WHY WE READ AND OR WRITE ABOUT JANE AUSTEN by Denise Stout

Jane Austen's body of work delivers a nuanced understanding of life—especially as a woman, family dynamics, insights into the historical context of the period, and the social norms between men and women. For the last two decades, I have been fascinated by Austen’s diverse and massive fan following, scholars, and writers, and I love discovering why her words and characters still resonate with so many these two hundred years later. Once a month in 2024, I feature one Austen fan to offer their insights.

THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT JANE AUSTEN: An Ode to Jane Austen as a Pop Culture Icon

by Denise Stout

We go through life having read the Classics in school, some that didn’t touch our hearts, but there’s something about the works of Jane Austen that sticks with us forever. The original OG Queen of Romance, her novels are more than books, they’re a part of pop culture, and they’re timeless.

In 2016, I went to an exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. This exhibit followed Jane Austen through the years—in addition to parallels with William Shakespeare—not just in her lifetime or as a literary genius, but how she impacted so many different aspects of life as a commodity and how she has never stopped being a part of worldwide adoration.

Then Comes Winter, Austen-inspired, multi-author collection of short stories, including Denise Stout's "Christmas Miracle on Oyster Bay"

Jane can be found on anything, from monetary denominations in the UK to clothing, decorative chinaware, dolls, games, jewelry, quilt kits, and accessories—the list is almost endless. Full disclosure: I own some of these items, and I bet many of you do, too. While many products are just poached branding, some items are authorized with museum collaborations, and those tend to be better made and higher quality or used to promote the preservation of artifacts in their respective collections.

Beyond the classic novels, we have variations and retellings, modern and historical; some are set in one scene or act, and others travel abroad to different countries. There will always be someone arguing over whether or not we should allow anyone to stray from canon. Regardless, the books endure and one only has to look at a list of new releases each month to see how close we keep her. Each publisher seems to come up with collectible covers every few months just to keep us jumping and clamoring for more.

There are beloved blogs devoted to Jane, her world, the books, related history, and more, and they keep us informed, entertain us, and introduce us to authors and historians preserving our love of Jane and related items which have cultural value

Hollywood—I’m using this term loosely to include all televised dramas or major motion pictures, plus plays—has always found a place for her. They don’t always stick to period-appropriate costumes, and people will argue over who was the best Elizabeth or Darcy, Emma, Captain Wentworth, or any other character, but we tune in to watch them or go to the theater to see the portrayals.

The aughts (noughties) were a very popular time for modern variations, adaptations, period movies, Jane-adjacent movies, and books of the same ilk. A Jane-based vlog series captivated many and introduced more people to her, with a new twist. Each time we enjoy these; we know the next generation is also being brought into the fold of appreciation.

Author Vanessa Riley in Hallmark Channel’s Sense and Sensibility. Photo credit vanessarileyauthor Instagram.

Recently, there seemed to be a war with the "movies of the week" platforms. They were producing movies and promoting book clubs devoted to Jane. Great American Family and Hallmark Channel both had these, just in the past year, plus other books. Hallmark devoted the entire month of February to Jane and Love, even hiring historian and award-winning author Vanessa Riley to ensure the period accuracy of costumes and setting. While the cast was notably diverse, Riley used the text of the book and character descriptions to show the characters could have been people of color.

The book clubs for both networks were held over a video conference medium, moderated, and they read the original works. The participants were encouraged to wear Austenesque or period attire, drink tea, and have fun while discussing the books. It was quite diverting.

Adaptions and variations are not always canon, and that’s okay because when we bring Jane to the masses, we’ve elevated her icon status. Perhaps she wouldn’t have liked that, but you never know. She was one for gossip, if you’ve ever read some of her correspondence, and her wit was there.

Whether we’re reading Jane Austen’s original works, a variation or retelling, watching an adaptation on visual media, or buying Jane-related gewgaws, baubles, or trinkets, we’re creating a place for Jane Austen in our lives and in our world. We’re proving that not only does Jane sell, but we treasure her and her works, and we want to keep them close. When it comes to Pop Culture, there’s just something about Jane Austen that lives on forever.

All of this has inspired my writing and is a part of my “why I write and read Jane Austen.” Jane’s Pride and Prejudice is used as the prime example of the Three-Act Story Structure on which we base our writing of novels and other written stories. While I revere Jane as a Pop Culture Icon, I know her writing is the basis for everything, and I use it as a treasured guide for my own work.

Denise Stout, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Stout is a hopeless romantic who dreamed of writing when she didn’t have her nose buried in a book. She grew up in Northern Delaware, is a graduate of the University of Delaware, and holds a paralegal certificate. She worked in the banking industry before focusing on her writing and her family.

Denise was first published with “Christmas Miracle on Oyster Bay” in the award-winning anthology Then Comes Winter. She primarily writes in the contemporary romance genre, plus she has written women’s fiction, historical fiction, as well as two full-length novels, and she has a stack of rejection letters to prove it.  

Denise has appeared in two national commercials, she was featured with lifestyle expert Katie Brown in Family Circle magazine, and she was quoted in VOX about books-to-film holiday movies. Denise was recently chosen by Brooke Shields as one of forty women in the 40 OVER 40 campaign for her Beginning is Now/Commence brand. Denise is a regular contributor to The WiC Project lifestyle blog creating content for a variety of products, food, subscription boxes, and movie reviews.

Denise works as an author assistant for several writers, volunteers, and reads when not writing. Denise lives in suburban Maryland with her family.

You can connect with Denise via Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Author Bio Page on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.