Jane Austen didn't have a Kindle! by Hywela Lyn
A conference has also been organised at Cambridge.The conference will explore the original historical context of the novel, as well as the numerous screen adaptations and literary spin-offs the book has inspired.
In the coming weeks the BBC will celebrate the anniversary of the book by recreating a Regency ball, like one featured in its pages, and there are several more events planned throughout the year, to celebrate the anniversary.
Many new books about the writer have been published, with examinations of the history of the novel, and there is also a new high-end hardback edition available.
First published by Thomas Egerton in 1813, Pride and Prejudice was Jane Austen's second novel. On receiving the first copy, she described it in a letter to her sister, as her 'own darling child.' (A term I think many authors can relate to when holding their first published copy..)
Time seems to have only increased the popularity of the book, so much so that in 2003 when the BBC held a poll to find the UK’s favourite novel it came second only to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It still sells in book form, even though, long being out of copyright, it can now be downloaded as an Ebook. (I can't help wondering what Jane would have made of that - or the 'zombie' version of 2009, I think she might well cringe at that!)
Mention of E-books brings me to the reason for my title. Watching a programme on BBC television last night, which showed the table at which Jane Austen sat to write, in the cottage on the Chawton house estate where she lived during the last eight years of her life, I was struck by how small the table was. I'm not sure I could write at a table that small - I like to spread out. Not only that, she had to write all her books by hand. Not for her a modern computer or i-pad. Not even an electric typewriter - not even a manual typewriter! Every word had to be painstakingly written by hand.
I know there are still many writers out there who write their first drafts by hand, but many of us rely on the computer for speed, clarity of reading and automatic correction of typos, etc. etc. Cutting and pasting no longer involves physically cutting out a badly placed paragraph and sticking it elsewhere in the document with glue (I wonder did Jane Austen ever actually do that?). She certainly couldn't check her formatting on a Kindle. Until the invention of the typewriter, every author had to write not only their first, but their final manuscript by hand. Do you think that made a difference the the actual process of composing? Would Pride and Prejudice have been the same book if it had been written directly onto the screen? Certainly modern word processing has made things a whole lot easier for writers. There again, there were compensations for a woman writer back in Jane Austen's day. She didn't have to juggle a home, family and full time job with her writing, and she didn't have to spend precious hours 'networking' in order to get her name known, or battling with Facebook pages and Tweets! Once she'd sold her book to the Publisher, she could leave marketing the book to them and just get on and write the next one.
What do you think, would you have enjoyed writing in a slower, more relaxed age, with no modern writing conveniences, or would you refuse to trade your laptop and your Kindle even for Mr Darcy's wet shirt?
With thanks to the BBC entertainment page for some of the info above.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21078941
You can find out more about Lyn and her books on her WEBSITE
She also blogs at her own BLOG, and THE AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST
Comments
And Chris, I used to think I disliked Jane Austen until about ten years ago when I was bored, with nothing to read. So I read a Jane Austen - and stap me! She was good. She was funny. I finished the book wondering why I'd ever thought I disliked her.
I think in Jane's time most authors had to pay the publisher to bring them out, I can't remember if she did or got a special deal or a rellie shelled out, poss ber bro Edward? if you read her letters she was actually very busy with domestic life and had to fit writing in, certainly before she became known outside the family, and was quite secretive about it.
I believe Jane actually had an advance for Pride and Prejudice, and although she did have a fairly busy life, especially at the beginning of her writing career, later on, apparently, she had a lot of support from her family who made sure she had enough time for her writing. I think you're right and her brother Edward also supported her financially before she found some success with her writing.