My fellow Austenites, you may have seen that there’s a new Jane Eyre movie out. I can’t honestly say I’ve seen the movie, though at least, unlike some reviewers, I’ve read the book. What I did see was this article from the Washington Post, which neatly pits the title “Jane Eyre Movies Rekindles Austen vs Bronte, the Battle of the Bonnets” against the plaintive cry of “can’t we all just get along?!” Way to play both sides against the middle, Monica Hesse!
It’s been noted that Ms. Hesse’s pacifistic tendencies sound a little ironic after 1 1/2 pages of warmongering, but I do think she has a point. We can like more than one female author at a time. Even more than one English 19th century female author. Just because Charlotte Brontë talked smack about Jane Austen doesn’t mean we have to pit Team Brontë against Team Austen for all eternity. Mark Twain talked smack about Miss Austen too, but you don’t hold a grudge against him, do you? (at least until now . . . 😉 ) Partly, I think, it’s that Austenites SO WISH Jane had had a chance to return fire. What would she have said about Charlotte? Minds can be devoured by this thought! We want to say it for her, something, anything!, but none of us are Jane Austen, alas, so we really can’t.
I’m really of many different minds on this topic.
- Of course we can like both Austen and Brontë if we want, and George Eliot too! It’s probably less weird than liking both Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien (which I do).
- But it’s fun to get into literary fisticuffs with the ladies and gentlemen of Team Brontë. People caring passionately about literature, especially without killing each other, how cool is that?! (Just ask Jasper Fforde.)
- On the other hand, if the moichendisers want to make Brontë consumerism the new thing and give us a break, it would be a relief. (Jane Eyre party games! Burnination for all!)
- Clearly, this means that in addition to taking Action Jane to Chawton and Bath in my upcoming England trip, I’ll have to take her to Haworth as well. To DOMINATE . . . er, see how the other half lives. Yeah, that’s right.
By the way, the moratorium on Jane on Jane mud wrestling in the title of this post does not refer to Jane Austen clones. We reserve all rights to the Jane Austen clone wars. Just so you know.
austenacious 
“Jane Austen Clone Wars” is already copyrighted by Lucas and will come out in theatres in 2013. Hasbro already has the rights to the action figures. Konami is making the video game for the Playstation 3 Platform.
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The Washington Post article said, “More modernly, Jane Eyre is ‘Twilight.'” Ugh, that really hurts my feelings. I know she’s comparing the Edward Cullen to Rochester, but even that specific comparison is off the mark.
Mrs. F, I *love* the Spaceballs reference. 🙂 That movie will forever hold a very large place in my heart.
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In a way it’s nice that people keep writing stupid articles about Austen and Bronte, because it means they’re still in the public eye (write an article titled “Joyce vs. Beckett” and be prepared for most of your readers to say “Huh?”).
I think one reason that Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte keep getting pitted against each other could be because a lot of people have this view of Austen lovers as these crazy women who read Austen constantly and wear bonnets every day and say “thou” and “ardently” a lot and maybe keep a lot of cats. So they assume that we’re all going to get up in arms over the idea that someone wants to adapt Jane Eyre for the big screen, so they want to get in on this hotly anticipated cat fight. Good thing we prove them wrong by being so awesome and sane.
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PBS Facebook page has a vote between Darcy and Rochester until 5 or 6 pm tonight…of course we know the winner will be Darcy 🙂
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I have always been fascinated by both the Bronte family AND Jane Austen. Jane Eyre has been my favorite book since childhood, but Persuasion comes in a very close second.
Although I suppose their negative statements could have been legitimate, I wonder if Charlotte Bronte, et al with their negative statements about Austen were engaging a little bit in media relations? How much more interesting were their interviews back in the day because they did not praise a fellow author? Just wondering.
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Ms. Austen–
Interesting point about the possibility of playing the media a bit. I don’t know, but I like the idea just fine.
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