What Would Jane Do?

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is always right. She just is. Analysing people’s behaviour in society, she becomes an astute observer of individual desires, beliefs, kinks. Once you start reading Austen, you’ll never be able to shake her off. You won’t want to shake her off. Only give her time.

“But I Digress” – A Vindication of the Rights of Chivalrous British Gentlemen

In the light of recent events, or rather, disputes, I have to clarify something. Because I’ve had a rather heated discussion with one of my best (male) friends on classic heroes. Right, I admit it. It started off with me being overly enthusiastic about the male hero in Fanny Burney’s Evelina, Lord Orville. My friend couldn’t get his mind around the fact that 18^th-century British stiff-mannered gentlemen hold a special attraction for us women. He was like, “What’s the deal with these up-tight blokes? Whenever you girls read anything about them or see them on TV you psych out completely and talk as if you were deranged!” Of course, my pointing out that Mr Darcy wouldn’t condescend to make a reply to such an unflattering speech didn’t exactly make things better. But it made me think. After all, he sort of has a point. Why do we forget everything around us as soon as one of those gentlemen sporting a tuxedo and preferably on horseback, pops up on the screen?