And people say WE’RE ranty!
Zoe Williams rants delightfully over the new “chick-lit style” editions of Jane Austen’s novels in the Guardian.
There’s one good reason why Austen ought not to be repackaged as a chick-lit author, and this is that the defining feature of chick-lit is that it’s not very complicated. It’s nothing to do with a lady point of view, or whether there are hunky men in the books, or whether these characters do the nasty with each other; we can take sex as given in almost all books. Austen, on the other hand, is complicated; to rebrand her in pink is like hiding peas under chips.
Pretty much, yes. We are, however, interested in seeing how well these sell–and whether they will be selling to readers who are otherwise unaware of Jane Austen, or didn’t want to try her books before.
May 28: ETA: Here’s another article in the Guardian that says pretty much what we said just above:
I’m pleased to see the new editions are alluring. Let’s hope they reach people who haven’t picked up an Austen novel since school but loved Keira Knightley’s turn as Lizzie Bennet.
Although you’d think they would have bought the edition with Keira Knightley on the cover.
And batten down the hatches, O lovers of classic lit–they’re not stopping at Jane!
Bloomsbury is also getting in on the act, rejacketing some classics for the teenage market. Six novels - Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, David Copperfield and Treasure Island - will be given newspaper-style end sections with social and historical contexts, including fashion columns and “breaking news” of contemporary wars. Introductions will be replaced by chatty “Why you should read this …” recommendations from teen authors.
We cannot WAIT to see the “fashion columns” from Jane Eyre; perhaps written by Blanche Ingram? Or written by Mrs. Rochester, sniping about Blanche dressing like a tramp, perhaps? “Showing off her ample charms to Mr. Rochester! How shall he resist her?” Tee-hee!
May 27th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Speaking of JA books, I was in a Borders in San Juan this afternoon. God help our Puerto Rican sisters (and brothers). No Jane Austen books… only a copy of that hideous Linda Berdoll book, Darcy and Elizabeth.
May 28th, 2006 at 1:15 am
Heh. My JASNA reading group (well, one of them) met in B&N the other night and afterward we all wandered around looking at books. One of our members had her first, um, experience of Darcy and Elizabeth. She started reading it, frowned, and said, “Oh, this is terrible.” I was falling over laughing. Too funny!
May 28th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
I’m in mortal dread of those “chatty recommendations”. Seriously, can’t you hear that? It’s my teeth clattering.