Jane Austen Quote of the Day

Upon the Sopha

I'm afraid this has become the daily-when-I'm-healthy-enough-to-post quote.  I hope it will be back to daily soon.  Tuesday I used all my available energy to see the D.C. premiere of the new Lyme documentary Under Our Skin.  It's fabulous.  I was exhausted and too emotionally wrung out when I got home to be much good.  Yesterday was a couch day, due to nausea from a new med.  I've bravely ventured out to a coffee shop today, hoping said nausea will stay at bay.

A little from Jane in one of her last letters:

"I am gaining strength very fast.  I am now out of bed from 9 in the morning to 10 at night--Upon the Sopha t'is true--but I eat my meals with Aunt Cass: in a rational way, & can employ myself, & walk from one room to another."

letter to her nephew James Edward
May 27, 1817 [160]

A Vile World

Lovely lunch with JASNA - DC this weekend -- thanks to all who came.  It was an honor to be asked to speak.  Nothing Vile about it!

"We have used Anna as ill as we could, by not letting him [Jane's nephew James-Edward, Anna's half brother] leave us before tomorrow morning, but it is a Vile World, we are all for Self & I expected no better from any of us."

Letter to her niece Caroline [all three were her brother James's children -- Anna from his first marriage, James-Edward and Caroline from his second]
January 23, 1817 [149]

May as well be single

Argh -- yesterday was a rough Lyme day.  I'm afraid against my best intentions this has become the occasionally-daily Austen quote.  Happy Friday the 13th!

"Miss Blachford is married, but I have never seen it in the Papers.  And one may as well be single if the Wedding is not to be in print."

letter to her niece Anna Lefroy
March 1815 [118]

For the love of Pewter

"People are more ready to borrow & praise, than to buy--which I cannot wonder at;--but tho' I like praise as well as anybody, I like what Edward calls Pewter too."

to her niece Fanny Knight, on whether or not there will be a second edition of Mansfield Park
November 30, 1814 [114]

Ideas in common (or lack thereof)

"Only one comes back with me tomorrow, probably Miss Eliza, & I rather dread it.  We shall not have two Ideas in common.  She is young, pretty, chattering & thinking chiefly (I presume) of Dress, Company, & Admiration."

Of a journey back home with one of the Miss Moores
letter to her niece, Fanny Knight
November 30, 1814 [114]

Uphill work

" . . . tho' I like Miss H. M. as much as one can at my time of Life after a day's acquaintance, it is uphill work to be talking to those whom one knows so little."

letter to her niece, Fanny Knight
November 30, 1814 [114]

A sister's advice

"I have never yet found that the advice of a sister could prevent a young man's being in love if he chose it."

Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson (as she tries to draw in Mrs. Vernon's brother -- it's all very complicated!)
Lady Susan, letter 10

Resolving on marriage

"I cannot easily resolve on anything so serious as marriage, especially as I am not at present in want of money."

Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson
Lady Susan, letter 10

An agreable flirt

"There is something about him that rather interests me, a sort of sauciness . . . he may be an agreable [sic] flirt. There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person pre-determined to dislike, acknowledge one's superiority."

Lady Susan of Mrs. Vernon's brother
Lady Susan, letter 7

Throwing time away

"Not that I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion of acquiring a perfect knowledge in all the languages arts and sciences; it is throwing time away; to be mistress of French, Italian, German, music, singing, drawing etc., will gain a woman some applause, buy will not add one lover to her list."

Lady Susan remarking on the education she would like for her much-unloved daughter Frederica
Lady Susan, letter 7

A disposition to dislike

"Where there is a disposition to dislike, a motive will never be wanting."

Lady Susan, letter 5, Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson

Ahhh... back from vacation and appropriately tan. Happy to report there were no dispositions to dislike in our group. I get together with my dearest friends from college every year, and this time all the kids and husbands came, too -- lots of healing noise and laughter. Hope you are all well.

