Reading Austen

It has now been three days since I finished reading Emma, my first Jane Austen novel. Somehow, I can not settle my mind on a topic inspired by the book to write about. There are many things to admire with the book. First of all, the exemplar I have, is beautiful in itself. Open whichever page you may, and it will not try to bend back or skip to another page impatient of showing its' brilliance. The pages are thin and delicate, the  print small. It invites the reader to read with a light heart, with no concern of time; an oasis in every day life.
       The story is not complicated, nor is the message. It is the story of a well-bred young lady's life in the society of the 18th century. And that is that. Beautiful language (a lot of pretty words that makes your dictionary come to use in a satisfactory way), a portrait of the contemporary life and social intrigues makes this book. Although Austen is not really my genre, I can't help being charmed by the elegant and amiable characters this book consists of. So much kindness, eloquence and peacefulness. There is no real hatred or even argues between the characters, only temporary disputes that resolve in deeper understanding and closer relationships between them.


So... How did the book affect me? Well. During the two weeks I read it, my english must have been horribly spruce and snobbish. 18th century english simply does not fit in the society of the 21st. Sadly. I also thought of how fantastic it would be to be a woman of Emma's (the main character's) wealth and time. She did not work, felt no pressure of doing so since equality did not yet have that meaning, nor did she cook or clean or wash or have children.. She could just read, write and paint however much she wanted. I certainly wouldn't say no to that. Although being addressed as follows would annoy me a great deal:


(Emma's father has heard that his acquaintance Miss Fairfax has, god forbid, been out fetching the post in the rain and reacts likes this:)

"I am very sorry to hear , Miss Fairfax, of your being out this morning in the rain. Young ladies should take care of themselves. Young ladies are delicate plants. They should take care of their health and their complexion. My dear, did you change your stockings?"

Funny, isn't it? I am convinced that Jane Austen herself was quite amused of the many peculiarities (such as what I just mentioned) of her time, and that she added them in her novels simply because she thought them funny. I did actually laugh a lot when reading this book. 

Here are some other memorable quotes from the book: 

"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken…"

"I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. Wickedness is always wickedness, but folly is not always folly. It depends upon the character of those who handle it."