All Things Jane Austen

A corner where Jane Austen dodged a horse and buggy.  Actually, just a picture of a cool street in Bath that Shea and were standing on.

 The street corner where Jane Austen bought fresh flowers.  Pretty sure there's a plaque somewhere in the picture commemorating that.

 The river where Jane Austen was proposed to and declined.  Actually, just a spot where I made out with my girlfriend.

The cathedral where Jane Austen worshipped.  Actually, just a picture of Posh Spice in Bath.

 The Circle--the resort residents of whose who in England, including Jane Austen when she lived here I'm sure. 

 Diner that Jane Austen frequented.  Actually our family dining at Sally Lunn's Bunns--a very fun restaurant in Bath where we quite enjoyed the "bunns."

 House where Jane Austen lived.  Actually, it's the Cranley, a most wonderful Bed and Breakfast.

 Did Jane Austen bathe here? Maybe.  But it's now a UNESCO world heritage site.

 The Roman baths and someone who dares to speak the truth about Jane Austen. 

Two intrepid seekers of all things Jane Austen related.

 

One of the coolest cities in England is most definitely Bath.  Aquae Sulis was established by the Romans in A.D 60 as both a spa and a temple.  This is a combination that we should investigate--worship and recreation.  The Romans built Aquae Sulis on a natural hot spring and established a plumbing system to supply the baths that were so durable that it is still functioning today.  Bath is historic and beautiful.

It went through a renaissance during the Georgian period (1700-1830).   This was smack dab in the middle of when Jane Austen was writing her beloved romance novels with biting social commentaries.  She worked and lived in Bath for a period of time (1800-1809).  What is significant about Austen's life is that she produced nothing of literary significance during the nearly 10 years that she lived in Bath.  I could have predicted that--too many distractions.  Regardless, on every street corner someone is hawking something related to Jane Austen.  There are plaques and statuary commemorating everything from where she enjoyed tea to where her she stubbed her big toe. 

People (and by this I mean women) are crazy about Jane Austen.  Sure, she is a talented writer, but as a man I struggle to enjoy her works.  This is because nothing big happens in her novels.  Everyone sits in a parlor and is anxious about things they cannot change.  I read Pride and Prejudice and found it so frustrating.  I was angry and entirely dissatisfied at the end.  Comparing her stories to manly tales where heroes change the worlds in which they live are so much more satisfying to me.    Stories such as Lord of the Rings, Endurance and The Odyssey (just to name a few) are tales that inspire and uplift, and where something actually happens. 

Now don't get my wrong, I'm interested in literary history.  I just don't really care if Jane Austen had a cat and where that cat's litter box was located.  And when it comes to selecting novels or historical accounts, I choose to read stories where good has a chance to triumph over evil.