- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
- 0
-
Sparkle (0)
A Jane Austen Education is as much a record of William Deresiewicz's journey through self improvement as it is an in-depth analysis of Jane Austen’s novels. That he was able to tie his personal growth to some of my favorite literary characters made it an engaging read. As a bonus, he opened my eyes to aspects of the novels, the heroines and to Jane Austen herself that I never would have seen otherwise.
I remember one of my friends asking why I liked Jane Austen so much. I answered that I felt she really understood people. No matter the difference in the century, the basic nature of people hadn’t changed. That was the extent of my critical analysis of Jane Austen books. But, then I wasn’t really reading them to write an in-depth analysis. I read them for pure enjoyment.
I was thrilled that Deresiewicz seemed to take my thoughts on Jane Austen into much greater detail. He expertly made the case for our long-lived connection with the heroines in our favorite Austen novels. Simply put, they hold life lessons for us.
Through his writing, Deresiewicz told me why I wasn’t particularly drawn to Emma, something that had always kind of bugged me. After all, this is supposed to be Austen’s most beloved book! Alas, it’s my least favorite. Now I know why.
Emma Woodhouse wasn’t supposed to be likable. Deresiewicz got this and used the character as a way to reflect on his own personality flaws. Maybe I was uncomfortable with Emma because she reminded me of the parts of my personality I didn’t much like at the time.
Deresiewicz further helped me clarify what it was that I was drawn to in each of the novels. My personal favorite is Sense and Sensibility. Though this wasn’t one of Deresiewicz’s favorites, it still resonates with me. I identified with both Elinor’s seriousness and Marianne’s romantic nature, though they were as different as night and day.
Deresiewicz had trouble connecting to Sense and Sensibility, until he realized he needed to grow from someone seeking a soul mate to someone ready for mature love. In Jane Austen terms, he was like Marianne, but needed to become more like Elinor in order to truly open his heart to love.
I couldn’t wait to read A Jane Austen Education. Like Deresiewicz, I went through a phase where I was hooked on Jane Austen books. I read them all. Now, I can’t wait to read them all again, this time with the insight that Deresiewicz has supplied.
