Happy 200th year anniversary, Pride and Prejudice! Much to my delight, author Susannah Fullerton has written a comprehensive homage to the novel to start off a year-long celebration. Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece is chock full of new and old information about Jane Austen’s most popular and beloved work. Written in Susannah’s breezy style (reading the book is like hearing Susannah talk enthusiastically about one of her favorite authors in person), the book follows the creation, writing, and publication of Pride and Prejudice; examines the appeal of its hero and heroine minutely; analyzes other major and minor characters; and discusses translations, illustrators, sequels and adaptations, films and theatricals, and P&P paraphernalia in some depth. In other words, Celebrating Pride and Prejudice is a one-stop reading shop for P&P enthusiasts.
Copyrighted Gough image courtesy Voyageur Press.
Fullerton’s book is lavishly illustrated, with a number of images not well-known in the Austen cannon, such as Philip Gough’s lovely colored images which have been hidden from contemporary view for too long (unless one purchases an expensive out of print 1951 edition – if one can be found!), and also those from Robert Ball, Rhys Williams, Joan Hassal, and Isabel Bishop. Modern illustrators like Jane Odiwe, Liz Monahan, and Anne Kronheimer are also included.
Mr. Darcy on a UK stamp commemorating Jane Austen. Copyrighted image courtesy Voyageur Press.
Fullerton enlivens her chapter with interesting details, such as the location of Lydia’s wedding, Mrs. Bennet’s housekeeping skills, what other critics say about Lizzy and Darcy, and Christmas in Austen’s day. She also includes an interesting theory about Mr. Darcy (with which I vehemently disagree), which describes him as being “slightly autistic”. (Note that Fullerton merely introduces a theory proposed by Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer in her book, So Odd a Mixture.) Such details add a little peppery spice to this celebration of P&P. There are many more insights, but I particularly liked Fullerton’s own conclusion about Elizabeth and Lydia:
Ghastly as Lydia Bennet is, she and Elizabeth make credible sisters; Jane Austen has taken genetics into account. Both are attracted to Wickham, both break society’s rules (Elizabeth walks alone through the countryside), both have high energy levels,… and they share the same thoughts about Miss King (‘nasty little freckled thing’).”
Shot of google page with Pride and Prejudice book covers.
Celebrating P&P includes an extensive listing of British, American, and foreign film and television productions of P&P. As a would-be purchaser you might ask yourself: Does Fullerton offer new insights about P&P in her new book? Not for the more seasoned Janeite, but that isn’t its purpose. It’s meant to be an homage and celebration, much as the title states. Fullerton concludes her book with “Pride and Prejudice as bibliotherapy” and an essay from Elsa Solender, past president of JASNA. For those of us who eat, breathe, sleep, and dream Pride and Prejudice and all things Jane Austen, Reading Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece is exactly the bibliotherapy we need to start 2013 off right. I congratulate Susannah Fullerton for a job well done and thank her for an enjoyable three evenings of reading this holiday season.
Opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice in different languages. Fullerton discusses its meaning in quite some detail.
Susannah Fullerton is also the author of A Dance with Jane Austen
The book is on sale today:
ISBN: 9780760344361
Item # 210748
240 pages, 35 color, 35 b/w photos
More with Susannah Fullerton
Jane Austen's World 
When you think about it, it’s amazing that Jane has such a worldwide following. She’s even on French stamps.
‘the Austen cannon’ – went off with a loud bang!
Here is the end of Ch 1, which sets up Mrs B’s leading role in what is to come:
‘ . . Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour,
reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had
been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind
was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding,
little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented,
she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her
daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.’
Vic, good thing I didn’t miss this post – I had not yet heard about this book. It’s going on my list right now!
I hope a copy of this book will be available in our country. I love Jane Austen and all her novels. Cheers to Pride and Prejudice’s 200th year. :)
This suggestion that Darcy is autistic has it’s origins in good evidence.
A study of autism in the population was done a few years ago and it was discovered that there is a higher incidence of autism in the British aristocracy than in other social groups.
