The allure of Jane Austen

I have a thing for Jane Austen. I don't know exactly when it started, but I'm pretty sure it was in college, because I never had to read her in school. I am 90% sure I discovered her as a result of the 1996 version of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow, which I saw my sophomore year of college and loved. Of course, I'd seen Clueless when it came out, and watching Emma I realized just exactly how clever the Alicia Silverstone film was (I guess I came to that backwards, eh?) and was hooked. (Interestingly, I had the same experience with Virginia Woolf - hated her, until I read The Hours by Michael Cunningham and realized that Mrs. Dalloway is genius).

Here's Gwyneth as Emma - isn't she pretty?

I loved everything about Emma. I loved how inherently selfish and flawed she was, but ultimately still entirely lovable. Kind of like a lot of real-life people, I thought, and in a world where most of the romcoms shoved down our throats involve people who are way too inconceivably perfect, this was delightful to me. A heroine I could identify with! I was hooked and started reading The Janes.

With the exception of Mansfield Park, which I despise due to its completely dull doormat of a leading lady, Fanny Price, I am a lover of the entire Jane Austen library. I own all of the books, and multiple copies of some. I read them on my Kindle here and there just because they bring me joy. Lots of people find Regency and Victorian-era literature dry and boring, but I'd argue that Jane Austen is more the chick lit of her time, and what she has to say about the social constraints for women in the 1800s I think is interesting and important and worth reflecting over.

Since I love Jane Austen and have read all the books multiple times, it stands to reason I've also seen countless film and television adaptations of the stories. And with a very busy travel month for Jay, and Colin Firth's likely upcoming Academy Award win, I thought this would be a swell time to re-watch the awesome Pride and Prejudice miniseries starring Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Have you seen it? You really should.

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy - smashing!

For those who don't know, Pride and Prejudice is the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, one being prejudiced and the other prideful, as the title might suggest, and, as with all Austen tales, how they eventually get over themselves and fall in love. And along the way, it remarks on the social and financial implications for unmarried women and their families in Regency England. Good times. 

Clearly, I'm not the only person out there who loves her some Jane, because people just seem to keep making and remaking these stories into films. Just a few years ago there was a fancy schmancy remake of Pride and Prejudice starring Matthew McFayden and Keira Knightley, and it's definitely not as detailed and book-accurate as the 5 hour miniseries, but it's still quite lovely. And you should watch it, too, because really, one can never really have enough Mr. Darcy.

Matty McFayden Darcy - nom!

So, watching the miniseries for the past couple of nights with knitting and a good glass of Chianti, I found myself falling in love with it all over again. I thought, man, these stories just hold up SO well, don't they? People just love them some Jane Austen! But it's more than the good stories, isn't it? The Austen recipe also includes a certain swoony look that we ladies just can't seem to get enough of. The empire waist gowns! The frilly cravats! The coats with tails! The shaggy sideburns and moppish hair! I started thinking about how much I love all of this, and why can't we bring it back now? Who wouldn't want a boyfriend who looked like Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightley in Emma? 

Mmmm...Mr. Knightley...

And then, when I found that picture, I realized something. We DO still want that look. ALL OVER THE PLACE. Because you know why? Because this is the original MCDREAMY, my friends. Behold.

You see? You see there? McDreamy = Mr. Knightley, sans cravat. QUICK! Call the costume department! Someone get some lace on those scrubs! But what's that you say? Dr. McDreamy's not really your type? You prefer something more along the lines of cold and undead? BEHOLD!

You see?! Edward = Mr. Knightley! Oh, this is a fun game. Good times, good times. And the fun doesn't stop there. You start Googling and you will find oodles of man-candy rockin' the Regency locks, my friends. Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries' Stefan), Scott Speedman (Felicity), and Jake Gyllenhaal have all rocked this look, to name a few. Hell, Hugh Grant has been making this look his bitch for 20 years now!

I think this is evidence that Jane Austen's legacy is long and strong, and not likely to fade any time soon. And it may have a little less to do with the timeless storytelling than we might like to admit, and more to do with the fact that all humans with vaginas find Mr. Knightley hair to be, in a word, McDreamy. The end.

Comments

[Carolyn]

Haha, love the "Mr. Knightley as the original McDreamy" epiphany! SO true!

[Jennifer B.]

This post almost gave me an attack of the vapors. Have you seen 'Lost in Austen?' Hilariously good and annoyingly strange all at the same time. Definitely for Austen Anonymous members only.

And Fanny Price is the whiniest chic in literature. Gah!

[Jay]

Funny. People dont say the same about bocaccio...

[Julie]

Ahhh, I agree... Mr. Darcy may or may not be what I call my husband (in my head). And now I understand why I find those modern actors so alluring!