Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-26

Can any one be called well read who
does not know the novels of Jane
Austen?
It is doubtful.
Perfection, in any art, makes its
demands upon devotees of that art.
If some one diamond expert cut a
gem of such exquisite beauty that it
excelled most other gems, no connois-
seur of diamonds could regard his edu-
cation as complete until he had seen it.
1t is the same with paintings, with
statues, with buildings, with books.
From the large to the small, from the
mighty to the miniature, it is perfection
which counts, rather than size.
In book, and especially in the novel,
this is attained when the writer in
dubitably achieves what he sets out to
achieve.
He did what he set out to do, and
80 out of a hundred persons competent
to judge would agree on it.
This Is the case with the stories OF
the shy EnglishWoman who wrote
anonymously and well.
1t is a rather curious thing to find
SO many people intent on keeping up
with the new books" who never have
read any of Miss Austen, with the ex-
ception of Pride and Prejudice"
The latter, perhaps, was forced on
them in school days. They were told
that it was the greatest novel by Jane
Austen.
AS matter of fact, it isn't.
Both Emma" and Mansfield Park"
are superior to it.
They may be recommended as super
lative examples of the novel Of man
ners wherein the quiet affairs OF life
occupy the share of attention which
they ordinarily receive in real life.
Isn't that one of the main differences
between some books and life-that
books so often "play up merely excit-
ing events. whereas the lives of most
people ordinarily run along in hum
drum fashion, broken now and then
py worry, or grief-but these, even,
without excitement, only dull pain and
pitiful sorrow?
The novel. therefore. which man.
ages to create an air of real interest
out of the ordinary affairs Of life, as
lived by the majority of human be-
ings In this and perhaps in any other
age. has done something which entities
it to special place in readers
esteem
There will always be. of course, a
place reserved for the work OF fiction
pieced together out "of such stuff as
dreams are made Of; the world OF
books is large and readers are many
and moods come and go.
In the last analysis, however, the
place of esteem, in the recollection OF
discriminating readers, Is given 10 the
work which somehow manages 10 con-
vev a real sense of life and living, but
i,oto ho o.
thing of the air Of good excitement
which belongs so easily to holder and
more swashbuckling types of fiction.
Perhaps no writer ever succeeded
better in this than gentle Jane Austen
She was born in the year the Amerl-
can Revolution began; she died in 1917,
shortly after the War Of 1872.
During 1896 and 1897 Miss Austen
wrote pride and Prejudice" one OF
the greatest First novels" ever penned
land they were literally penned In
those days..
The next, year she wrote Sense and
Sensibility," much inferior story, but
nevertheless interesting to fan" OF
Jane Austen because it was her first
published book.
The curious thing is that neither
of these novels saw the light OF reader
interest until 1911 and 1873, and II
was the inferior one of the two which
was published first.
It's mild success led publisher to
bring out Pride and Prejudice" which
thus had gone begging for Is years:
Pause and consider, all ye ambitious
ones, who are so downcast because a
rejection slip comes back in the next
mail!
1t must be admitted that Miss Jane
Austen, daughter of the rector of the