"On Dec. 16, 1775, a girl was born in Steventon, England the seventh of eight children to a clergyman and his wife. She was an avid reader, never married and died in 1817, at the age of 41. But in just those few decades, Jane Austen changed the world. Her novels have had an outsize influence in the centuries since her death. Not only are the books themselves beloved as sharply observed portraits of British society, revolutionary narrative projects and deliciously satisfying romances but the stories she created have so permeated culture that people around the world care deeply about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, even if they've never actually read Pride and Prejudice."
"With her 250th birthday this year, the Austen Industrial Complex has kicked into high gear with festivals, parades, museum exhibits, concerts and all manner of merch, ranging from the classily apt to the flamboyantly absurd. The words Jane mania have been used; so has exh-Aust-ion. How to capture this brief life, and the blazing impact that has spread across the globe in her wake? Without further ado: a mere sampling of the wealth, wonder and weirdness Austen has brought to our lives. After all, your semiquincentennial doesn't come around every day."
"Austen published just four novels in her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815). All of them were published anonymously, with the author credited simply as A Lady. Placed near a window for light, this diminutive walnut table was, according to family lore, where the author did much of her writing. It is now in the possession of the Jane Austen Society."
Jane Austen was born on Dec. 16, 1775, in Steventon, England, the seventh of eight children of a clergyman and his wife. She was an avid reader, never married, and died in 1817 at age 41. Austen published four novels during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815), all released anonymously as by "A Lady." Her characters, particularly Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, have achieved global cultural significance. Few personal artifacts survive; items such as a walnut writing table and a turquoise ring contribute to her enduring mystique. Celebrations for her 250th birthday have produced festivals, exhibits, concerts, and a wide range of merchandise, reflecting deep popular enthusiasm.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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