Saturday 7 November 2009

Quote of the Week- Week 81

I have chosen quite an unusual quote this week.

I remember reading the Jane Austen biography by Carol Shields years ago and loving a particular paragraph which she used to describe our beloved authoress.

So....I dug out my copy and thought I would use the quote as our quote of the week to remind ourselves of the universal respect for Jane and her writings.


"Her legacy is not a piece of reportage from the society of a particular past, but a wise and compelling exploration of human nature. Her men and women speak their needs and define the barriers that separate them from peace and satisfaction. They are as alive today in their longing as they were two hundred years ago, when she first gave them breath."


I think that this homage is so accurate and speaks the mind of many of us. Thanks Carol for such a wonderful quote.


2 comments:

Linda Fern said...

Quite so! Just exactly what I would have said if I had Ms. Shield's writing ability. It reminds me of a similar post on a Jane Austen forum I participate in, where an English gentleman said the following after rereading "Emma": "Not the best book by Austen. The best book by anyone, ever!" Hm, have we ever found anyone who doesn't 'like' Jane Austen? Not in my circle of friends, at any rate.

Linda the Librarian

Icha said...

Indeed... For the match-making and the busy-ness of not having a partner, for example, Miss Austen's stories were just as true 200 years ago as in now... either in developing countries or developed countries, Asia or Europe, or Australia or America... thus - among others - creates our perennial attractions to Jane Austen's novels!