Dear Jane Austen Advice Column...

Dear Jane Austen Advice Column,

I'm Molly Gibson please and I am in need of some advice for I fear my heart shall break. I don't know what to say or do about this hateful - detestable news...Papa is going to be married again. And am I ever sorry for it! He tried to convince me it was for the best, he said I was to have a new mama and he a companion. But he does not understand, He had me. You don't know what we were to each other- at least, what he was to me. And the most painful part is I was sent out of the house that all this might be quietly arranged in my absence!

What am I to do? I did behave so badly to Papa this morning when he told me. Especially when he told me his choice of wife; a Mrs Kirkpatrick. Everyone thinks she was kind to me as a child - she let me sleep in her bed and then she forgot all about me. I don't think she cares about other people at all! I have been told that although this will be difficult, the more I try the happier I will become but I know that I shan't. It will be very dull when I shall have killed myself, as it were, and live only in trying to do, and be, as other people like. I don't see any end to it. I might as well never have lived. And as for happiness, well I feel I shall never be happy again.

What ever shall I do?

Molly Gibson.

My Dear Molly,

I make no apologies for my silence, because I know how little people think of letters and advice at such terrible times, though I doubt your day has been as hard as mine. My advice to you dear Molly is that you must not dwell on your own problems, for there are many people who have much worse problems. Take my poor self for example, I am so ill I can barely speak --or write for that matter. Oh, I do not think I ever was so ill in my life! And what is worse I still I have not seen a creature this whole morning.  Even though those at the great house all know I am gravely ill and very unfit to be left alone, I am sure.

On the subject of a new mother-- dear me, I know simply everything about it for I gained a most fearsome mother-in law on my marriage to Charles. Mrs Musgrove never gives me the precedence which is due to a woman such as me and she spoils my children excessively. It it no wonder that I am so ill all the time, with a mother-in-law such as this. So beware dear, do not let your father remarry.

Oh! I must go, Charles is out shooting- He would go, though I told him how ill I was. Unfeeling soul, and I suppose it did not suit for the Miss Musgroves to visit...Oh! and I assure you, I have not seen a soul this whole long morning, though they should know what is due to me. But it cannot hurt to take a walk, perhaps I may chance upon them.

Yours affectionately

Mary M---

I kept this letter open, that I might have something further to say upon the subject of your predicament. I have thought long and hard, and in the case that your father does remarry and you develop some terrible illness due to your new mama, which will most likely be the case, I entreat you to visit me. I have quite a lovely and rather comfortable sofa which when lying upon may help to ease your pain--- though I have not had any success with it, but that is simply because my sore throats, you know, are always worse than anyone's.

Jane Austen Week Questions- Part 2

With the week progressing so quickly, I decided I must post Part 2 of my answers to the Jane Austen Week Questions. Miss Elizabeth Bennet has been running 'Jane Austen Week' over at her blog Elegance of Fashion, if you haven't already done so I encourage you to check out the lovely posts she has written in honor of this special event!

If you missed out on reading the Part 1 of this post  you can do so here:

Jane Austen Week Questions- Part 1

Who are your top three favourite Jane Austen Heroines and why?

Catherine Morland

I adore Catherine, she is the un-heroic heroine of literature. She possesses little of the "traits" that a heroine is expected to. She is not wealthy, or exceptionally beautiful or altogether intelligent. And I feel she is just so easy to identify with because she comes across at the beginning of the novel as an ordinary young girl who in general is nothing special. But as the novel progresses we see such a transformation of her character where Catherine becomes a heroine in her own special way.

Fanny Price

Fanny is one of those heroines that I wish I was more like. She is sweet, caring, polite, kind and selfless. I love Fanny for her strength, throughout her life she encountered so much heartache, she was bullied, misused, misunderstood and even forgotten about in some scenes of the novel. Yet she continues to be kindhearted and sweet rather than rebelling.  

Jane Bennet

I am not sure if Jane is technically classed as heroine but never mind she is such a lovely character I had to included her. Jane (and Bingley) are my most favourite part of Pride and Prejudice. She is a kind sister who deeply cares for the people around her and has a tendency to always think the best of people. She is definitely the kind of sister I aspire to be.






Who are your top three favourite Jane Austen Heroes and why?

