February 23, 2013

What I'm loving right now : Pride and Prejudice 200th anniversary

Hello !

This article will not be beauty or fashion related, but these are not the only things I love - and I want to share all my interests on here. So today I'll be talking about Jane Austen !
I'm a very big fan of the 19th century British literature and its adaptations on TV and movies.  And I particularly love Jane Austen.
This year, as you may know already, is the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, the masterpiece of that fantastic lady. It was published for the first time in January 1813 - anonymously, under the name "the author of Sense and Sensibility" (which was itself published in 1811, by "A Lady").


By this anniversary, we can see how Austen's work has lived through the centuries, and is still very much loved today. Her society was so different than ours regarding many aspects of it (not to speak about civilities and the relationship between men and women, which still amazes me - in a bad way ! - sometimes), but was also in some ways very similar : we all know someone who looks like one of her characters ! a Lydia Bennet, a Catherine Morland or a funny Mr Bennet. 
These books are still very famous and read today, because we can all relate to it in a way.

Pride and Prejudice must be my favourite book by Austen - no surprise ! I like it mainly because of Elizabeth. She is the most interesting of all the characters Austen wrote. She is definitely not perfect, but she is smart and witty, and mocks the society she lives in and how it works. I love her personality, and I wish I looked like her a little more. If I can tell you a secret... well : I like Lizzy so much that if I have a baby girl one day, I wish to call her Elizabeth. Now you can call me crazy, but I'm stuck to this idea and I will make it happen ! hehe.
But this book is not about Elizabeth only, and all the characters are so unique that it is their whole that makes this little society very attaching. And of course the love story between Lizzy and Darcy is so precious : Austen managed to describe the evolution of Elizabeth's feelings step by step in a very natural and realistic way. And that makes things even more beautiful and likely to be true ! As if Elizabeth, Darcy and all their little world and story happened for real. We cannot really believe that love at first sight as described in some romantic novels does happen every day in the real world, can we ?

Anyways, I could speak about this book forever so maybe I should just stop my personal appreciation now. The other thing I wanted to speak about and which is related to this anniversary is... The Pride and Prejudice new stamps ! they are amazing.


There is one stamp for each of Jane Austen's novel. My favourite are the Pride and Prejudice and the Northanger Abbey ones. I would - almost - kill to get this set ! People of Britain, if you read me... you are so lucky.
The drawings were made by Angela Barrett. They are very lovely !

I think this is a great tribute to the work of Miss Austen, whose legacy is definitely going to celebrate a lot more anniversaries in the future !

***



***

 Julia xx

No comments:

Post a Comment