И по сегодняшний день мисс Остин Джейн является one of the most famous English writers. She is often called the First Lady of English Literature. Her works are required to study in all British colleges and universities. So who was this woman?
Brief biographical data
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775.The house of her family was in the small provincial town of Steventon, in the territory of Hampshire. Her father George, a truly educated and enlightened man, came from an old Kent family and was a parish priest.
The writer's mother, Cassandra Lee, alsocame from an old but impoverished family. In addition to Jane's family, there were seven other children — brothers James, George, Edward, Henry, Francis, and Charles, as well as sister Cassandra. The writer was especially close with her sister. It was from their correspondence that some facts became known about Jane's life and hobbies.
Childhood and youth of the famous writer
In fact, about childhood and adolescence Miss Austinnot so much is known. The same applies to her appearance, because descriptions from different sources sound different. Nevertheless, it is considered that Jane was a graceful, graceful and pretty girl with an inquiring mind, a fine sense of humor and incredible curiosity. Moreover, the girl loved fashion, was interested in gentlemen, attended balls, loved merry walks and humorous squabbles with relatives and acquaintances.
Where did Miss Austin get an education?
The works of the writer demonstrate not onlyuncommon talent, but also a considerable intellectual development of Miss Austin. Jane was educated in several different institutions. In 1783, the future writer, with her sister Cassandra, began her studies at Oxford. But here the sisters were unlucky, as they suffered from the headmaster’s despotism, and then contracted typhus. Then there was a school in Southampton, after which the girls again changed school. The educational institution in Reading also did not suit an inquisitive girl, because the kindness of the headmistress was combined with absolute indifference to the education of children.
After so many failures, Jane returned home, whereher education took his father. George Austin managed to instill in his daughters not only a love of reading, but also a delicate literary taste. The girl grew and developed in an intellectual atmosphere, and her evenings were spent reading and discussing the books of the classics.
Influence on the writer's work
Of course, home education and literaryknowledge of his father left an imprint on the work of the writer. But there were other factors that influenced the process of creating the novels of the famous Miss Austin. Jane lived in times of famous historical events - it was also a revolution in France, an industrial revolution in the territory of England, uprisings in Ireland, a war of independence in America, etc.
Despite the fact that most of his lifeJane spent in the province, she actively conducted correspondence with her relatives and friends, who vividly described her historical events in which they participated. These letters became for the young girl an inexhaustible source of ideas and useful information.
Jane Austen: works of the early period
Not all writer fans know aboutthat she created her first works at the age of fifteen. For example, one of such works was the epistolary novel “Love and Friendship”, which was created as a kind of parody of the English novels that were popular at that time.
At the same time, she worked on the “HistoryEngland ”, which, in fact, was a parody, a pamphlet on O. Goldsmith’s textbook. Here, Jane skillfully and wittily mocked the author’s claims for objectivity, while presenting some real historical facts. Another travesty of traditional English novels was the short story Beautiful Cassandra.
Famous novels of the writer
Surely almost every person at least once in his life had the opportunity to get acquainted with the works of Jane Austen. Her novels are very popular with fans of classical literature.
In 1811, Jane's first work was published.Austin - "Reason and Feelings." By the way, she published this book under the pseudonym "Lady". This is a simple and exciting story about two sisters with different characters. Marianna is an emotional and sensitive girl who wants to find true love, while Elinor is more restrained, sensible and practical.
Успех этого произведения позволил писательнице в 1813 to publish the next book - the well-known novel called Pride and Prejudice, which, by the way, was written much earlier. It is said that this work was written immediately after the break with Tom Lefroy, but since the publishers rejected it at first, it had been waiting for its turn for fifteen years. The love story, which has to go through a lot of prejudice and overcome pride, today is one of the most popular books of the writer.
The next published work was a book."Mansfield Park". Jane Austen worked on it for three years. By the way, this work belongs to the so-called educational novel. The story of a girl who has to choose between the call of the heart, the rules of decency and reasonable arguments has become the plot for a mini-series.
