More responses on Emma Tennant
Posted by Alexandra on June 24, 1998 at 04:49:03:
In response to She is probably not as bad as you may think., written by Chris on June 23, 1998 at 13:16:02
I do not believe she really wanted to mimic JA. I think she used her to transport her feminist ideas about marriage and about women's role in society.
I am sorry but I can not agree with you on this. If she did not want to mimic JA then she should have kept away from writing a sequel to any of JA's work. I also can not believe that Emma Tennant is really writing anything particularily feminist. If you want to see proper feminist writing I would recommend something such as "Misogynies" by Joan Smith. I do not think that running off into the arms of another man (allowing him to seduce you) and then returning to your husband when it all goes wrong is a particularily feminist theme. Personally Anne Bronte's "Tennant of Wildfell Hall" is more feminist than that...at least her heroine was happy to make an attempt at living without men when things didn't work out! I really can not see Emma Tennant as a Feminist writer!
I feel you are being unjust toward E.T. The main problem about the whole thing is that feminist literature is not very popular at the moment. E.T. really has a message to all women. This fact may distinguish her from the rest of those rubbishy books.
I think we've covered the ET as a Feminist writer so I'll leave that alone for now! Feminist literature is very popular at the moment. Think of all these books such as "Men are from Mars, Women from Venus" that are hitting the bestsellers lists. Also we're seeing a rise in writers who are writing about gutsy, successful women. So I would say that feminist writing is as popular as ever, if not more. It's just what ET writes isn't particlarily feminist and is written in such a way that it will alienate the audience that ET is surely trying to attract - the people who love JA. Surely it is those people that are most likely to buy the books and therefore she should write in a style that is vaguely attractive to them!
I see your point and I have to admit that you are probably right. Looking at her list of publication we obtain the information that she is very productive and maybe she really is too productive.
I wasn't just refering to writing too many books. I think that she possibly wrote this book very quickley to cash in on the success of Emma Thompson's version of S&S. "Pemberley" came out just as P&P fever was at it's height after the first showing of P&P2.....kind of coincidental don't you think!
Does anyone know if Emma Tennant is a fan of Jane Austen's or does she just enjoy cashing in on her success and universal appeal?
These are just my own opinions, feel free to disagree! ;-)
- Fan?!!! Margie 07:40:59 6/24/98
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