Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen

Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen
Inspired by Becoming Jane, the romantic film that could only make you want to know more about Jane Austen, here is a delightful collection of some of her most famous and quotable quotes -- pearls of wit and wisdom on topics like family, the sexes, friends, money, marriage, and of course love -- that are as true today as they were in Austen's time.

Jane Austen on Marriage:

"My being charming, Harriet, is not quite enough to induce me to marry; I must find other people charming -- one othe person at least."
--Emma Woodhouse to Harriet Smith, in Emma

"I am of a cautious temper, and unwilling to risk my happiness in a hurry. Nobody can think more highly of the matrimonial state than myself. I consider the blessing of a wife as most justly described in those discreet lines of the poet, 'Heaven's last best gift.'"
--Henry Crawford to his sisters in Mansfield Park

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
--From Pride and Prejudice
Customer Review: will make you fall in love with Austen
I have read and loved Jane Austen's novels for a long time, but I must admit that I didn't know too much about Jane Austen herself. When first glancing at the picture from the Miramax film of the same title on the cover of Becoming Jane, I figured the book was going to be solely about the romance aspect of Jane Austen's novels. I was wrong. Becoming Jane is a small, fairly short book full of quotations and history about Jane Austen's life. The passion the editor has for Austen and her work comes through in her writing; you can tell how eager she is to show you the things she loves about Austen. Romance and love were important to Austen, and to the characters in her novels, but that is by far not the only theme to her writing. There are chapters on everything from family to money to fashion to letter writing. She fully embraces humanity, with all of its failures and follies, and rejoices in finding the humor in life. Alongside quotes from Austen's novels are quotes from the many letters she wrote to her family and friends. It was the quotes from her letters that I found the most interesting. I also enjoyed the historical context at the beginning of each chapter; I learned just how little control and autonomy many women of the time had over their lives. Austen was in favor of marriage and love and accepted in some ways the basic idea of the man as the main breadwinner as it was such a part of the culture she was living in, but she was able, in subtle ways, to poke fun at and expose the double standards for men and women. For those who already know and love Jane Austen, this book will make you want to go back and reread some of your favorites. For those who haven't read her before and perhaps just saw the film version of Becoming Jane, it's a quick introduction to her wit and wisdom that hopefully will inspire you to read one of her many novels. Its size makes it perfect for a gift.
Customer Review: A nice collection of quotable quotes of Jane Austen
Becoming Jane is a collection of quotes from Jane Austen. As author of Pride and Prejudice alone, she would have deserved a place in list of one of greatest romance novelists of English Literature. She wrote six novels, and every novel deals with issues of love, marriage, relationship and friendship. While Elizabeth and Mr Darcy are most well known of her characters, Emma is my personal favorite. In these novels, the language is Victorian, sexual propriety is heeded to (as per the need of those times) and hence as love stories, these novels possess an innocence, a charm that has been hallmark of Austen's style, and has contributed to her popularity with people of all age groups about centuries. Becoming Jane collects her pearls of wisdom from not only her novels, but also from her personal letters. The book is divided into various sections, each highlighting quotable lines related to say family, vanity, beauty or courtship. Anne Newgarden, the editor, introduces each section with some insight into writing, life and times of Jane Austen. Certain social practices and customs from Austen's time have faded away, and these mini-essays convey what background information is not available firsthand to readers to Austen. But Jane Austen was, like every good novelist, a creator of a world complete in itself; characters who exist outside and beyond their space and time; and hence are going to be always relevant and identifiable. If you are an Austen fan, and you have read all her books already, you will like this book, as it will bring back the memory of certain passages or personalities from your earlier reading. You will also find additional quotes from her personal life, which are equally enjoyable. If you haven't read Jane Austen, and happen to read this book first, you will see why Jane Austen is so popular. Here are a few quotes as example, collected in this book: What dreadful Hot weather we have!- It keeps one in continual state of inelegance. Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. "It is such a happiness when good people get together and they always do." Miss Bates, in Emma "The ladies probably exchanged looks which meant 'Men never know when things are dirty or not,' and the gentlemen perhaps thought each to himself, 'Women will have their little nonsenses and needless cares.'" from Emma. ".... there are certainly not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them" from Mansfield Park "a lady's imagination is very rapid, it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment." Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." from Emma 'A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure the myrtle and turkey part of it." Mansfield Park "The person, be it gentlemen or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." Northanger Abbey