Last night when I opened Park Honan's Jane Austen biography to look for a name,I came across something that made me feel a little embarrased.
In my last post I had described Jane as having an unusual talent for writing but otherwise was just like anybody else.
Well, what do I know? I feel that my words sounds ungenerous when I read what Honan says about her: "One of the greatest qualities of Jane Austen's prose is its 'ear' -she is one of the best authors to read aloud. Recitals,good talk and musik had helped to train her ear,and Pride and Prejudice was to have a lyric texture as heightened above ordianry prose as Racine's 'Phedre' is above ordinary French alexandrines. Her prose rythms are the result not simply of 'genius' but of long listening and much writing."
Whatever we think of his biography (there have been some critical remarks)no one can doubt his strong appreciation of Jane.
Not that I know anything about French alexandrines, but it was beautifully said,and I believe him.

Leif G-n