Boredom? And Bibliomania: Reading Jane Austen

Footnotes can have one of two effects: to cause a reader to flip eagerly to the back of the book to uncover the historical trivia... or to cause a reader to groan internally as she looks forwards to more scholarly notes taking away from the story. If you've ever read a Penguin Classics book, you'll know that footnotes are certainly a big part of them. To be honest, for some of the drier classic stories, I feel about the stories the same way I feel about footnotes: mildly interesting in a trivia sense, but maybe not worth the time.

Last year I was given three of Jane Austen's most classic books: Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and of course Pride and Prejudice. Though I guess I like the concept of Jane Austen--smart female characters, historic yet eternal virtues, sweet and modest romance, a hint of satire--I'll be the first to admit the language of Austen requires some self-determination to slog through. I've found one of the best sources of motivation is bibliophile friends (yes, yes, exactly like you, Willow) who gift you books! Classics are great to get as a gift because you're of course going to keep them forever and because you have someone to ask you if you've read them! (Did you read it yet? How far are you? Only four pages since I asked you last? What's your favorite part so far? Oooh, just wait until--actually, no, it'll spoil it for you. Nope, you're going to have to read it. Uh, yeah! You can read a fanfiction in a week, you can finish one Jane Austen. Come on.)

Another way I found is helpful specifically for Pride and Prejudice is an amazing YouTube channel known as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It's a modern-day remix of the classic: Lizzie is a "twenty year old grad student with a mountain of student loans" and a YouTube vlog featuring herself, her sisters, and her best friend Charlotte Lu. Similarly, I have friends who have never read Pride and Prejudice who eagerly follow Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the new movie.

I have the utmost admiration for any diehard Janeites able to settle down comfily in an armchair with a Penguin Classic, a bookmark, a mug of warm tea, and supreme happiness. However, I'll have to resort to peer pressure and remixes for myself! I'd definitely recommend this method, though. After all, though books offer nothing to sneeze at, having a friend and a laptop at your side can't hurt!

Happy reading!
~Citali