jane austen

Years ago, I was flipping through TV channels and came across Hugh Laurie, of Dr. House fame, decked out in 19th-century English gentleman garb. Because I was a House fan, I was curious about what Hugh Laurie sounded like with his native British accent, so I paused my channel surfing to find out.

Then I brought up the title and saw that I was watching Sense and Sensibility. "Ugh. Jane Austen. No way I would enjoy that," I thought. I associated Jane Austen with foo-fooey lady stuff. So my plan was to flip the channel as soon as I heard Dr. House talk British.

Two hours later, the end credits for Sense and Sensibility scrolled down the screen. I had watched the entire thing. Didn't even get up to go the bathroom.

Not only did I watch the whole movie, I remember thinking, "Man, that was really good."

Thanks to Dr. House, my resistance to Austen was broken, and I found myself genuinely curious about her books. So I got the free version of her collected works and slowly started working my way through what are arguably her three best: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. And I'll be darned if I didn't truly enjoy them all.

If you're a dude who's written off Jane Austen's work as I once did, perhaps today's podcast will convince you that there's something in it for women and men alike and encourage you to give her novels a try. My guest is John Mullan, a professor of English and the author of What Matters in Jane Austen? John and I discuss the literary innovation Austen pioneered that influenced the likes of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove and will give your social agility a healthy workout. John then explains why soldiers and Winston Churchill turned to Austen during the world wars. We also discuss the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre's argument that Austen's work was "the last great representative of the classical tradition of virtues," Austen's idea of manliness, and how a man's choice of a wife will shape his character. And John shares his recommendation for which Austen novel men should read first.

Resources Related to the Episode

• AoM Article: Why Every Man Should Read Jane Austen
• Editions of Jane Austen's works available in the public domain
• Editions of Sense and Sensibility and Emmawith introductions by John
• AoM Podcast #824: Lonesome Dove and Life’s Journey Through Uncertainty
• Rudyard Kipling's short story "The Janeites"
• After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre

Connect With John Mullan

• John's Faculty Page

Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!)

Jane and Fi talk about their favourite presents this Christmas, campaign for cat's eyes on the roads in the US, and discuss the ins and outs of blind baking.

They're joined by bestselling author Gill Hornby to discuss her new book 'Godmersham Park'.

If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio

Assistant Producer: Kate Lee

Times Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler

Podcast Executive Producer: Ben Mitchell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a growing feeling amongst Americans that we’re suffering a crisis of leadership in our government, families, and businesses. People seem less independent and autonomous, and more directed by others. What's behind this lackluster leadership and what's the solution?
My guest today argues that the problem has to do with the way we're bringing up what he calls "excellent sheep," and that the solution is equal doses of deep solitude and deep friendship. His name is William Deresiewicz and he’s the author of several books and speeches, including A Jane Austen Education, Excellent Sheep, and Solitude and Leadership. Today on the show, William and I discuss what most so-called leaders get wrong about leadership and why learning to be alone with your thoughts helps forge better leaders. We discuss the history of friendship, why friends are so hard to make as an adult, and what you can do to form deeper relationships. William and I also talk about how young people can stop being “excellent sheep,” and jumping through the hoops other people put in front of them in order to start living on their own terms. We cap our conversation with an exploration on why men should give Jane Austen a chance and the life lessons we can get from her novels.
This is an eclectic, but wisdom-filled podcast. You're definitely going to hear something you'll end up mentally chewing on for days to come.

What does "Pride and Prejudice" have to do with nuclear deterrence?