Recently I was honored with a visit from
the shade of Miss Jane Austen, whose work I have shamelessly used to inform my
upcoming contemporary traditional mystery, Arsenic with Austen. Here is a partial transcript of our conversation (which I
recorded on my computer, to her great astonishment and delight).
Mrs. Hyde:
My dear Miss Austen, I cannot express how honored I am that you have chosen to
grace us with your presence.
Miss Austen:
My dear Mrs. Hyde, I assure you the pleasure is all mine.
Mrs. H: So
kind of you to say so. I must confess, I was a trifle concerned lest you be
offended by the way I have used your work in my humble little novel.
Miss A: I
assure you, madam, I have rarely found myself in such company as I encountered
among your characters.
Mrs. H
(blushing): I must apologize, Miss Austen, for placing you amongst such low
villains as some of my characters turned out to be. But as I’m sure you
understand, contemporary American society does not enjoy the distinctions so
carefully preserved in the England of your day. Those of more refined
sensibilities must perforce mingle daily with all manner of louts, boors, and
cads.
Miss A
(bowing): Indeed, I do understand. I have watched the developments of the last
one and half centuries with great concern. As society devolves to the lowest
common denominator, it is gratifying and comforting to observe that my humble
novels are still read by those who are nostalgic for a more gracious era.
Mrs. H: My
dear Miss Austen, you give yourself too little credit. Your “humble novels,” as
you call them, have reached a level of popularity you could scarcely have
conceived of in your lifetime. They have not only been read widely but have
been made into numerous films, and have provided the basis for a vast and
growing multitude of works of fiction based on your characters, your own life,
and your time period in general.
