Tuesday 23 August 2011

Sparkfest! Jane Austen? It's complicated.

When asked the question, which book inspired me to write, I could only initially think of great works of literature which contrived to put me off reading for ever and threaten to turn me down the almost scientific path of linguistics which was my other great love.
At the risk of provoking a deluge of contradictory evidence, I have to admit that, ahem, Jane Austen just doesn’t do it for me. It may have been the way A-level English was taught by this one particular teacher who did, through our eighteen-year-old eyes, have a slightly obsessive passion for Jane Austen’s writing and everything else that went with it. However, I watch the odd period drama now with all its flouncing and pontificating self-doubt, its innocence with just a hint of naughtiness and yes, I appreciate the history but no, I still can’t get excited about a Jane Austen story.
I can picture my teacher back then in 1987 launching into another attempt to light our Austen fuses.
‘What do you hear behind the words? What is Austen doing so cleverly here?’ she’d ask, enthusiasm screaming out of every muscle in her face.
‘I-r-o-n-y?’ we’d offer. There was generally a good chance.
‘Yes! That’s it, so clever isn’t it?’ she’d say, adding, ‘for the times,’ as our cue to nod.
I know her writing is clever. I do appreciate her literary skill and, even back then, wished I could share our teacher’s exuberance for Jane Austen, but I just find the plots and characters too similar within and across the novels (granted I was only forced to read three), differing largely only in clothing or background. Perhaps I might have appreciated one Jane Austen novel in different circumstances, but six?
So, Jane Austen remains squarely in my brain as the author who put me off reading and started a literary drought which lasted into university where I read only compulsory French and German works which doesn’t count. It’s staggering really that reading for pleasure just didn’t enter my psyche during this period, having never been without a piece of fiction in my pocket up until my A-level years.
However, a chance conversation with my first employer changed all that. Astounded that I hadn’t picked up a novel of my own volition since my teens, she bought me a copy of the Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.
‘Read that,’ she said, ‘you’ll be back.’
Spare cash was an enigma to me back then. I was still paying back student debts (no student loans though, little did we know where student funding was headed) so I was extremely touched that somebody I didn’t know particularly well, would spend money on a book for me. It would be churlish not to read it.
Suffice it to say, I did read the whole of The Power of One. It’s quite lengthy, 629 pages to be precise and around three-quarters of the way through, I scraped together enough pennies and went to my local bookstore to buy the sequel, Tandia, all 900 pages! I had to order it, making a special trip into town a week later to pick up my copy, in its own, perfectly-fitting, crisp, white paper bag.
I’m sure Tandia is part of the reason why I’m still resisting a Kindle. I know it makes sense, particularly having recently flown with a certain cheap airline where half of my meagre luggage allowance was taken up with books. But the excitement of feeling that new novel pressed into my hand by the enthusiast assistant in the book shop, who assured me that the sequel was equally as good as the brilliant Power of One, is a feeling I don’t want to say goodbye to just yet.
In answer to the original question, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is the novel which re-inspired me to become a writer. On and off throughout my childhood I’d imagined penning stories and wrote many a plot line in my head when my family thought I was simply away with the fairies (where, granted, I was, the rest of the time). During my reading drought, I forgot that dream. I pursued a career in Charity PR and Fundraising of which I enjoyed every minute but the writing dream came back once I started reading again.  And it just won’t leave me now.

22 comments:

  1. ...bet Jane Austen never imagined Colin Firth in "that wet shirt" though (or perhaps she did...)
    Worked wonders for raising her profile.

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  2. Nahhh, even that didn't really work for me, I'm afraid. I really am a lost cause, Hazel! Thanks for reading!

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  3. I'm still resisting the Kindle too - in fact I'm not even tempted! And I must confess Jane Austen never did it for me either, though I was a big fan of Georgette Heyer for a while.

    The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks was the book that inspired me to write. After years of Enid Blyton it seemed terribly daring and grown-up.

    Great post :o)

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  4. I loved this post. I'm so glad I'm not the only person who doesn't care for Jane Austen! I seriously thought I was LOL.

    This is a great Spark story. So nice to meet you! :)

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  5. Don't feel bad, the classics never appealed to me either. Great spark story.

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  6. A wonderful read, and a well-written Spark story.

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  7. Hi Karen, I knew I recognised the L-Shaped Room when I saw the title so had to pay a visit to Google. Yes! I loved that book. I appear to have just bought it for my daughter. Good old Amazon! Will let you know if she shares the love :) Thanks for reading.

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  8. Thanks Julie, safety in numbers, eh?!

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  9. Hi Patricia, do you know, there are some classics I loved but think I prefer something a bit grittier. When I'm in the mood I can be tempted by Dickens even though we didn't do ANY at school. I have to thank The film of The Christmas Carol for that! Herumph! Thanks for reading!

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  10. Thanks Jackie! I'm going over to read some more spark stories right now...

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  11. I love Jane. Sorry she put you off. I bought a Nook last week. I love it. Epublishing is where it's all going. I will have to check Power of One out.

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  12. I don't DISlike old Jane, but I can't say her writing turned me on to reading or being a writer myself. I'm more in the Hinton camp or Bradbury or Faulkner. I know, a weird combination, but they all told compelling stories.

    I'm here from sparkfest and hope you'll stop by the Write Game to share the spark there.

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  13. Hi MP, I know, I know, I'm always five years behind, I'll suddenly 'get' Kindle when everyone else is onto the next thing! I remember being seriously underwhelmed at the thought of a mobile phone - now I have my life on one. I read your lists of inspirations over on your blog - lovely!

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  14. Hi Clee, I just read your post on Alice on Wonderland - great choice. Although, as commented over there, I've never quite got over the disappointment of it all being a dream. I have to admit I've never read any Hinton, Bradbury or Faulkner, slapped wrists, must try harder... Thanks for reading!

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  15. Harriet the Spy. I loved that book when I was a child and always wanted to write. :D

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  16. Hello, fellow Sparkfester and Kindle resister! Ha ha... I have to say I could never really get into Jane Austen either. Glad to know I'm not alone (my two best friends LOVE her books...). I'm so glad you got back on the reading wagon again - that was a really nice employer you had! :-)

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  17. Hi TL, I don't know Harriet the Spy, I'm afraid, (what WAS I reading when I was growing up??)but if I know you, I suspect it was pretty off the wall - ha ha! Just popped over to your Vlog, funny virtual tour, very well done indeed :) Thanks for reading.

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  18. Hi Crystal, she was great for me, my employer, ever so slightly bonkers but then, I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies...! You know, there are a few more of us Kindle resisters than I first realised although I can't pretend we're not in the minority, or so it feels. I wonder where it will be in ten years time. Thanks for reading!

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  19. Hi Jax,
    Loved this blog, personally I love Jane Austen and wasn't really that enthused by "The Power of One" which just goes to show what a good thing it is we all like different books. As for a Kindle versus a real book, no contest. OK maybe a Kindle for going on holiday but at home reading in bed its just got to be a book that you can feel and even sniff when new!

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  20. Thanks Lyn and isn't that all so true - the feel of a new book and also the, 'horses for courses'. Somebody once said to me that if she lent a certain book to someone (can't remember the title but daren't read it after she said the following...) and they didn't like it, it would put her of them. I told her she needed to join a book club and she would never think such thoughts again- I don't think we ever all agreed on a single book!

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  21. Wow, wonderful story about your path to getting re-inspired. I've never been able to get into Jane Austen either :P

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  22. Thanks Christine! I've realised over the past few days that there are more of us non-Austen enthusiasts than I first thought - albeit only a sizeable minority!

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