Henry Tilney

Oh my, where do I start...Okay this is best explained simply by saying if I lived in fictional England in 1798-1799 I would give Catherine a run for her money in gaining Henry's affections. He is everything a hero- and gentleman should be. He is comfortable enough in his 'manliness' to speak on womanly subjects and is terribly clever and witty. I cannot help but smile at many of his comments as I read Northanger Abbey and in general he is so kind. I don't know many people who would afford such grace and kindness if their 'love interest' accused their father of being a murderer... but such is Henry Tilney.

Captain Wentworth

Captain Wentworth is just such a romantic character and that letter he writes to Anne- that is love! And it more than makes up for his past mistakes.

Edmund Bertram

Because Mansfield Park was the first Jane Austen novel I read all the characters hold a special place in my heart. I love Edmund  because he has a heart of gold, he clings to his morals and has a conscience.








Any honorable mentions for the above questions?

Charles Bingley is one of my very favourite characters so I must mention him. He is perhaps my favourite character in P&P. I also have great respect for Edward Ferrars, he is a true gentleman who stayed true to his word even though it was breaking his heart to do so.
Eleanor Tilney is another character I admire, she is just the kind of person I would love to be best friends (or sister-in-law) with.


Top three Jane Austen Adaptations and why?

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Although there is a lot about this film that I really do not like, it is definitely my favourite JA Adaptation. A lot of the reason has to do with it being the adaptation of my favourite novel but mostly the its the portrayal of the characters I adore.
I loved Felicity Jones as Catherine and J.J Feild was all that I imagined Henry to be. Apart from Catherine's imagination scenes, I love this film pieces!

Mansfield Park (2007)

Not only was Mansfield Park the first novel I read, it was also the first Jane Austen film adaptation I watched. So this movie represents the beginning of my love for Jane Austen films.
I loved many of the actors in this film and thought Mansfield Park - the actual estate was beautiful!

Emma (2009)

It was really hard to name a 3rd because it is probably a tie between Emma (2009), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Pride and Prejudice (2005). However Emma has been growing on me, it is my least favourite Austen novel but I absolutely loved this version, Romola Garai was Emma and Jonny Lee Miller was a dashing Mr Knightley! It was so close to the novel so I enjoyed it 10 times as much.






Top three Jane Austen characters that "take delight in vexing" you?

Mary Musgrove (Persuasion)

Mary is the only character in a novel who has made me want to throw/burn/jump up and down upon a book- and I love my books dearly! Mary is unfeeling, insensitive and altogether crazy! I am not quite sure how long her tales of woe- and excessive complaints go on for in the novel but to me it feels like it continues for pages and pages.
Her terrible comments to Anne and the way she treats Anne as if she is a piece of dirt makes me so mad.

Mrs Ellen (Northanger Abbey)

Mrs Ellen is a dear, well-meaning soul but the "That is very disagreeable. I wish we had a large acquaintance here", "upon my word...I wish I had a large acquaintance here with all my heartI had no acquaintance with her!

Mrs Jennings (Sense and Sensibility)

Mrs Jennings isn't really all that bad she does have good intentions I will admit but she is too fond of socializing and gossip.  Once she jumps on the bandwagon there really is no stopping her! She loves a good joke but she has no thought for other peoples feelings and can be quite unfeeling- especially toward poor Marianne.






Which Jane Austen character do you think you're most like?

I found this question really hard to answer but I think I am a most like both Catherine Morland. Like Catherine I was a tomboy as a child but once I reached a certain age I was more interested in finery and pretty things. I am also very much like Catherine in the fact that I tend to have a problem with the whole "fiction vs reality" thing. I often judge certain events and people and compare them to characters and events that happened in novels I read.

Otherwise I am also a little like Elinor, but at times I also think I am a little (very little) bit like Fanny Price as I am quite, shy and largely forgotten in social circles when I am out, but at home in the comfortable setting it is I am much more like Catherine or Elinor.

Jane Austen Week Questions- Part 1

As many of you would already know Miss Elizabeth Bennet over at Elegance of Fashion is running Jane Austen Week! How exciting!  
To get everyone involved in this special event Miss Elizabeth has complied a list of questions for us bloggers to answer. Be sure to visit her blog and join in the fun!