In 1816 another famous novel appeared -"Emma". Jane Austen here in a humorous manner described the story of a cheerful, perky girl who is having fun helping her friends get married. Engaged in the role of matchmaker, which, by the way, does not do very well, Emma almost overlooked her own happiness.
In 1817, one more posthumously was publishedThe book entitled "Arguments of Reason." Jane Austen told the reader a sad story about how Ann Elliot, guided by the practical advice of her mother's friends, rejected the only person she loved. By the way, this particular book is often considered to be a certain autobiography of the writer herself.
A year later, another novel was published - Northanger Abbey, which is a fun and witty parody of mystical Gothic novels.
Jane's unfinished work
In fact, not all works of famousthe writers were finished. For example, while Miss Austin was still alive, a small epistolary novel called "Lady Susan" was not published. Written between 1803 and 1805, the story of Lady Susan’s cunning and insidious intrigue trying to find a suitable husband raises important moral and ethical issues.
The same topic of hunting for the bridegrooms was raised inanother unfinished novel of the writer called "Watsons". By the way, this work was later completed by Jane's niece and published under the title “The Younger Sister”.
There is another popular work of the Britishwriter, which she never had time to complete. Jane began working on the Sanditon novel a few months before her death and managed to compose only a fragment of it. In 2000, this work was completed by the English writer Julia Barret - a novel published under the name "Charlotte".
The personal life of the writer
It's no secret that, despite hisa rather pleasant appearance, Jane Austen remained lonely. In her youth, she received a marriage proposal from the wealthy nephew of Lady Gresham Weasley, but refused because she had no feelings for him.
В 1795 году произошло знакомство бедного Law Student Thomas Lefroy and Miss Austen. Jane mentioned these events several times in her letters to her sister. Mutual feelings immediately flared up between the young people, but they had to leave. After all, young people came from poor families, and only a favorable marriage with rich heirs could correct the situation. By the way, Thomas eventually became Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. At the age of 30, Jane put on an old maid's cap, telling the whole world that she was not going to marry.
After the death of her father, the writer helped her motherfarm, as the financial situation of the family was extremely difficult. In 1817, Jane moved to Winchester, where she treated Addison's disease, while working on the novel Sandyton. Here she died July 18.
Jane Austen: The Filming of Novels
На самом деле, произведения английской Writers have always aroused bright interest. For example, only the book “Pride and Prejudice” was filmed ten times. For the first time a picture based on the novel appeared on the screens in 1938. The last TV version of the famous novel was released in 2005 - the role of Elizabeth Bennet went to Keira Knightley, and Mr. Darcy brilliantly played Matthew Macfadyen.
The novel "Reason and Feelings" was filmed five times.Another popular work called "Emma" formed the basis of the plot for eight paintings. Of course, this is not all films by Jane Austen. For example, there are four films based on the novel Arguments of Reason. And "Northanger Abbey" was filmed twice - in 1986 and 2006. There are also three screen versions of the work "Mansfield Park". As you can see, all completed novels of Jane Austen became the basis for the plot of many films. And despite the time, changes in the way of life and traditions, these simple stories about love, friendship and morality are still of great interest among viewers and readers.
Films about the life of the writer
На самом деле, объектом интереса со стороны гуру cinema became not only the works of Jane Austen, but also her very life. To date, three films have been shot, the plot of which is more or less based on the biographical data of the famous writer. For example, in 2002, a documentary entitled “The Real Jane Austen” was released, which was based on well-known biographical data and the remaining letters of the writer to her sister Cassandra.
In 2007, a drama appeared on the screens underJane Austen's Love Misfortunes, which tells the story of the last years of the life of a talented but lonely writer and her relationship with one of her nieces. Here the role of Jane went to Olivia Williams.
In the same 2007, the melodrama “JaneAustin ”(“ Becoming of Jane ”), the plot of which is based on the sad love story of an aspiring writer and poor, arrogant but charming lawyer Tom Lefroy.
