But it's interesting ....
Posted by kates on December 12, 1997 at 19:21:09:
In response to It doesn't matter, written by Constanza on December 12, 1997 at 16:27:31
] As regards myself, I simply love it, enjoy it, and never tire of reading it. And I cannot said as much of other books I have read. (and I have read a lot)!
Of course, in a way you're right - it doesn't matter how you label P&P or any work of art. But isn't it a sign of greatness that you want to try to define it, that it is sufficiently complex and dense that you can use all sorts of different keys to unlock its meaning.
Some ancient greek chap (Sophocles?) once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. I can go along with that. You're right that it would be a waste to stick a label on P&P, pigeon-hole it and forget about it. But a lot of the fun of Austen is that there are so many things to discuss, to worry over, to tease the meaning out of. There's no reason that the same passage in the book can't have different nuances and emphases depending on the context of your exploration.
One of the most astoundingly good things about Austen is that I enjoy the books now just as much as I did when I first read them (when I was around 14/15 years old). I enjoy them differently (because I think about the world in different ways and with different priorities) but the more I appreciate of her subtlety the better it gets. I confidently expect to find new things to love about P&P and the other books when I'm twenty years older. I reckon that makes it a classic.
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