion: This is my favorite Jane Austen novel partly because I can relate to Anne Elliot. The language of Jane Austen transcends here. Though there is a tendency to think of Austen's writing as being witty – intelligent – amusing – and it is indeed all of those. But there is also sometimes a real depth, poignancy to Austen's writing, and this come to the fore in Persuasion more than it does in any of her other books. Persuasion was Jane Austen's last completed novel. Perhaps partly as a result of this, there is a touch of sadness in Persuasion . . . there is something so poignant, so beautiful and bittersweet in its pages. It moves me more than any of Austen's other books. The adaptations (1995 and 2007) made me cry!

Emma: I was cynical about this book because Emma is "handsome, clever and rich" which go against the attributes of my favorite heroines. Yet I admit I was mistaken to pre-judge the novel. Emma's spirited wit has not failed me to succumb to her charm, despite her superior airs and egotism. I am going to watch an adaptation, preferably the latest version sooner or later.

Mansfield Park: This is my least favorite of her novels. Fancy Price is just constantly and pointlessly bullied by her step family. I watched two adaptations, but both did not give justice to the book.

Northanger Abbey: Catherine Morland is a bookworm. When she had her first trip away from home, she stayed in Bath. There she met Henry Tilney and learned to distinguish real life from the highly charged calamities of the Gothic novels she read - the hard way! Juvenile book, fun start, gripping, guilt-inducing resolution, fantastic ending! Only watched one adaptation, but it was good.

To get at the heart of human nature Austen used her language. Her exquisite language is the first thing that captivated me. Her precise depiction of manners and the catalogue of human emotions get to the roots of human behavior through her characters daily activities as bane
as they may seem to today's readers.

There are people in the world who don't speak well, don't share their feelings well, are misrepresented by society – trust me, I know how that feels, simply because I'm one of those people. Austen's novels provide some respite for my weary soul looking for others with whom to commiserate. For me, I don't speak my feelings. All too often I feel so much, words fail to express my emotion. My favorite Austen quotation highlights the depth of her characters' feelings:

"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."