Years ago I saw a movie called Sense and Sensibility. All I knew is it had Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet in it. I had considered Kate one of the best young ingenue type actresses of the 1990s. Her innocence made Titanic.

After watching it once, I stumbled on a fabulous actor that I had seen many times but was unknown to me by name. Alan Rickman, he was and is one of the best actors I have ever watched perform. He has a balanced performance, never too much emotion or too little.

So between Kate, Emma and Alan I was hooked on the story. So I bought the book Sense and Sensibility. I often see a movie, then read the book. I would love to say I am a purist and I only see a movie if I have read the book but it would be a lie. As I read I was enthralled with the story. Jane wrote male and female characters that came alive on the page. It was by far an obsession by this time, I knew she had written other books. When you have an obsession it must be fed, and so I was off to read every novel of hers I could.

Jane’s books are so deep I read them over and over again, in order to get what she intended. By far my favorite storyline of hers is Persuasion, mainly because it mimics the life I have. My husband and I met 5 years before we began dating. My best friend was marrying one of his best friends. I had sworn I would not marry a farmer, even though when I met him he was exactly what I never did find in a big city. On their fifth anniversary the couple had a huge party and invited us all back. I came down with another college roommate to go to the party. I spent the night at my girlfriend’s. From that day I came down to the country I was with my husband. I went back to Dallas but soon we married and I became a farmer’s wife.

Which is a lot like Persuasion, the character comes back to the woman he loves. They have both lived their lives, but they have not found a true partner. Love does not fit in a box, which is why I love Jane Austen so much. It can be all sorts of circumstances, and mostly it is where you least expect it.

A few years back I finally got around to doing a quick study of Jane Austen. How did this woman understand so much at such a young age in a time when women were not encouraged to work? The sad truth is Jane never married, there are rumors she loved and lost but who actually knows? She did die at an early age, and had not made much money on her novels. A sad truth that often happens with talented artists, by the time people get it they are dead.

PBS is doing a great series on Jane Austen, next week is the true classic Pride and Prejudice. Even though I have it on DVD I will tune it because I will want to see it yet again. Jane’s love of characters make it okay to see them again and again. Surely this time Lizzie will not turn down Darcy’s proposal!

Healthy obsession is a good thing, and I can honestly say that when I read Jane I am truly happy.

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