Charles Jennings - A Brief Guide to Jane Austen: The Life and Times of the Worlds Favourite Author

Charles Jennings studied English at Oxford and then became, as reported in the Spectator, the funniest journalist in London. He has written numerous books, including a history of Greenwich, as well as Them and Us: The American Invasion of English High Society (2007).

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A BRIEF GUIDE TO

CHARLES
JENNINGS

Constable & Robinson

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First published in the UK by Robinson,

An imprint of Constable & Robinson, 2012

Copyright Charles Jennings 2012

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Jane Austen is so well-known, her novels so central to literary culture, why does one need a guide? After all, Mr Darcy, Emma Woodhouse, Mr Collins and Fanny Price are such familiar presences that we use them as conversational shorthands; while Pemberley has turned into a destination as fixed in the popular consciousness as Daphne du Mauriers fictional estate Manderley, or Evelyn Waughs Brideshead. And everyone thinks they can recognize her prose when they see it, especially the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice.

But for all her popularity, all her acknowledged genius its not as easy to dive straight into one of Jane Austens novels as it is with the works of, say, Charles Dickens or Mark Twain. Her apparent modernity her cool ironies, her sense of place, and her wit can be misleading. The two hundred years between her society and ours are a real gap, and some sort of background is useful, however well we think we know the landscape. Miss Austen, too, needs introducing. Few writers are so well loved by their readerships; but why, exactly?

A Brief Guide examines Jane Austen from three angles. The biographical section is presented as its own narrative, in order to let the shape of her life emerge. After all, the great majority of it was spent in dependent spinsterhood, a very unconsidered existence. Only the last five years offered her the chance to become Jane Austen, the writer, and thus escape the condition that had until then defined her. Her success came late, and in a rush; and I want that shape to be clear. Im also keen to avoid the dreaded biographical fallacy, of tying biographical events too closely to events and characters in the fiction. Physically separating the two seems a good way of keeping history and the creative imagination in their rightful places.

When talking about the novels, Ive done my best to see them from the perspective of the interested contemporary reader, with no particular axe to grind. All the novels present problems, in one way or another, and Ive tried to pick out the most important ones, the ones I think most likely to make the reader scratch his or her head. At the same time Ive tried to identify the good bits, or at least the bits I think are good. Of course, its possible to read just about anything into the works of Jane Austen, including proto-feminism, anti-slavery, problems with the cult of the Picturesque and a critique of the Monarchy. Great novels persistently lay themselves open to interpretations and re-interpretations, and Miss Austens big six are no different. But in A Brief Guide Im less intrigued by the possibility of reading into Sense and Sensibility pretty much whatever you want to read into it, and more interested in the idea that Austens novels are not perfect. There are wrong turns and mis-steps, and the best way to approach her is with a degree of critical caution, acknowledging the fallibilities, and seeing how often she triumphs over them.

The Regency section explains itself a compressed attempt to paint in the social background, answering, along the way, such questions as: what time was dinner, and how many courses were there; how often did people wash; why was Brighton considered so louche; and why does Emma not call Mr Knightley by his first name? Questions, in other words, that might easily come up in the course of reading.

One of the very best ways to spend your time is in reading (or re-reading) all Jane Austens novels in order of publication (which is how Ive dealt with them in the critical introductions) and back to back. I know, because I recently did it, and it was an unusual privilege. Throw in some time with the Letters to Cassandra, and as any Janeite will tell you, you start to feel Miss Austens presence to an uncanny degree, accompanied by a strong desire for her still to be alive, so that you might meet her, quiz her, try to understand her. This may well be untrue of almost any other writer of fiction you can name; but its certainly true for her.

So, to begin: How did she do it?