Over the years, as a teacher, I have taught children with autism in different degrees. Darcy does have some attributes which fit the autistic spectrum. The British aristocracy are renowned for being aloof, non communicative with the likes of us plebs,and prone to utter inannites when they do.. A certain proportion of them are disconnected from society really.. Now I don’t want to put down all aristocrats,. A meritocratic approach to creating Sirs,Lords and Ladies has greatly improved the gene pool!!!!!
I always thought the highlight of Pride and Prejudice, Darcy”s letter to Elizabeth was rather odd. They were in the same room for goodness sake. Was the letter written because of Darcy’s autism and inability to communicate face to face?
Just a thought anyway..
Good luck with the book, Susannah.
Tony.
Thank-you for this information about research into autism amongst the aristocracy.
Books such as the 13th Duke of Bedford’s “The Silver-Plated Spoon” (1959) and “The Disappearing Duke” (2003) about the 5th Duke of Portland provide clear factual descriptions about aristocrats whose challenges with social interaction were too extreme to be mere eccentricity. Fortunately for them, they never had to go through job interviews or provide customer service! However, their wealth and status meant that they could appeal to a potential bride and her family for other reasons than their own personal attributes hence were more likely to wed and breed than a similar but less high status person. If she really existed, a bridegroom might be found even for Mr. Darcy’s silent cousin, Anne De Bourgh, despite her not having made “progress in many accomplishments”.
Autistic spectrum disorders range from severe to extremely subtle. At the mildest end the person usually interacts well with familiar people and in known settings as long as the situation does not involve complex or rapidly changing emotions. However, chatting casually with strangers is often challenging. To quote two men with autistic spectrum disorders who have achieved significant professional success:
“Striking up conversation with strangers is an autistic person’s version of extreme sports” Kamran Nazeer (policy advisor at Whitehall)
“I suffer little stage fright when it comes to public speaking…but I continue to find unstructured participation in small social gatherings agonizing.”
Tim Page (Pulitzer Prize winning music critic)
People with mild ASD put into a social situation such as a lively, crowded ballroom full of strangers and emotional undercurrents can behave in a way which might be misinterpreted as “ill mannered or ungracious and somewhat autocratic” (Dr. Tony Attwood, psychologist specializing in Aserger’s Syndrome/high functioning autism)
I was thrilled to contribute to Susannah’s book and can’t wait to see it!
It seems a littlle sad that somebody,, Ellsa Solennder has to wriite an essay entitled ,,“Pride and Prejudice as bibliotherapy” is she suuggesting that people do not know how to read? When you read a novel you engage with it using your imagiination,,, your thought processes,, in the sense of being challenged in your views and ways of thinking, your emotions come into play and you grow and develop as a person.. Reading a novel is a learning process. This is what good literature has always done and good readers have always enaged on this level. Why should Elsa have to tell us what to do when engaging with a novel?Maybe something has gone wrong in the education of people these days if they need this.
I am ever so slightly flabberghasted!!!! My flabber has never been so ghasted!! ha! ha!
Great blog post, Vic. I did not know about the Gough illustrations – will have to hunt down a copy.
I went to a launch of the book – an author tour really I suppose – in my city a couple of weeks ago. Susannah was as usual a wonderfully engaging speaker. My mum and I bought the book between us but she is reading it first so I’ve only had a quick look. I do love, from what she talked about, the range of topics she covers in the book.
BTW The Australian version has a different cover and title: Happily ever after: Celebrating Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
[…] Jane Austen and Crime, which has been well received by Jane Austen scholars and, more recently, Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece, which is a must-read in this bicentennial year of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. The […]
I have a question, but I’m not sure where to post it. I notice in photos of people wearing period clothing to various events (or just to illustrate gowns they’ve made), their hair is rarely styled to reflect the period (esp lack of curls framing the face). Is there any particular reason for this? Were those curls really ‘de rigueur’? Thank you for this great site!
Curls were de rigeur, although straight hair was also worn. Unless I had a perm, my hair would not retain the curls that Regency ladies achieved with hot irons and curling paper. This link leads to my Pinterest board that shows Regency hair styles.http://pinterest.com/janeaustenworld/regency-hairstyles/