A hundred ways

"I suppose there may be a hundred different ways of being in love."

Emma, on thinking Mr. Elton far too gallant
Emma, volume 1, chapter 6

I'm taking the next week off to linger and gaze at the sea, glory in the ocean, and sit dangerously outdoors!  Happy Memorial Day to all my U.S. readers. Enjoy the wonderful long weekend!  The blog will be back on June 2. 

Oh, danger...

"It is never safe to sit out of doors, my dear."

Mr. Woodhouse, to Emma regarding her portrait of Harriet who is so dangerously sitting outdoors!
Emma, volume 1, chapter 6

A reputation for accomplishment

I'm stuck in Emma these days:

"She had always wanted to do everything, and had made more progress, both in drawing and music, than many might have done with so little labour as she would ever submit to.  She played and sang -- and drew in almost every style; but steadiness had always been wanting; and in nothing had she approached the degree of excellence which she would have been glad to command and ought not to have failed of.  She was not much deceived as to her own skill either as an artist or a musician, but she was not unwilling to have others deceived, or sorry to know her reputation for accomplishment often higher than it deserved."

Of Emma, as she begins Harriet's portrait
Emma, volume 1, chapter 6

Some doubt of a return

"I have no idea that she has yet ever seen a man she cared for.  It would not be a bad thing for her to be very much in love with a proper object.  I should like to see Emma in love, and in some doubt of a return; it would do her good."

Mr. Knightley
Emma, volume 1, chapter 5

Top Ten Spiritual Jane Austen Places

I'm thrilled to post this!  (Thanks, BajaJaneite for sending in the link -- I've been wanting to share it with you all.)

I did a gallery for BeliefNet with pictures from my trip and thoughts on the spiritual Austen places I visited -- spiritual being rather loosely defined, as in perhaps relating to (ahem...) the cult of Colin Firth. ;-)

Check it out!  The pics are some of my absolute favorites.  They're also running an excerpt from my book.

Photo of the Roman Baths (copyright Lori Smith 2005)

No lasting blunder

Forgive my unexpected absence last week.  Too many doctor's appointments and not enough energy.  A dear friend of mine was married on Saturday.  Such a good day -- and the Funky Chicken always helps one feel better, no?

Happy Monday, dear readers.

"Where shall we see a better daughter or a kinder sister or a truer friend? . . . She will make no lasting blunder; where Emma errs once, she is in the right a hundred times."

Such words of praise for Emma from Mrs. Weston
Emma, volume 1, chapter 5

I only hope that none of my blunders will be lasting.

Loveliness itself

[Mrs. Weston]  "She is loveliness itself.  Mr. Knightley, is not she?"

"I have not a fault to find with her person," he replied.  "I think her all you describe.  I love to look at her; and I will add this praise, that I do not think her personally vain.  Considering how handsome she is, she appears to be little occupied with it; her vanity lies another way."

Mrs. Weston and Mr. Knightley on Emma's beauty and faults
Emma, volume 1, chapter 5

Emma's reading lists

I love this little bit:

"Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old.  I have seen a great many  lists of her drawing up at various times of books that she meant to read regularly through--and very good lists they were--very well chosen and very neatly arranged--sometimes alphabetically and sometimes by some other rule.  The list she drew up when only fourteen--I remember thinking it did her judgement so much credit that I preserved it some time; and I dare say she may have made out a very good list now.  But I have done with expecting any course of steady reading from Emma.  She will never submit to anything requiring industry and patience and a subjection of the fancy to the understanding."

Mr. Knightley discussing Emma's faults with Mrs. Weston, who will not admit them
Emma, volume 1, chapter 5

I think I have made various reading lists of my own over the years...

Mr. Martin

"I have no doubt that he will thrive and be a very rich man in time--and his being illiterate and coarse need not disturb us."

Emma's backhanded compliment of Robert Martin, the farmer Harriet adores
Emma, volume 1, chapter 4