The Scotsman, in an article about a body found at Box Hill, points out that Jane Austen used Box Hill as a location in one of her novels (the infamous picnic in Emma, of course). While we wonder why such an event would bring Jane Austen’s novels to anyone’s mind, we can’t help thinking that it sounds rather like the beginning of one of the Jane Austen Mysteries. At least we know Lord Harold didn’t do it. . . *sob*

P.S. Perhaps it’s Mr. Dixon’s revenge on Frank Churchill. Just saying.

Alexandra Mullen reviews A Fine Brush on Ivory by Richard Jenkyns in the New York Sun. She likes the book, but can’t resist getting a few swipes in at Janeites.

And Austen readers can read - well, I won’t quite say obsessively, but with a ferocious personal passion unmatched even by Jane Eyre. As David Lodge’s professor Morris Zapp gripes, “Even the dumbest critic understood that Hamlet wasn’t about how the guy could kill his uncle, or the Ancient Mariner about cruelty to animals, but it was surprising how many people thought that Jane Austen’s novels were about finding Mr. Right.”

You have to be very highly educated indeed to think that Jane Austen’s novels aren’t about finding Mr. Right, at least in part. It is, after all, prudent to learn how to identify the Mr. Collinses, Mr. Eltons, Mr. Wickhams, and Willoughbys one meets before one marries them. Still, it is true that Austen fans can sometimes step over a line separating fiction from life.

It’s not that we are unable to agree with this statement in regard to some Friends of Jane; but blanket statements about any group, as we have pointed out before, are most unJanelike.

The Manila Online Bulletin has an interesting take on the significance of Jane Austen’s natal day.

The Guardian Angel for those born today, Dec. 13 until Dec. 16 is Nanael who rules over sciences and protects philosophers, ecclesiastics, professors and people of law. The charges of Nanael are able to understand higher sciences and thus this knowledge will give them inspiration to achieve unique types of work and daring ideas.

Many of them are visionaries and have great imagination and creativity. They can be very perceptive and artistic. His celebrity charges include the famous priest-seer, Nostradamus, architect Gustave Eiffel, composer Ludgwig van Beethoven, billionaire J. Paul Getty, author Jane Austen, Dr. Margaret Mead, actresses Lee Remick and Liv Ullmann.

Hmm. We submitted Jane’s birth date and place for an automated birthchart a while back (just for fun, of course).

We’ll have more (less New Agey) stuff tomorrow about Jane’s birthday.