In 1995 and 1996 six film or television adaptations of Jane
Austen's novels were produced -- an unprecedented number. More
amazing, all were critical and/or box office successes. What
accounts for this explosion of interest? Much of the appeal of
these films lies in our nostalgic desire at the end of the
millennium for an age of greater politeness and sexual reticence.
Austen's ridicule of deceit and pretentiousness also appeals to our
fin de si?cle sensibilities. The novels were changed, however, to
enhance their appeal to a wide popular audience, and the revisions
reveal much about our own culture and its values. These recent
productions espouse explicitly twentieth-century feminist notions
and reshape the Austenian hero to make him conform to modern
expectations. Linda Troost and Sayre Greenfield present fourteen
essays examining the phenomenon of Jane Austen as cultural icon,
providing thoughtful and sympathetic insights on the films through
a variety of critical approaches. The contributors debate whether
these productions enhance or undercut the subtle feminism that
Austen promoted in her novels. From Persuasion to Pride and
Prejudice, from the three Emmas (including Clueless ) to Sense and
Sensibility, these films succeed because they flatter our
intelligence and education. And they have as much to tell us about
ourselves as they do about the world of Jane Austen. This second
edition includes a new chapter on the recent film version of
Mansfield Park.
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