Austen in real Life

When I was in high school, Wilson Phillips was played on the radio...a lot. And it felt like the ladies around us were living life (and whatever relationship we had or hoped to have with them) according to their songs. Love blossomed with You're In Love. It made it through rocky times with Hold On (for one more day). It crashed and burned with Release Me. I said it then and I say it now, the guys I knew were living out the Wilson Phillips sound track whether we liked it or not (and no, we didn't like it nor did we like their music).

Now I'm reading Austen. I've read one book and I can already see the characters walking around me in real life.

There are Elizabeth's younger sisters (P&P). There's Emma. There's Willoughby (S&S).

Kinda cool...kinda creepy.

Where Is the Chapel

With the exception of parsons (occupation), parsonages (the parsons house) and weddings, where is church in the world of Austen?

Her dad was a parson. Her world was one in which everyone, particularly outside of the big cities (and rural not urban was the primary setting for Austen), attended church on Sunday, like it or not.

So where is the chapel service? Where is a scene like that in Dickens' Bleak House when Esther (the main character) first comes into a social context with Lady Dedlock (and the main plot line begins to unfurl)?

I doubt that there is an answer and since I have only finished Sense & Sensibility (and previously have only read Mansfield Park) perhaps this is premature but you'd think the church would play a larger role than it does.

Perhaps its because she disliked the church and had been wounded by it. I hope this isn't the case but it is not uncommon for PK's (pastor's kids) to want nothing to do with the church because of wounds they have experienced at the hands of the church.

Perhaps its because people were on the best behavior and there was not much to critic. I doubt this since history and experience would say differently. The church has a plan in God's economy but it does not always sparkle as much as the Bride of Christ ought.

Perhaps its because she valued the church and simply chose not to shine the author's light of examination upon something she viewed so sacred. I hope this is the case.

What church related moments do you remember from Austen's works?

1 Down, 5 to Go

I finished Sense & Sensibility today. I'm clearly doing better reading than blogging since I haven't written anything since the first post. Not that I don't have a few thoughts, so I should have some post-S&S posts to come.

Here's a tidbit:

Elinor vs Willoughby

Elinor is one of the best characters in literature. Willoughby is one of the most despicable. There are many characters that do more and do worse and are more extravagant but are therefore also less likely to live in your city, neighborhood, household or even your own character.

Elinor never stops thinking of others. Willoughby never stops thinking of himself. Either one could be you or I.

Elinor is not a superhero. Willoughby is not a super villain. You might see them in the store or in the mirror each morning.

Unfortunately we are so rarely like Elinor.

Unfortunately we are so often like Willoughby.

Though people like Elinor might be accused of making life bland if considerably happy, it's when we're like Willoughby that life is made miserable.

If you've never read Austen, she created incredible characters. They alone make her books worth reading.

Jane Austen was a PK

I love reading books. Classic books. Usually I try to read a 1000 page classic novel a year. Having taken almost 2 years to finish the last one (Bleak House by Dickens...excellent but character laden to a very difficult degree for me) I thought I'd try something different.

So I'm doing something I'm planning on requiring of my boys before they're allowed to date...read Jane Austen. Only instead of just one book, and perhaps letting them cheat and watch A&E's Pride & Prejudice instead of reading it, my goal is to read all 6 of Austen's finished novels before next Easter.

No clue why I'm blogging it except for the remark of a family friend on facebook who said I should keep people updated.

So here's another blog that has to do with Jane Austen's books. Probably no different than the others (though I doubt there are many married men blogging about Austen).

It will be somewhat sporadic, probably just random quotes and rambling thoughts with who knows what else thrown in.

I have no plans to go beyond the 6 books but the blog is titled such that I could transition to other books when I'm done with these. If nothing else, it's good for reflecting and processing my thoughts, sort of like those book reports we all hated in Junior High.

If you choose to read this, I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment if you want, you can even disagree if you can do so respectfully, otherwise I'll dub you Collins (Pride & Prejudice) or worse.

One last tidbit you might want to know...I'm an unabashed Christian and a Youth Pastor to make it even worse (or better depending on your point of view). Before you think a Christian, a Youth Pastor, a PK (pastor's kid like me) or anything of the like has no place in Austen's world, you ought to know...

Jane Austen was a PK...in fact, since her father George ran a boys school out of the parsonage to help pay the bills, you could even say he was a Youth Pastor.