I know, I know. I am writing about Austen monster mash-up’s again. Sick of it as much as me yet? Here’s an article in Hemispheres, United Airlines online magazine about one Janeite writer’s experience with a sales clerk while buying P&P (the original) at Borders Bookstore that inspired her to write about the swath of Austen inspired derivatives and her enduring popularity.
While I must gently reprove author Gillian Fassel (since I work for Barnes and Noble) for trusting that she would receive exemplary customer service without snark at a Borders, I will commend her for doing her homework and asking a great source for her opinion on the recent rage of Austen monster mayhem and what Jane Austen would think of it ;-)
Just love the clever illustration by Thomas Allen
Austenprose 
Hee hee.. the mashups will not go away quietly, will they?
I’ve left you an award on (sorry!) on my blog at The Burton Review. Do with it what you will.
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Well look at that – your not just in bloggyland… your in an airplane magazine too! lol
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Fun little article, and it’s gratifying to know that I regularly visit the blog of a pundit–way to go :)
BTW, I was shopping for the Diaries of Charlotte Bronte in September and the Borders clerk who helped me find it asked if I had read any of the Bronte novels as he kept hearing they were good but hard to read. That was all I needed, so I waxed poetic on the virtues of WH and JE in particular. I know I should shop at B&N, but Borders is only 7 minutes from my house!
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Gotta say I am troubled by the illustration itself! Probably because it’s the same edition as my beloved, very well-read copy of P&P, purchased way back when in my junior high book store. Somehow, it just makes me cringe to see the book cover “cut” up! Sentimentality at its best/worst?!
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I’m getting tired of the monsters as well.
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When I was purchasing my copy of PPZ back in June, I also ran into a salesclerk (male) who said that he didn’t think he’d ever read the original, but he was reading PPZ and greatly enjoying it. Frankly, any guy I’ve tried to introduce to Austen hasn’t loved it.
My prom date tried valiantly for me, but got stuck about halfway through. And when I showed a male classmate PPZ to prove I wasn’t joking about such a book, he got so excited. His exact words: “Now my mother and I will have something to talk about!” (His mom’s British and a Janeite. He later read PPZ and loved it.)
As much as I adore Austen, I just don’t think many guys can stomach it without the monsters or movies. (Though some can; I’m not knocking them!) My stepdad actually enjoys the movies (my parents have seen enough of them with me), but when it came to reading S&S on audio, I’m pretty sure he liked the movie better.
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