Elizabeth Bennet of “Pride and Prejudice,” of course. Seriously, do you know anyone who admits to identifying with the tiresome Mrs. Bennet? It’s a sobering realization: I lately do, albeit uneasily, identify with these foolish characters, and I’m wondering if Jane Austen, who was born 248 years ago on Dec. 16, would have hated me — or even killed me off. The fear that, having mocked me, Austen would have had no compunction about killing me off is sobering for a lifelong Austen fan who also happens to be a hypochondriac. Pamela Jane (pamelajane@pamelajane.com) is, with Deborah Guyol, author of “Pride and Prejudice and Kitties: A Cat-Lover’s Romp Through Jane Austen’s Classic” (Skyhorse, 2015).

Source: Daily Sun December 12, 2023 19:12 UTC