The Other Austen

ravengoodwoman:

theotherausten:

ravengoodwoman:

imabookglutton:

Jane Austen Trivia

The use of the term “Janeites” to describe Austen’s fans dates from at least the early twentieth century. While most Austen fans today are women, early Janeites were often men. Rudyard Kipling wrote a short story called “The Janeites” about a group of World War I soldiers who were closet Austen fanatics. A 2008 survey of Austen fans found that Janeites included roofers, bartenders, Dominican friars, truckers, zookeepers, and farmers.

James Edward Austen-Leigh’s 1869 memoir of his aunt sanitized Austen’s sauciness. Austen-Leigh changed the wording of some of her letters to protect her image and his audience’s sensibilities, as in “I was as civil to them as circumstances would allow,” instead of the original (and much funnier) “I was as civil to them as their bad breath would allow.”

A man named Harris Bigg-Wither has the somewhat unfortunate distinction of being remembered by history as the man Jane Austen dumped. Bigg-Wither, an Oxford grad who is generally described in all historical accounts as an unattractive stammerer, proposed to Austen while she was visiting his sisters in 1802. She initially said yes, then changed her mind the next morning. Her niece later wrote: “Mr Wither was very plain in person—awkward, and even uncouth in manner—nothing but his size to recommend him.”

While most Austen fans today are women, early Janeites were often men.

MEN

To gay men, Jane Austen was the Judy Garland of the 1910s

Not saying that all those early Janeites were gay…

well, we’re all a LITTLE gay

no no but roflwaffles aside, i was weirdly referring to e.m. forster (who was gay, or at least what we would refer to as gay, as the gay identity as we know it was not in existence at the time). forster used to get together with his BFs and read austen. they were like jane’s little monsters. #gaga

(Source: shmoop.com)

ravengoodwoman:

imabookglutton:

Jane Austen Trivia

The use of the term “Janeites” to describe Austen’s fans dates from at least the early twentieth century. While most Austen fans today are women, early Janeites were often men. Rudyard Kipling wrote a short story called “The Janeites” about a group of World War I soldiers who were closet Austen fanatics. A 2008 survey of Austen fans found that Janeites included roofers, bartenders, Dominican friars, truckers, zookeepers, and farmers.

James Edward Austen-Leigh’s 1869 memoir of his aunt sanitized Austen’s sauciness. Austen-Leigh changed the wording of some of her letters to protect her image and his audience’s sensibilities, as in “I was as civil to them as circumstances would allow,” instead of the original (and much funnier) “I was as civil to them as their bad breath would allow.”

A man named Harris Bigg-Wither has the somewhat unfortunate distinction of being remembered by history as the man Jane Austen dumped. Bigg-Wither, an Oxford grad who is generally described in all historical accounts as an unattractive stammerer, proposed to Austen while she was visiting his sisters in 1802. She initially said yes, then changed her mind the next morning. Her niece later wrote: “Mr Wither was very plain in person—awkward, and even uncouth in manner—nothing but his size to recommend him.”

While most Austen fans today are women, early Janeites were often men.

MEN

To gay men, Jane Austen was the Judy Garland of the 1910s

(Source: shmoop.com)

justtw0kidsstupidandfearless:

charlotte lucas gay???

YES

pinkand-yellow:

So, I’m reading Mansfield Park, and I’m pretty sure I ship Fanny/Mary Crawford. It’s not my usual style to ship the corners of a triangle just because I hate the center, but pretty much they’re otp, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

mary: hey fanny, wanna rehearse some lines with me?

fanny: sure!

mary: lolol, “rehearse.” *grope grope grope* gurrrrl, your form is FOINE!

factsaboutjaneausten:

Jane Austen wrote the world’s first recorded slash fic.

(Source: )

ravengoodwoman:

I’m just really tired of seeing “Oh, Jane Austen is only for women!” “Oh, Jane Austen is for people who can’t get a man!” “Oh, people who read her are only reading her for the men!”

Look, I get it. I’m not the target audience for any Jane Austen movie. But I still love them. I still get the jokes. I still see people who remind me of her characters constantly. I still look around and feel touched that a woman who I’ll never met can write someone that touches me and makes me feel like everything’s okay.

I’m here.

I’m queer.

And I love Jane Austen with a fierce passion.

preach it, sista woman. lots of us queer janeites here on tumblr!! :)

ravengoodwoman:

Oh, goodness.

I had forgotten that theotherausten has a “teh gay” tag on her page.

You bet your bonnet I do! And I should put more stuff in thur!