I read my first JA when I was about 8 years old (borrowed / stolen from one of my cousins) and I fell in love with Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice right then and there. Yes, I did not think much of Lizzy - until much later when I re-read it for the nth time. Where was I? Darcy - I loved his first name Fitz - Fitzwilliam and he was epitome of the hero an 8 years old could possibly imagine. Thank you Jane for showing me guys of a different era and mainly for introducing me into the world of classics. And now that I could love and understand her writing, I could not resist taking my favorite quote from her books - Happy Birthday Jane :)
Now that you could have already pegged me into being a book nerd, you should know JA shares my feelings as well
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” - Northanger Abbey
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” - Pride and Prejudice
Friendship:
This is her version of "You are my BFFs!" - that is Best Friends Forever - for people who are actually from JA's era
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” - Northanger Abbey
“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.' 'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.” - Persuasion
Romance:Jane might have been the best selling chicklit (yea, woman literature ) author if she had been writing now - just for these heart wrenching love proclamations
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” - Pride and Prejudice
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope...I have loved none but you.” Persuasion“How quick come the reasons for approving what we like.” - Persuasion
“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.” Emma
Men:Aah - these are about "the hopeless men"
Men were put into the world to teach women the law of compromise. ”
“The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!” Sense and Sensibility
“Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing after all.”
Her Sassy wit:
Jane you might easily have been the "Aunty Acid" of 80's
“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” Jane Austen's Letters.
“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.” - Northanger Abbey
“I have not the pleasure of understanding you.” Pride and Prejudice
“I am excessively diverted. ” - Pride and Prejudice (roughly translated to "I am not hearing you, bud"
On general Life as such:
“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” Well said !
“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.” - Mansfield Park
“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.” - Sense and Sensibility
What is your favorite literary quote? Share it in comments :)
