Jane Says

I am determined that nothing but the deepest love
could ever induce me into matrimony.
~ Pride and Prejudice

I finally received Pride and Prejudice and watched it Friday night. You know the one, the most recent adaptation with Keira Knightly. Having already seen the best adaptation ever, in my opinion, of A&E’s 1995 mini series, this new version doesn’t even compare. There was just too much left out of the movie, and I really didn’t find many of the characters believable in their roles. With exception to Dame Judi Dench (she nailed Lady Catherine de Bourg) and Brenda Blethyn. Yet, I was still drawn in by the story; I could not help but be. I love these hopelessly romantic stories. The little girl in me still believes in the fairytale of true love, ever after and all that crap. That is not to say that the woman in me doesn’t, even through all the jadedness, she’s just a little more rational and realistic.

After watching Pride and Prejudice I ended up having a Jane Austen movie marathon this weekend. Seeing as I own Sense and Sensibility and Emma (I’ve got Mansfield Park too, but excluded it), I figured why not. I’d just overdose on hopeless romantic nostalgic notions of maybe one day; I too, will finally be united with my true love. It’s enough really to make one want to puke, myself included!

However, how can ones self deny the indulgence a little girl of her dreams…


Great Literature

I do have to say, that as many books as I have read, Jane Austen has not been one of them. While I was in school I refused to take any of the English literature classes that probably would have introduced me to all the great literature. Instead I took the literature class that focused on mythology. I was very much into mythology my sophomore year, I just wish that the teacher was a good one. She made this subject extremely uninteresting for me, I even went so far as to not complete a single assignment nor take any of the tests. All my papers consisted of my Name, class, period, and date. I kid you not. Needless to say I got an F in that class.

It was right as the second semester of that year ended that I got expelled from high school. I was in violation of my contract that I had signed, at our previous school mind you (San Leandro used to have a few high schools. There was San Leandro High, Pacific High, and Marina High. Marina was the first to close, and then a year or two after Pacific was closed. Depending on where we lived within the limits of San Leandro we were all dispersed to either San Leandro High or Arroyo in San Lorenzo. I was of the Pacific High Vikings.), and therefore was expelled from SLH and sent to Lincoln. Or as we all called it, Lincoln Tech. Lincoln is a continuation school where all the misfits are transferred to, or where transfers from other states or countries had to go to catch up with their class if they showed to be behind.

I eventually dropped out of high school altogether that same year. Lincoln was not challenging enough for me; I was bored and didn’t have the patience to sit it out until the next year when I could have been transferred back to SLH. The only reason why I got kick out of SLH in the first place was because I stubbornly refused to do any of the work in all of my classes, except for my art class and math for some reason. It mainly had to do with having to be at SLH and having most of the SLH teachers; Viking pride. I know it sounds silly, but my mom and both my uncle’s are Valhalla alumni, and the whole high school rivalry between the Vikings and the Pirates (SLH). As much as I defied high school I had Viking pride.

So lacking the formal high school education which most likely would have included me reading much of the works from some of the best writers in literature history, I now find myself seeking these books out when I go to used book stores or the retail chains. Next on my list of must read I will have to include the complete works of Jane Austen.