Austen's Lady Susan: Shout Out to Chinua Achebe

I finally saw the latest movie rendition of Lady Susan by Jane Austen.

At first, I have to admit I was disappointed. I wanted more Pride and Prejudice. More Sense and Sensibility. I was even ready to be endeared to another Emma. 

Lady Susan is not that.

Think Jane Austen meets Oscar Wilde, that's more like it. It's almost farcical, it's so ridiculous. 

Then I realized: that's the point. Jane Austen deconstructing herself. 

So I got over looking for what I was looking for, only to find Austen's brilliance. Now I need to read the novella itself. 

Chinua Achebe was right. Things fall apart. Even Jane Austen. 

Fever by Mary Beth Keane

If you like historical fiction, well written and well researched, try Fever by Mary Beth Keane, about Mary Mallon aka Typhoid Mary, who was one of the most widely publicized cases of asymptomatic typhoid. I didn't believe the hype (book jacket? blog? Amazon review?) that I read the Keane could make Mary a sympathetic character, but she did.

What I liked the best was that the book was also a commentary on the New York City in the early 1900's, as well commentary on the emerging application of scientific germ theory.

And I liked this, in the voice of Mary herself:

"All I can say is that I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was doing the wrong thing, and it was a theme that repeated itself often."

From a literary analysis point of view, her boyfriend Alfred was such a perfect symbol/foil to the disease itself. Neither her boyfriend or her disease were something she could live with or without, but both the boyfriend and the disease were bad for her. Toxic, sometimes benign, sometimes dangerous.

It was a well constructed novel. Some adult content.

But overall, well done.