Wanna see how a man can dig himself into a deep hole from which escape is impossible? Read John Blumenthal's (aka professional comedy writer's) paltry words in Jane Austen Overrated. Regarding her novels, he writes:
They all take place in 19th Century England, and usually revolve around the landed gentry or landed-gentry wannabes. The pompous blowhards that populate most of Ms. Austen’s books all spend their time knitting, taking walks, pretending to read books, having picnics, writing too many letters, gossiping, matchmaking (ineptly), and attending lavish parties, at which they engage in wooden dances, and wonder cluelessly why the person they “truly love” is boogying with someone else. - Yawn. Talk about clueless! This Neanderthal continues his *ahem* satiric post, attempting to cut Jane Austen's writing into pieces:
Let’s face it – there’s virtually no difference between Austen’s heroines. They all spend their time pathetically pining away for the haughty gentlemen they profess to love, men who are usually spoiled, affluent, and too dense to know that these whining, pouting women have schoolgirl crushes on them. At this point, Mr. Blumenthal has dug himself all the way to China (with England nowhere in sight):
So why are these books so popular? Simple. They’re all glorified romance novels that have somehow earned the cachet of being “literature,” although for my money, the writing is dull, stilted and plodding and the characters are ordinary simpletons in fancy costumes, but then I’m not the romantic type. If you don’t believe me, ask my wife.The redeeming factor about this drivel, which Blumenthal published on February 10th, is in reading the comments at the bottom of his post. Now, I'll concede that this comedy writer might have been attempting a satire of his own with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
What do you think, fair reader? Would you give a thumbs up for Mr. Blumenthal's acerbic wit? Or a thumbs down for his mealy-mouthed, lead-footed humor?
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