Due to the number of questions and the length of my answers I have decided to divide this post into two parts. The second part will be posted later during the week. 


What was your introduction to Jane Austen?

As a child I loved classic literature, I am not entirely sure how I first came to love it as although both my parents were avid readers they enjoyed the more modern titles. Growing up my favourites were Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables and Little Woman followed quickly in the next years by Great Expectations, Jane Eyre and Washington Square. After that I read all the classic literature I could get a hold of, however I always passed over Jane Austen! Although I had heard of Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility had never seen the films or read the books and I actually didn't have a clue they were written by Jane!

But, one day when I was browsing at the local library, I saw a beautiful little book at the very bottom of the bookshelf. I remember it so clearly-it was sticking a little further out than the rest of the novels in the shelf- as if someone pulled it out to look at it but found it did not interest them and just left it half poking out. I remember feeling sorry for it, so I picked it up and read the title:

“Mansfield Park”
by Jane Austen.

And in two days my world was changed-I had finished my first Austen novel, I had a new favourite author and I had been introduced to a whole new world.

What is your favourite thing about Jane Austen? Why?

Goodness me, this is the hardest question to answer. My favourite thing about Jane Austen... I suppose it is the inspiration she brings. Both the inspirational life that she led and the inspiration I get from her novels.

One of the things that I love most about her novels in particular is how she writes so convincingly about life. The way she portrays everything- I love the language, the dancing and the social etiquette in her books and the how the more I read it the more I wish it was all still like that today.

I also admire Jane for the legacy she has left behind, the fact that many generations have been, and will continue to be impacted by her novels.

What are your top three favourite Jane Austen novels and why?

1. Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey is my favourite book in the whole wide world. If I go on holidays it is the first thing I pack, on my way to an exam it’s the last thing I read, if I’m having a tough day Catherine Morland's world is the first place I escape to. I love that every time I read it- wherever I may be; I am transported to a world a thousand miles away and where some of my best friends exist. But what is even better is that I don’t have to feel stupid for imagining this, because after all it is exactly what the heroine Catherine does.

I also love how Jane has cleverly combined the romance and irony of the story. It is so brilliantly written and the characters are so easy to identify with. And I also must mention that I am absolutely in love with Mr Tilney, which makes the reading of this novel all the more enjoyable.

2. Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park is a novel that is so close to my heart. I love it! As I have already mentioned it was the first Austen novel I ever read, so it is very special.
I truly believe that Mansfield is the most beautifully written book that I have ever read, and I love reading it aloud because the language is so beautiful.

I love the characters in this novel- especially Fanny. She is sweet, selfless and so very patient. She is an unsung heroine, who just like in the novel deserves much more attention than she receives. As I read this book I am always struck with how Fanny's pain (and joy) becomes mine too. I love the emotional depth of this novel.

3. Persuasion

I love Persuasion because it gives me hope. Anne is getting older, she is losing the bloom of her youth, and she has perhaps lost the only man she could ever love. The storm clouds are looming ahead and her future seems...somewhat bleak. But in the midst of it all Anne stays firm and determined she does not succumb to the pressure and just give up.  I think it is such a touching and uplifting story with some great lessons which we can learn.

Also Capt. Wentworth’s letter! Seriously, that letter alone is enough reason for this novel to be #3 on my list. It melts my heart and gives me goose-bumps every time I read it.

Jane Austen Sequels...Do you like them or not?

I have never actually read a sequel and I am not sure whether or not I ever will. Generally I try to stick away from book adaptions and sequels because I always feel like I will judge them harshly and get frustrated. But lately I did read a modern adaptation on one of her books (Persuasion) which I did really enjoy.

Do you have a favourite spot to keep all your Jane Austen "stuff"?

Definitely! My entire room is kind of a Jane Austen zone, but I do have a special little corner where my Jane Austen calendar hangs, above my Jane Austen bookshelf. Because I collect the various covers and publishing dates of Austen novels and due to the fact I at present I own 44 copies (and still counting) they must have their own bookshelf. I am very protective of them too! The bookshelf is also very close to my bed so at night I can easily grab one to read! My Jane Austen dvds are also arranged together across the top of the bookshelf.

Much love; as always,

Mel xx

ps. Be sure to check back for part 2 later in the week!