For some, revisiting “Persuasion” to once again shed a tear at Captain Wentworth’s passionate confession of love to Anne Elliot is enough. However, as the year 2025 rolls around, bringing with it the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, others plan to dive deeper into celebrations. Brace yourself for the breeches.
In Bath, where Austen settled in 1801, a series of themed costume balls is set to take center stage, including one inspired by the unfinished “Sanditon.” Meanwhile, at Chawton in Hampshire, where Austen resided with her mother and sister Cassandra from 1809, festivals will celebrate “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility,” and “Emma.” Expect a Dress Up Day for “Emma”—a perfect chance to flaunt that muslin dress gathering dust in your closet.
Austen passed away in Winchester in 1817, and by September, a life-sized statue crafted by Martin Jennings will be erected outside the city’s cathedral, funded to the tune of £100,000. However, you won’t need deep pockets to attend the Regency ball planned for May in the cathedral’s nave, complete with the Warleggan Village Band playing 18th-century tunes on fretted strings and an English concertina.
A quarter of a millennium after her birth, Austen’s fame remains unshaken. Every year, new books, films, TV series, and stage productions inspired by her six novels or her life’s scant details capture the world’s imagination. This dedication sets her apart, shining brighter than her contemporaries. Who nowadays reaches for Charles Lamb’s essays or even his “Tales from Shakespeare”?
While English literature students may peruse “The Monk,” Matthew Lewis’s Gothic novel of 1796, it’s often because it’s just the sort of over-the-top tale Austen satirized so brilliantly in “Northanger Abbey.”
Austen’s novels may depict clergymen and feature dramatic elopements or, perhaps more scandalous, the public shaming of a chatty spinster. Yet her modern relevance is undeniable. She’s ours: sharp, insightful, and inexplicably genuine.
What’s the secret behind her enduring charm? No doubt, her works encapsulate what we could call romantic comedies—stories of young people marrying after overcoming a hurdle, often personified by an unsuitable partner, all against a delightful backdrop of meddling relatives. These enjoyable plots, however, are only part of the equation.
In 1975, during the bicentenary of Austen’s birth, Martin Amis wrote in the Observer about Austen’s focus on self-improvement over self-discovery in relationships. Her protagonists evolve to become worthy of one another. Fifty years later, as self-discovery has gained a near-cult status, her invigorating take on relationships might appeal to us more than we realize, bridging a gap we can barely articulate.
In today’s emotionally expressive world, where personal wants and needs reign supreme, Austen’s narratives stand out for their adherence to social norms and self-sacrifice. Her characters’ quiet adherence to decorum unveils emotions that resonate—restraint deepening their impact. This profundity redirects our attention to what truly matters: relationships with others, whether or not we love them.
