Jane Austen Quotes

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]

Some thoughts on Mansfield Park

I was debating about whether to post this now or wait until Sunday, but my thoughts on Mansfield Park have been posted over on the PBS.org blog, Remotely Connected.  I was thrilled to be asked to do this.  Check it out now, or wait until Sunday night and weigh in with your own opinion.

Fanny Price is a ninny.  (Forgive me, dear Jane.)  I’ve tried to like her and I can’t.

When I was first asked to blog about Mansfield Park, the editor mentioned that she saw “such similarity” between me and Fanny. I had to stop to consider whether or not that was an insult.

more here...

The transfer of unchanging attachments

"I purposely abstain from dates on this occasion, that every one may be at liberty to fix their own, aware that the cure of unconquerable passions, and the transfer of unchanging attachments, must vary much as to time in different people. I only entreat everybody to believe that exactly at the time when it was quite natural that it should be so, and not a week earlier, Edmund did cease to care about Miss Crawford, and became as anxious to marry Fanny as Fanny herself could desire."

Mansfield Park, volume 3, chapter 17

See a preview on the PBS site.

Blake Ritson as Edmund Bertram.  ©Jon Hall/ITV plc (Granada International) for Masterpiece™

On being taken in ... er, getting married

"Everybody is taken in at some period or other. . . . In marriage especially . . . there is not one in a hundred of either sex who is not taken in when they marry.  Look where I will, I see that it is so; and I feel that it must be so, when I consider that it is, of all transactions, the one in which people expect most from others, and are least honest themselves."

Mary Crawford
Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 5

More on the Masterpiece site.

Hayley Atwell as Mary Crawford. ©Jon Hall/ITV plc (Granada International) for Masterpiece™

Marrying properly

"I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly; I do not like to have people throw themselves away; but everybody should marry as soon as they can do it to advantage."

Mary Crawford
Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 4

Heaven's last best gift

"I am of a cautious temper, and unwilling to risk my happiness in a hurry.  Nobody can think more highly of the matrimonial state than myself.  I consider the blessing of a wife as most justly described in those discreet lines of the poet, 'Heaven's last best gift.'"

Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 4

According to my Oxford World's Classics edition, Henry Crawford is joking about Milton's Paradise Lost, in which "Adam describes Eve as God's ultimate gift; Henry Crawford wittily turns the line to express his preference for deferring wedlock."

Hmm... I have known many men "of a cautious temper."

Joseph Beattie as Henry Crawford.  ©Jon Hall/ITV plc (Granada International) for Masterpiece™

Men of large fortune

This week -- my absolute least favorite Austen novel:  Mansfield Park.  Have you read it?  Do you like it?

Starting off with this little gem:

"But there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them."

Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 1

Billie Piper as Fanny Price.  Thanks to the Guardian for the image.

Family squabbling

I'm actually headed out today to North Carolina for a long Thanksgiving break.  Can't wait to have everyone together.

Today's quote is from my Jane Austen Society desk calendar:

"Family squabbling is the greatest evil of all. . . "

Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 13

I expect a lot of merriment, actually (and an awful lot of eating) and not so much squabbling, except among the little ones, who can't really help themselves.

I'll be taking a break from posting here for the rest of the week, back on Monday.  Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers!

On pugs and children

My little girl (my English Lab) Bess was up sick all night last night, so we made many trips outside in the wee hours.  (No pun intended.)  She's such a love, but sick or not, she seems to love sleeping during the day and not sleeping so much at night, which is leaving me rather incoherent.  Then I had to drop her off at the vet to be spayed, and it's so quiet here, without her snoring at my feet.

At any rate, here's to the love of dogs, even if Lady Bertram's Pug is ridiculously spoiled. 

"She was a woman who spent her days in sitting, nicely dressed, on a sofa, doing some long piece of needlework, of little use and no beauty, thinking more of her pug than her children..."

Of Lady Bertram
Mansfield Park, volume 1, chapter 2

Jane on Mansfield Park

"Henry's approbation hitherto is even equal to my wishes; he says it is very different from the other two, but does not appear to think it at all inferior.  He has only married Mrs. R.  I am afraid he has gone through the most entertaining part.--He took to Lady B. & Mrs. N. most kindly, & gives great praise to the drawing of the Characters.  He understands them all, likes Fanny & I think foresees how it will all be."

letter to Cassandra
March 2, 1814 [97]

Jane had just come to London with her brother Henry, and they had read Mansfield Park along the way.  The previous two books she refers to are Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, which were published first.

Jane was writing from Henry's home here at Henrietta Street in Covent Garden -- now a clothing store.