“A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.”
Fortunately, Jane Austen did not heed her own advice, and six stunning novels are the result. As part of its new Sunday drama series, premiering tomorrow at 9 pm (EST), PBS’ Masterpiece Theater will present “The Complete Jane Austen” : four new renditions ( Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility ), two A&E classics ( Pride and Prejudice and Emma ), and a dramatization of Austen’s own life.
“She opened her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness,” intones the inscription over her tomb in Winchester Cathedral. To which the ever-witty authoress might have countered, “I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them.”
Whatever one’s taste, it’s hard not to like Jane Austen!
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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